Fewer than three in ten Americans have rated church clergy as having high moral and ethical standards. 

It is the lowest rating recorded in the 50 years that Gallup has surveyed the public about how they view various professions.

Clergy were rated “very high” or “high” for morals and ethics by 27% of respondents. 

Nearly half (48%) rated clergy as “average”, with 18% deeming them as “low” or “very low." 

Gallup noted that clergy were typically among the “most highly rated professions for their ethics” before 1999, but have slipped down the rankings.

Republican voters were more likely to rate clergy positively, 36% compared with 21% among Democrats. 

Nurses topped the poll, with 75% very high or high. Other high-scoring professions included military veterans, medical doctors and pharmacists.

Telemarketers and members of Congress were ranked lowest.