This article needs to be updated.(June 2024) |
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]
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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 | 6 | [3] | ||
30-49 year olds | 9 | 3 | [3] | ||
All Americans | 9 | 3.1 | [3] | ||
50-64 year olds | 6 | 2 | [3] | ||
65+ year olds | 6 | 2 | [3] | ||
Highest degree earned | % of lack of belief in god/gods | % of self described atheists | Source | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Post-graduate degree | 14 | 5 | [3] | ||
College graduate | 14 | 5 | [3] | ||
All Americans | 9 | 3.1 | [3] | ||
Some college | 9 | 3 | [3] | ||
High school or less | 6 | 2 | [3] | ||
Gender | % of lack of belief in god/gods | % of self described atheists | Source | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Male American | 12 | 4 | [3] | ||
Americans | 9 | 3.1 | [3] | ||
Female American | 6 | 2 | [3] | ||
Generation | % of lack of belief in god/gods | % of self described atheists | Source | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Younger Millennial Americans | 17 | 6 | [3] | ||
Older Millennial Americans | 13 | 4 | [3] | ||
Americans | 9 | 3.1 | [3] | ||
Generation X Americans | 9 | 3 | [3] | ||
Greatest Americans | 7 | 2 | [3] | ||
Baby Boomer Americans | 6 | 2 | [3] | ||
Silent Americans | 6 | 1 | [3] | ||
Cohort | % of lack of belief in god/gods | % of self described atheists | Source | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
$100,000 or more, Americans | 14 | 5 | [3] | ||
$50,000-$99,999, Americans | 11 | 3 | [3] | ||
$30,000-$49,999, Americans | 9 | 3 | [3] | ||
Americans | 9 | 3.1 | [3] | ||
Less than $30,000, Americans | 7 | 2 | [3] | ||
Generation | % of lack of belief in god/gods | % of self described atheists | Source | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Second generation Americans | 14 | 4 | [3] | ||
Americans | 9 | 3.1 | [3] | ||
Third generation or higher Americans | 9 | 3 | [3] | ||
Immigrants | 8 | 3 | [3] | ||
Cohort | % of lack of belief in god/gods | % of self described atheists | Source | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Never married Americans | 15 | 5 | [3] | ||
Living with a partner Americans | 14 | 5 | [3] | ||
Americans | 9 | 3.1 | [3] | ||
Married Americans | 7 | 2 | [3] | ||
Divorced/separated Americans | 6 | 2 | [3] | ||
Widowed Americans | 3 | 1 | [3] | ||
State/federal district | % of lack of belief in god/gods | % of self described atheists | Source | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Greater San Francisco Bay Area | 21 | 5 | [3] | ||
Seattle metropolitan area | 20 | 10 | [3] | ||
Boston metropolitan area | 17 | 4 | [3] | ||
Providence metropolitan area | 15 | 4 | [3] | ||
Baltimore metropolitan area | 14 | 3 | [3] | ||
Philadelphia metropolitan area | 13 | 5 | [3] | ||
Tampa metropolitan area | 13 | 4 | [3] | ||
San Diego metropolitan area | 12 | 3 | [3] | ||
Washington metropolitan area | 12 | 4 | [3] | ||
Greater Los Angeles Area | 11 | 4 | [3] | ||
New York metropolitan area | 11 | 4 | [3] | ||
Phoenix metropolitan area | 11 | 3 | [3] | ||
Chicago metropolitan area | 10 | 3 | [3] | ||
Americans | 9 | 3.1 | [3] | ||
Detroit metropolitan area | 9 | 3 | [3] | ||
Miami metropolitan area | 9 | 3 | [3] | ||
Riverside metropolitan area | 8 | 1 | [3] | ||
Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex | 7 | 1 | [3] | ||
