The number of Americans who think Christmas should be more about Jesus has fallen significantly in the last four years.

A new survey by LifeWay Research found that nearly two-thirds of Americans (65 per cent) believe that 'Christmas should be more about Jesus'. 

Christians were far more likely than people of other faiths to agree with the statement - 81 per cent against 35 per cent - while only 28 per cent of non-religious agreed. 

The latest figures reveal a 14 per cent drop since 2014, when 79 per cent agreed that Christmas should be more about Christ. 

But it is not only people of other faiths and the non-religious who are growing in indifference towards the centrality of Christ to Christmas.  The research revealed that even among Christians, there are far fewer now who believe that the season should be more about Jesus. 

At the time of the 2014 study, 92 per cent of Christians believed this - 11 per cent more than this year. 

The 2018 survey, which polled 1,004 Americans, also found that people over the age of 50 were far more likely to be offended by the greeting 'Happy Holidays' than those in younger age groups - 42 per cent compared to 22 per cent. 

Overall, around a third of Americans (32 per cent) agreed that 'Happy Holidays' was offensive, with Christians a little more likely to be offended at 40 per cent. 

Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research, said there was 'less cultural expectation for celebrations of the Christmas holiday to include the religious aspect'.

'It's likely that Christians and older Americans are nostalgic for previous years or reluctant to acknowledge that not everyone celebrates Christmas this time of year,' he said. 

'Many have the idea that most Americans are the same or that we share one culture of baseball, apple pie and Christmas, but that's not the case.

'And when we encounter someone who believes differently from us, that can be jarring and even seem offensive for some."

He added: 'Christians may be better served finding a way to wish their non-Christian friends and family ... all the blessings possible during the season in which believers celebrate God blessing Earth with His Son.'

A 2017 study by the Pew Research Center drew similar conclusions, finding that although 90 percent of Americans celebrated Christmas, only 55 percent viewed it as a religious holiday, four per cent down from an identical poll in 2014.

Pew concluded that the celebration of Christmas in America appeared to be 'moving in a more secular direction'.