Belief in God is declining despite more people thinking there is an afterlife, a major new study in the United States has concluded.

Research by Florida Atlantic University found a three-fold increase in the number of people who consider themselves atheist.

Involving 59,000 people and conducted between 1972 and 2014, it found the 18-29-year-old category saw the largest decrease.

In contrast, the number of participants who said they believed in life after death rose during the same period, from 76-per-cent to 79-per-cent.

Academics also concluded five times as many Americans in 2014 said they never prayed compared to participants asked in the early 1980s.

Speaking on Premier Christian Radio's News Hour programme, pastor at the Elim Pentecostal Church in Ipswich, Harold Afflu said: "People are more open to spirituality.

"I think maybe people's answer to the fact they don't believe in God would be because they know that they are lacking something, something is not quite there yet. We should be encouraged by people's honesty.

"May be we need the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to communicate the gospel in a relevant way, taking advantage of people's openess to something that is spiritual, something bigger than themselves.

"Many people would admit they're empty."

Commenting on the figures, San Diego State University psychology professor, Jean Twenge said: "It was interesting that fewer people participated in religion or prayed but more believed in an afterlife.

"It might be part of a growing entitlement mentality – thinking you can get something for nothing.

"Most previous studies concluded that fewer Americans were publicly affiliating with a religion, but that Americans were just as religious in private ways.

"That's no longer the case, especially in the last few years."

You can hear Harold Afflu from the Elim Pentecostal Church in Ipswich speaking with Premier's Marcus Jones by clicking below.