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A 2023 poll by the Pew Research Center found that 4% of Americans in the United States self-identified as atheists.[4] This is an increase from 3.1% of Americans in 2014.[3] However, in 2014, 9% of Americans agreed with the statement "Do not believe in God" while 2% agreed with the statement "Do not know if they believe in God".[3] According to a poll by non-profit PRRI in 2023, 4% of Americans were atheist and 5% were agnostic.[5] Polling by Gallup in 2022 showed that 17% of respondents replied "No" when asked "Do you believe in God?" in a binary fashion, but when worded differently in 2023, Gallup found that 12% of respondents replied they "Do not believe in" God and 14% replied they were "Not sure about" the existence of God.[6] According to Gallup, there are variations in their polling results because they ask about God in three different wordings, each with a different result.[7]
According to the 2014 General Sociological Survey, the number of atheists and agnostics in the U.S. grew over the previous 23 years. In 1991, only 2% identified as atheist, and 4% identified as agnostic; while in 2014, 3.1% identified as atheists, and 5% identified as agnostics.[8]
According to the 2008 ARIS, only 2% the US population was atheist, while 10% were agnostics.[9]
One 2018 research paper using indirect methods estimated that 26% of Americans are atheists, which is much higher than the 3%-11% rates that are consistently found in surveys.[10] However, methodological problems have been identified with this particular study; in particular, it has been posted that many people might not have a binary outlook to the question of the existence of God.[11]
Accurate demographics of atheism are difficult to obtain since conceptions of atheism and self-identification are context dependent by culture.[12] In 2009, Pew stated that only 5% of the US population did not have a belief in a god and out of that small group only 24% self-identified as "atheist", while 15% self-identified as "agnostic" and 35% self-identified as "nothing in particular".[13] In 2023, Pew stated that 23% of atheists believe in a higher power, but not a god.[14]
Age group | % of lack of belief in god/gods | % of self described atheists | Source | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
18-29 year olds | 16 | 16
|
6 | 6
|
[3] |
30-49 year olds | 9 | 9
|
3 | 3
|
[3] |
All Americans | 9 | 9
|
3.1 | 3.1
|
[3] |
50-64 year olds | 6 | 6
|
2 | 2
|
[3] |
65+ year olds | 6 | 6
|
2 | 2
|
[3] |
Highest degree earned | % of lack of belief in god/gods | % of self described atheists | Source | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Post-graduate degree | 14 | 14
|
5 | 5
|
[3] |
College graduate | 14 | 14
|
5 | 5
|
[3] |
All Americans | 9 | 9
|
3.1 | 3.1
|
[3] |
Some college | 9 | 9
|
3 | 3
|
[3] |
High school or less | 6 | 6
|
2 | 2
|
[3] |
Gender | % of lack of belief in god/gods | % of self described atheists | Source | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Male American | 12 | 12
|
4 | 4
|
[3] |
Americans | 9 | 9
|
3.1 | 3.1
|
[3] |
Female American | 6 | 6
|
2 | 2
|
[3] |
Generation | % of lack of belief in god/gods | % of self described atheists | Source | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Younger Millennial Americans | 17 | 17
|
6 | 6
|
[3] |
Older Millennial Americans | 13 | 13
|
4 | 4
|
[3] |
Americans | 9 | 9
|
3.1 | 3.1
|
[3] |
Generation X Americans | 9 | 9
|
3 | 3
|
[3] |
Greatest Americans | 7 | 7
|
2 | 2
|
[3] |
Baby Boomer Americans | 6 | 6
|
2 | 2
|
[3] |
Silent Americans | 6 | 6
|
1 | 1
|
[3] |
Cohort | % of lack of belief in god/gods | % of self described atheists | Source | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
$100,000 or more, Americans | 14 | 14
|
5 | 5