Atlanta metropolitan area | 6 | 3 | [3] | ||
Houston metropolitan area | 6 | 2 | [3] | ||
St. Louis metropolitan area | 6 | 3 | [3] | ||
Pittsburgh metropolitan area | 5 | 3 | [3] | ||
Political affiliation | % of lack of belief in god/gods | % of self described atheists | Source | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democrat/Lean Democrat Americans | 13 | 5 | [3] | ||
Americans | 9 | 3.1 | [3] | ||
No lean, Americans | 9 | 3 | [3] | ||
Republican/Lean Republican Americans | 5 | 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 | 3 | [3] | ||
Americans | 9 | 3.1 | [3] | ||
Parents of children under 18 year old Americans | 7 | 2 | [3] | ||
Political ideology | % of lack of belief in god/gods | % of self described atheists | Source | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal Americans | 19 | 7 | [3] | ||
Americans | 9 | 3.1 | [3] | ||
Moderate Americans | 9 | 3 | [3] | ||
Don't know, Americans | 8 | [3] | |||
Conservative Americans | 3 | 1 | [3] | ||
Racial group | % of lack of belief in god/gods | % of self described atheists | Source | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Asian Americans | 19 | 6 | [3] | ||
White Americans | 11 | 4 | [3] | ||
Americans | 9 | 3.1 | [3] | ||
Other/Mixed Americans | 8 | 2 | [3] | ||
Latino Americans | 6 | 2 | [3] | ||
African Americans | 2 | 1 | [3] | ||
State/federal district | % of lack of belief in god/gods | % of self described atheists | Source | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Northeastern United States | 12 | 4 | [3] | ||
Western United States | 12 | 4 | [3] | ||
Americans | 9 | 3.1 | [3] | ||
Midwestern United States | 8 | 3 | [3] | ||
Southern United States | 7 | 2 | [3] | ||
Sexual orientation | % of self described atheists | Source | |
---|---|---|---|
LGBT Americans | 8 | [3] | |
Americans | 3.1 | [3] | |
Straight Americans | 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 | 43,802 | 7 | [3] [2] | ||
Massachusetts | 1,178,573 | 18 | 327,381 | 5 | [3] [2] | ||
Maine | 212,538 | 16 | 26,567 | 2 | [3] [2] | ||
New Hampshire | 210,635 | 16 | 78,988 | 6 | [3] [2] | ||
District of Columbia | 84,241 | 14 | 24,069 | 4 | [3] [2] | ||
Oregon | 498,040 | 13 | 191,554 | 5 | [3] [2] | ||
Washington | 874,190 | 13 | 336,227 | 5 | [3] [2] | ||
Alaska | 85,228 | 12 | 35,512 | 5 | [3] [2] | ||
California | 4,470,475 | 12 | 1,490,158 | 4 | [3] [2] | ||
Connecticut | 427,834 | 12 | 178,264 | 5 | [3] [2] | ||
Nevada | 324,066 | 12 | 135,028 | 5 | [3] [2] | ||
Wisconsin | 682,438 | 12 | 170,610 | 3 | [3] [2] | ||
New York | 2,131,591 | 11 | 968,905 | 5 | [3] [2] | ||
Idaho | 172,434 | 11 | 31,352 | 2 | [3] [2] | ||
New Mexico | 226,510 | 11 | 61,775 | 3 | [3] [2] | ||
Rhode Island | 115,782 | 11 | 42,103 | 4 | [3] [2] | ||
Arizona | 639,202 | 10 | 191,761 | 3 | [3] [2] | ||
Colorado | 502,920 | 10 | 201,168 | 4 | [3] [2] | ||
Florida | 1,880,131 | 10 | 564,039 | 3 | [3] [2] | ||
Indiana | 648,380 | 10 | 194,514 | 3 | [3] [2] | ||
Maryland | 577,355 | 10 | 173,207 | 3 | [3] [2] | ||
Pennsylvania | 1,270,238 | 10 | 381,071 | 3 | [3] [2] | ||
Hawaii | 122,427 | 9 | 27,206 | 2 | [3] [2] | ||
Illinois | 1,154,757 | 9 | 384,919 | 3 | [3] [2] | ||
Iowa | 274,172 | 9 | 121,854 | 4 | [3] [2] | ||
Michigan | 889,528 | 9 | 296,509 | 3 | [3] [2] | ||
Minnesota | 477,353 | 9 | 159,118 | 3 | [3] [2] | ||
Nebraska | 164,371 | 9 | 18,263 | 1 | [3] [2] | ||
United States | 27,787,098 | 9 | 9,571,112 | 3.1 | [3] [2] | ||
