Atheism In The United States

American atheists
Total population
	56,000,000 (17%); (answered "No" to the question "Do you believe in God?"); (2017); 9,571,112 (3.1%); (self described atheists); (2014)
Religions
	Irreligion:; (including antitheism, agnostic atheism, apatheism, casualism, counter-apologeticism, debaptism evangelical atheism, freethought/freethinker, ignosticism, implicit and explicit atheism, Marxist–Leninist atheism, negative and positive atheism, nonbeliever, nontheism, post-theism, rationalism, new/scientific atheism, physicalism,; metaphysical naturalism, logicalism,; secular humanism, skepticism, etc.); Secular religions:; Buddhism; (including secular Buddhism, etc.); Christian atheism; (including Cultural Christian (Cultural Catholic, Cultural Mormon, Nontheist Quakers, etc.), Lapsed Catholic, Recovering Catholic etc.); Ethical movement; Hinduism; (including Adevism, Charvaka, Hindu atheist, etc.); Jainism; Jewish atheism; (including Cultural Judaism, etc.); Modern Paganism; Muslim atheism; (including Cultural Muslim, etc.); New religious movements; (including Creativity, Raëlism, etc.); Parody religions; (including Church of Satan, Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster/Pastafarianism, Invisible Pink Unicorn, Jediism, LaVeyan Satanism, etc.); Satanism; Unitarian Universalism

Other polling by Gallup in 2022 showed that 17% of respondents replied "No" when asked "Do you believe in God?", and another from 2023 found that 12% of respondents replied they "Do not believe in" God with 14% replying they were "Not sure about" the existence of God. Regardless of question or polling service, there is evidence the number of people not believing in God is increasing.

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.

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".

According to the 2008 ARIS, only 2% the US population was atheist, while 10% were agnostics.

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. 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.

Accurate demographics of atheism are difficult to obtain since conceptions of atheism and self-identification are context dependent by culture.

Demographics

Age

Lack of belief in god/gods among age groups in the United States (2014)
Age group	% of lack of belief in god/gods		% of self described atheists
18-29 year olds	16	16	6	6
30-49 year olds	9	9	3	3
All Americans	9	9	3.1	3.1
50-64 year olds	6	6	2	2
65+ year olds	6	6	2	2

Education

Lack of belief in god/gods among education in the United States (2014)
Highest degree earned	% of lack of belief in god/gods		% of self described atheists
Post-graduate degree	14	14	5	5
College graduate	14	14	5	5
All Americans	9	9	3.1	3.1
Some college	9	9	3	3
High school or less	6	6	2	2

Gender

Lack of belief in god/gods among genders in the United States (2014)
Gender	% of lack of belief in god/gods		% of self described atheists
Male American	12	12	4	4
Americans	9	9	3.1	3.1
Female American	6	6	2	2

Generation

Lack of belief in god/gods among generations in the United States (2014)
Generation	% of lack of belief in god/gods		% of self described atheists
Younger Millennial Americans	17	17	6	6
Older Millennial Americans	13	13	4	4
Americans	9	9	3.1	3.1
Generation X Americans	9	9	3	3
Greatest Americans	7	7	2	2
Baby Boomer Americans	6	6	2	2
Silent Americans	6	6	1	1

Household income

Lack of belief in god/gods among household income in the United States (2014)
Cohort	% of lack of belief in god/gods		% of self described atheists
$100,000 or more, Americans	14	14	5	5
$50,000-$99,999, Americans	11	11	3	3
$30,000-$49,999, Americans	9	9	3	3
Americans	9	9	3.1	3.1
Less than $30,000, Americans	7	7	2	2

Immigrant status

Lack of belief in god/gods among immigrant status in the United States (2014)
Generation	% of lack of belief in god/gods		% of self described atheists
Second generation Americans	14	14	4	4
Americans	9	9	3.1	3.1
Third generation or higher Americans	9	9	3	3
Immigrants	8	8	3	3

Marital status

Lack of belief in god/gods among marital status in the United States (2014)
Cohort	% of lack of belief in god/gods		% of self described atheists
Never married Americans	15	15	5	5
Living with a partner Americans	14	14	5	5
Americans	9	9	3.1	3.1
Married Americans	7	7	2	2
Divorced/separated Americans	6	6	2	2
Widowed Americans	3	3	1	1