|
[3] |
$50,000-$99,999, Americans | 11 | 11
|
3 | 3
|
[3] |
$30,000-$49,999, Americans | 9 | 9
|
3 | 3
|
[3] |
Americans | 9 | 9
|
3.1 | 3.1
|
[3] |
Less than $30,000, Americans | 7 | 7
|
2 | 2
|
[3] |
Generation | % of lack of belief in god/gods | % of self described atheists | Source | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Second generation Americans | 14 | 14
|
4 | 4
|
[3] |
Americans | 9 | 9
|
3.1 | 3.1
|
[3] |
Third generation or higher Americans | 9 | 9
|
3 | 3
|
[3] |
Immigrants | 8 | 8
|
3 | 3
|
[3] |
Cohort | % of lack of belief in god/gods | % of self described atheists | Source | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Never married Americans | 15 | 15
|
5 | 5
|
[3] |
Living with a partner Americans | 14 | 14
|
5 | 5
|
[3] |
Americans | 9 | 9
|
3.1 | 3.1
|
[3] |
Married Americans | 7 | 7
|
2 | 2
|
[3] |
Divorced/separated Americans | 6 | 6
|
2 | 2
|
[3] |
Widowed Americans | 3 | 3
|
1 | 1
|
[3] |
Political affiliation | % of lack of belief in god/gods | % of self described atheists | Source | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democrat/Lean Democrat Americans | 13 | 13
|
5 | 5
|
[3] |
Americans | 9 | 9
|
3.1 | 3.1
|
[3] |
No lean, Americans | 9 | 9
|
3 | 3
|
[3] |
Republican/Lean Republican Americans | 5 | 5
|
1 | 1
|
[3] |
Parental status | % of lack of belief in god/gods | % of self described atheists | Source | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Non-parents of children under 18 year old Americans | 10 | 10
|
3 | 3
|
[3] |
Americans | 9 | 9
|
3.1 | 3.1
|
[3] |
Parents of children under 18 year old Americans | 7 | 7
|
2 | 2
|
[3] |
Political ideology | % of lack of belief in god/gods | % of self described atheists | Source | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Americans | 19 | 19
|
7 | 7
|
[3] |
Americans | 9 | 9
|
3.1 | 3.1
|
[3] |
Moderate Americans | 9 | 9
|
3 | 3
|
[3] |
Don't know, Americans | 8 | 8
|
[3] | ||
Conservative Americans | 3 | 3
|
1 | 1
|
[3] |
Racial group | % of lack of belief in god/gods | % of self described atheists | Source | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Asian Americans | 19 | 19
|
6 | 6
|
[3] |
White Americans | 11 | 11
|
4 | 4
|
[3] |
Americans | 9 | 9
|
3.1 | 3.1
|
[3] |
Other/Mixed Americans | 8 | 8
|
2 | 2
|
[3] |
Latino Americans | 6 | 6
|
2 | 2
|
[3] |
African Americans | 2 | 2
|
1 | 1
|
[3] |
State/federal district | % of lack of belief in god/gods | % of self described atheists | Source | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Northeastern United States | 12 | 12
|
4 | 4
|
[3] |
Western United States | 12 | 12
|
4 | 4
|
[3] |
Americans | 9 | 9
|
3.1 | 3.1
|
[3] |
Midwestern United States | 8 | 8
|
3 | 3
|
[3] |
Southern United States | 7 | 7
|
2 | 2
|
[3] |
Sexual orientation | % of self described atheists | Source | |
---|---|---|---|
LGBT Americans | 8 | 8
|
[3] |
Americans | 3.1 | 3.1
|
[3] |
Straight Americans | 3 | 3
|
[3] |
State/federal district | % of lack of belief in god/gods | % of self described atheists | Source | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# of population | # of population | ||||||
Vermont | 131,406 | 21 | 21
|
43,802 | 7 | 7
|
[3][2] |
Massachusetts | 1,178,573 | 18 | 18
|
327,381 | 5 | 5
|
[3][2] |
Maine | 212,538 | 16 | 16
|
26,567 | 2 | 2
|
[3][2] |
New Hampshire | 210,635 | 16 | 16
|
78,988 | 6 | 6
|
[3][2] |
District of Columbia | 84,241 | 14 | 14
|
24,069 | 4 | 4
|
[3][2] |
Oregon | 498,040 | 13 | 13
|
191,554 | 5 | 5
|
[3][2] |
Washington | 874,190 | 13 | 13
|
336,227 | 5 | 5
|
[3][2] |
Alaska | 85,228 | 12 | 12
|
35,512 | 5 | 5
|
[3][2] |
California | 4,470,475 | 12 | 12
|
1,490,158 | 4 | 4
|
[3][2] |
Connecticut | 427,834 | 12 | 12
|
178,264 | 5 | 5
|
[3][2] |
Nevada | 324,066 | 12 | 12
|
135,028 | 5 | 5
|
[3][2] |