Montana | 79,153 | 8 | 39,577 | 4 | [3] [2] | ||
New Jersey | 703,352 | 8 | 175,838 | 2 | [3] [2] | ||
North Dakota | 53,807 | 8 | 13,452 | 2 | [3] [2] | ||
Utah | 221,111 | 8 | 82,917 | 3 | [3] [2] | ||
Virginia | 640,082 | 8 | 160,020 | 2 | [3] [2] | ||
Kentucky | 303,756 | 7 | 173,574 | 4 | [3] [2] | ||
Delaware | 62,855 | 7 | 17,959 | 2 | [3] [2] | ||
Kansas | 199,718 | 7 | 57,062 | 2 | [3] [2] | ||
North Carolina | 667,484 | 7 | 190,710 | 2 | [3] [2] | ||
Ohio | 807,555 | 7 | 230,730 | 2 | [3] [2] | ||
South Dakota | 56,993 | 7 | 24,425 | 3 | [3] [2] | ||
Georgia | 581,259 | 6 | 193,753 | 2 | [3] [2] | ||
Louisiana | 272,002 | 6 | 90,667 | 2 | [3] [2] | ||
Missouri | 359,336 | 6 | 119,779 | 2 | [3] [2] | ||
Texas | 1,508,734 | 6 | 502,911 | 2 | [3] [2] | ||
Wyoming | 33,818 | 6 | 16,909 | 3 | [3] [2] | ||
South Carolina | 231,268 | 5 | 46,254 | 1 | [3] [2] | ||
West Virginia | 92,650 | 5 | 18,530 | 1 | [3] [2] | ||
Arkansas | 116,637 | 4 | 58,318 | 2 | [3] [2] | ||
Mississippi | 118,692 | 4 | 29,673 | 1 | [3] [2] | ||
Tennessee | 190,383 | 3 | 63,461 | 1 | [3] [2] | ||
Alabama | 95,595 | 2 | 47,797 | 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]
An 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]
Agnosticism is the view or belief that the existence of God, the divine, or the supernatural is either unknowable in principle or unknown in fact. It can also mean an apathy towards such religious belief and refer to personal limitations rather than a worldview. Another definition is the view that "human reason is incapable of providing sufficient rational grounds to justify either the belief that God exists or the belief that God does not exist."
Irreligion is the absence or rejection of religious beliefs or practices. It encompasses a wide range of viewpoints drawn from various philosophical and intellectual perspectives, including atheism, agnosticism, religious skepticism, rationalism, secularism, and non-religious spirituality. These perspectives can vary, with individuals who identify as irreligious holding diverse beliefs about religion and its role in their lives.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines religiosity as: "Religiousness; religious feeling or belief. [...] Affected or excessive religiousness". Different scholars have seen this concept as broadly about religious orientations and degrees of involvement or commitment. The contrast between "religious" and "religiose" and the concept of "strengthening" faith suggest differences in the intensity of religiosity.
Religion in the United States is both widespread and diverse, with higher reported levels of belief than other wealthy Western nations. Polls indicate that an overwhelming majority of Americans believe in a higher power (2021), engage in spiritual practices (2022), and consider themselves religious or spiritual (2017).
Jewish atheism is the atheism of people who are ethnically and culturally Jewish.
Some movements or sects within traditionally monotheistic or polytheistic religions recognize that it is possible to practice religious faith, spirituality and adherence to tenets without a belief in deities. People with what would be considered religious or spiritual belief in a supernatural controlling power are defined by some as adherents to a religion; the argument that atheism is a religion has been described as a contradiction in terms.