Wisconsin | 682,438 | 12 | 12
|
170,610 | 3 | 3
|
[3][2] |
New York | 2,131,591 | 11 | 11
|
968,905 | 5 | 5
|
[3][2] |
Idaho | 172,434 | 11 | 11
|
31,352 | 2 | 2
|
[3][2] |
New Mexico | 226,510 | 11 | 11
|
61,775 | 3 | 3
|
[3][2] |
Rhode Island | 115,782 | 11 | 11
|
42,103 | 4 | 4
|
[3][2] |
Arizona | 639,202 | 10 | 10
|
191,761 | 3 | 3
|
[3][2] |
Colorado | 502,920 | 10 | 10
|
201,168 | 4 | 4
|
[3][2] |
Florida | 1,880,131 | 10 | 10
|
564,039 | 3 | 3
|
[3][2] |
Indiana | 648,380 | 10 | 10
|
194,514 | 3 | 3
|
[3][2] |
Maryland | 577,355 | 10 | 10
|
173,207 | 3 | 3
|
[3][2] |
Pennsylvania | 1,270,238 | 10 | 10
|
381,071 | 3 | 3
|
[3][2] |
Hawaii | 122,427 | 9 | 9
|
27,206 | 2 | 2
|
[3][2] |
Illinois | 1,154,757 | 9 | 9
|
384,919 | 3 | 3
|
[3][2] |
Iowa | 274,172 | 9 | 9
|
121,854 | 4 | 4
|
[3][2] |
Michigan | 889,528 | 9 | 9
|
296,509 | 3 | 3
|
[3][2] |
Minnesota | 477,353 | 9 | 9
|
159,118 | 3 | 3
|
[3][2] |
Nebraska | 164,371 | 9 | 9
|
18,263 | 1 | 1
|
[3][2] |
United States | 27,787,098 | 9 | 9
|
9,571,112 | 3.1 | 3.1
|
[3][2] |
Montana | 79,153 | 8 | 8
|
39,577 | 4 | 4
|
[3][2] |
New Jersey | 703,352 | 8 | 8
|
175,838 | 2 | 2
|
[3][2] |
North Dakota | 53,807 | 8 | 8
|
13,452 | 2 | 2
|
[3][2] |
Utah | 221,111 | 8 | 8
|
82,917 | 3 | 3
|
[3][2] |
Virginia | 640,082 | 8 | 8
|
160,020 | 2 | 2
|
[3][2] |
Kentucky | 303,756 | 7 | 7
|
173,574 | 4 | 4
|
[3][2] |
Delaware | 62,855 | 7 | 7
|
17,959 | 2 | 2
|
[3][2] |
Kansas | 199,718 | 7 | 7
|
57,062 | 2 | 2
|
[3][2] |
North Carolina | 667,484 | 7 | 7
|
190,710 | 2 | 2
|
[3][2] |
Ohio | 807,555 | 7 | 7
|
230,730 | 2 | 2
|
[3][2] |
South Dakota | 56,993 | 7 | 7
|
24,425 | 3 | 3
|
[3][2] |
Georgia | 581,259 | 6 | 6
|
193,753 | 2 | 2
|
[3][2] |
Louisiana | 272,002 | 6 | 6
|
90,667 | 2 | 2
|
[3][2] |
Missouri | 359,336 | 6 | 6
|
119,779 | 2 | 2
|
[3][2] |
Texas | 1,508,734 | 6 | 6
|
502,911 | 2 | 2
|
[3][2] |
Wyoming | 33,818 | 6 | 6
|
16,909 | 3 | 3
|
[3][2] |
South Carolina | 231,268 | 5 | 5
|
46,254 | 1 | 1
|
[3][2] |
West Virginia | 92,650 | 5 | 5
|
18,530 | 1 | 1
|
[3][2] |
Arkansas | 116,637 | 4 | 4
|
58,318 | 2 | 2
|
[3][2] |
Mississippi | 118,692 | 4 | 4
|
29,673 | 1 | 1
|
[3][2] |
Tennessee | 190,383 | 3 | 3
|
63,461 | 1 | 1
|
[3][2] |
Alabama | 95,595 | 2 | 2
|
47,797 | 1 | 1
|
[3][2] |
Photo | Name | State | Position | Party | Term | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pete Stark | California | United States Representative from California's 8th district, 9th district, 13th district | Democratic | 1973–2013 | [15] | |
Jared Huffman | California | United States Representative from California's 2nd district | Democratic | 2013–present | [16] | |
Barney Frank | Massachusetts | United States Representative from Massachusetts's 4th district | Democratic | 1981–2013 | [17] |
Photo | Name | State | Position | Party | Term | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Thomas Gore | Oklahoma | United States Senator from Oklahoma | Democratic | 1907–1921
1931, 1937 |
[18] | |
Kyrsten Sinema | Arizona | United States Senator from Arizona | Independent | 2019– | [19] |
Photo | Name | State | Position | Party | Term | Source | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Culbert Olson | California | 29th Governor of California | Democratic | 1939–1943 | [20] | ||
Jesse Ventura | Minnesota | 38th Governor of Minnesota | Reform (1998-2000) |
Independence (2000-2003) |
1999–2003 | [21] |
Photo | Name | State | Position | Party | Term | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Timothy Smith | New Hampshire | New Hampshire State Representative | Democratic | 2012-Present | [22] | |
Culbert Olson | California | California State Senator | Democratic | 1934–1938 | [20] | |
Jared Huffman | California | California State Assembly, 2nd district | Democratic | 2006–2012 | [16] | |
Sean Faircloth | Maine | Maine Representative, 17th and 117th districts | Democratic | 1992–1994 2002–2008 1994–1996 |
||
Barney Frank | Massachusetts | Massachusetts State Representative, 5th and 8th Suffolk districts | Democratic | 1973–1981 | [17] | |
Ernie Chambers | Nebraska | Nebraska State Senator, 11th district | Independent | 1971–2009 2013–2021 |
[23] | |
Megan Hunt | Nebraska | Nebraska State Senator, 8th district | Democratic | 2019–present | [24] | |
Lori Lipman Brown | Nevada | Nevada State Senator | Democratic | 1992–1994 | [25] | |
Andrew Zwicker | New Jersey | New Jersey General Assembly, 16th District | Democratic | 2016–present | [26] | |
Culbert Olson | Utah | Utah State Senator | Democratic | 1916–1920 | [20] |
Photo | Name | State | Position | Party | Term | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jesse Ventura | Minnesota | Mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota | Independent | 1991–1995 | [21] | |
Rocky Anderson | Utah | 33rd Mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah | Democratic | 2000–2008 | [27] |
Photo | Name | State | Position | Party | Term | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sean Faircloth | Maine | Chair of the City Council of Bangor | Democratic | 2016–present | ||
Cecil Bothwell | North Carolina | City councilor of Asheville | Democratic | 2009–2017 |
A June–September 2014 Pew Research Center survey found that 69% of atheist Americans identity as Democratic or lean Democratic, 17% have no lean, 15% identify as Republican, 56% liberal, 29% moderate, 10% conservative, and 5% don't know. Among Americans who don't believe in god/gods, 65% identity as Democratic or lean Democratic, 17% have no lean, 18% identity as Republican, 50% liberal, 31% moderate, 13% conservative, and 6% don't know. That makes atheist and nonbelievers in god/gods Americans as belief groups to be the most politically liberal belief group in America and the least politically aligned belief group with Republicans and conservatism in the United States.[3]
In 2014, a Pew survey found that 53% of Americans claimed they would be less likely to vote for a presidential candidate who was an atheist.[28]
A October 2013 Public Religion Research Institute American Values Survey found 58% of American libertarians report they believe in a personal god, 25% believe god is an impersonal force in the universe, and 16% report that they do not believe in a god. It also found 73% of Americans who identify with the Tea Party report they believe in a personal god, 19% believe god is an impersonal force in the universe, and 6% report that they do not believe in a god. It also found 90% of white evangelical Protestants report they believe in a personal god, 8% believe god is an impersonal force in the universe, and less than 1% report that they do not believe in a god.[29]
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The answer to how many Americans believe in God depends on how the question is asked. Gallup has measured U.S. adults' belief in God three different ways in recent years, with varying results.
The percentage answering 'no religion' was 21 percent in 2014, 20 percent in 2012, just 14 percent as recently as 2000, and only 8 percent in 1990." & "In 2014, 3 percent of Americans did not believe in God and 5 percent expressed an agnostic view; the comparable percentages were 2 percent and 4 percent in 1991. More people believed in a 'higher power' in 2014 (13%) than in 1991 (7%).
About three-quarters of U.S. atheists (77%) do not believe in God or a higher power or in a spiritual force of any kind, according to our summer 2023 survey. At the same time, 23% say they do believe in a higher power of some kind.
Formerly a Lutheran, Ventura generally considers himself an atheist.