Accurate demographics of atheism are difficult to obtain since conceptions of atheism vary considerably across different cultures and languages, ranging from an active concept to being unimportant or not developed. Also in some countries and regions atheism carries a strong stigma, making it harder to count atheists in these countries. In global studies, the number of people without a religion is usually higher than the number of people without a belief in a deity and the number of people who agree with statements on lacking a belief in a deity is usually higher than the number of people who self-identify as "atheists".
Christian atheism is an ideology that embraces the teachings, narratives, symbols, practices, or communities associated with Christianity without accepting the literal existence of God. It often overlaps with nontheism and post-theism.
Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities. Atheism is contrasted with theism, which is the belief that at least one deity exists.
Atheism, agnosticism, scepticism, freethought, secular humanism or general irreligion are increasing in Australia. Post-war Australia has become a highly secularised country. Religion does not play a major role in the lives of much of the population.
In the United States, between 4% and 15% of citizens demonstrated nonreligious attitudes and naturalistic worldviews, namely atheists or agnostics. The number of self-identified atheists and agnostics was around 4% each, while many persons formally affiliated with a religion are likewise non-believing.
Agnostic atheism — or atheistic agnosticism — is a philosophical position that encompasses both atheism and agnosticism. Agnostic atheists are atheistic because they do not hold a belief in the existence of any deity, and they are agnostic because they claim that the existence of a divine entity or entities is either unknowable in principle or currently unknown in fact.
Irreligion is common in Sweden, and Sweden is one of the most secular nations in the world. The majority of Swedish citizens are members of the Church of Sweden, but very few are practicing members. Sweden has legally been a secular state since 2000 when the Church of Sweden was separated from the state.
Irreligion in Ireland pertains to the population of Ireland that are atheist, agnostic, or otherwise unaffiliated with any religion. The 2022 census recorded that 14% of the population was irreligious; the second largest category after Roman Catholicism. The population was traditionally devoutly Catholic throughout much of Ireland's modern history, with a peak of 94.9% identifying as Catholic in the 1961 census. This percentage has declined to 69% in the 2022 census, the lowest recorded. Conversely, those with no religion made up less than 0.1% of the population in 1961; the proportion grew slowly until the 1991 census where it began to rapidly increase to its current share of 14% of the population in 2022.
The relationship between the level of religiosity and the level of education has been studied since the second half of the 20th century.
Irreligion in the Middle East is the lack of religion in the Middle East. Though atheists in the Middle East are rarely public about their lack of belief, as they are persecuted in many countries where they are classified as terrorists, there are some atheist organizations in the Middle East. Islam dominates public and private life in most Middle Eastern countries. Nonetheless, there reside small numbers of irreligious individuals within those countries who often face serious formal and, in some cases, informal legal and social consequences.
Irreligion in Latin America refers to various types of irreligion, including atheism, agnosticism, deism, secular humanism, secularism and non-religious. According to a Pew Research Center survey from 2014, 8% of the population is not affiliated with a religion. According to Latinobarómetro, the share of irreligious people in Latin America quadrupled between 1996 and 2020, from 4% to 16%.
The secular movement refers to a social and political trend in the United States, beginning in the early years of the 20th century, with the founding of the American Association for the Advancement of Atheism in 1925 and the American Humanist Association in 1941, in which atheists, agnostics, secular humanists, freethinkers, and other nonreligious and nontheistic Americans have grown in both numbers and visibility. There has been a sharp increase in the number of Americans who identify as religiously unaffiliated, from under 10 percent in the 1990s to 20 percent in 2013. The trend is especially pronounced among young people, with about one in three Americans younger than 30 identifying as religiously unaffiliated, a figure that has nearly tripled since the 1990s.
In sociology, desecularization is a resurgence or growth of religion after a period of secularization. The theory of desecularization is a reaction to the theory known as the secularization thesis, which posits a gradual decline in the importance of religion and of religious belief itself, as a universal feature of modern society. The term desecularization was coined by Peter L. Berger, a former proponent of the secularization thesis, in his 1999 book The Desecularization of the World.
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has generic name (help)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.