Metro area

Lack of belief in god/gods/self described atheists among metro areas in the United States (2014)
State/federal district	% of lack of belief in god/gods		% of self described atheists
Greater San Francisco Bay Area	21	21	5	5
Seattle metropolitan area	20	20	10	10
Boston metropolitan area	17	17	4	4
Providence metropolitan area	15	15	4	4
Baltimore metropolitan area	14	14	3	3
Philadelphia metropolitan area	13	13	5	5
Tampa metropolitan area	13	13	4	4
San Diego metropolitan area	12	12	3	3
Washington metropolitan area	12	12	4	4
Greater Los Angeles Area	11	11	4	4
New York metropolitan area	11	11	4	4
Phoenix metropolitan area	11	11	3	3
Chicago metropolitan area	10	10	3	3
Americans	9	9	3.1	3.1
Detroit metropolitan area	9	9	3	3
Miami metropolitan area	9	9	3	3
Riverside metropolitan area	8	8	1	1
Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex	7	7	1	1
Atlanta metropolitan area	6	6	3	3
Houston metropolitan area	6	6	2	2
St. Louis metropolitan area	6	6	3	3
Pittsburgh metropolitan area	5	5	3	3

Political affiliation

Lack of belief in god/gods among political affiliation in the United States (2014)
Political affiliation	% of lack of belief in god/gods		% of self described atheists
Democrat/Lean Democrat Americans	13	13	5	5
Americans	9	9	3.1	3.1
No lean, Americans	9	9	3	3
Republican/Lean Republican Americans	5	5	1	1

Parental status

Lack of belief in god/gods among parental status in the United States (2014)
Parental status	% of lack of belief in god/gods		% of self described atheists
Non-parents of children under 18 year old Americans	10	10	3	3
Americans	9	9	3.1	3.1
Parents of children under 18 year old Americans	7	7	2	2

Political ideology

Lack of belief in god/gods among political ideology in the United States (2014)
Political ideology	% of lack of belief in god/gods		% of self described atheists
Liberal Americans	19	19	7	7
Americans	9	9	3.1	3.1
Moderate Americans	9	9	3	3
Don't know, Americans	8	8
Conservative Americans	3	3	1	1

Race

Lack of belief in god/gods among racial groups in the United States (2014)
Racial group	% of lack of belief in god/gods		% of self described atheists
Asian Americans	19	19	6	6
White Americans	11	11	4	4
Americans	9	9	3.1	3.1
Other/Mixed Americans	8	8	2	2
Latino Americans	6	6	2	2
African Americans	2	2	1	1

Region

Lack of belief in god/gods/self described atheists among regions in the United States (2014)
State/federal district	% of lack of belief in god/gods		% of self described atheists
Northeastern United States	12	12	4	4
Western United States	12	12	4	4
Americans	9	9	3.1	3.1
Midwestern United States	8	8	3	3
Southern United States	7	7	2	2

Religion

Lack of belief in god/gods among religious/belief groups in the United States (2014)
Religious group	% of lack of belief in god/gods
Atheist Americans	92	92
Agnostic Americans	41	41
Nothing in particular (religion not important), Americans	33	33
Unaffiliated Americans	33	33
Buddhist Americans	27	27
New Age movement, Americans	21	21
Nothing in particular, Americans	20	20
Unitarians and other liberal faiths in "other faiths", Americans	19	19
Jewish Americans	17	17
Hindu Americans	10	10
Americans	9	9
Episcopalian (Mainline Protestant) Americans	4	4
Anglican Church, Americans	3	3
Episcopal Church, Americans	3	3
Nothing in particular (religion important), Americans	3	3
Eastern Orthodox Americans	3	3
Lutheran (Mainline Protestant) Americans	2	2
Mainline Protestant Americans	2	2
Nondenominational (Mainline Protestant) Americans	2	2
Roman Catholic Americans	2	2
Baptist (Mainline Protestant) Americans	1	1
Christian Americans	1	1
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Americans	1	1
Muslim Americans	1	1
Pentecostal (Evangelical Protestant) Americans	1	1
Presbyterian (Evangelical Protestant) Americans	1	1
Presbyterian (Mainline Protestant) Americans	1	1
Presbyterian Church in America, Americans	1	1
Presbyterian Church, Americans	1	1
United Church of Christ, Americans	1	1
United Methodist Church, Americans	1	1
Adventist (Evangelical Protestant) Americans	<1
African Methodist Episcopal Church, Americans	<1
American Baptist Churches, Americans	<1
Assemblies of God, Americans	<1
Baptist (Evangelical Protestant) Americans	<1
Baptist (Historically Black Protestant) Americans	<1
Church of God, Americans	<1
Church of God in Christ, Americans	<1
Mormon, Americans	<1
Church of the Nazarene, Americans	<1
Churches of Christ, Americans	<1
Evangelical Protestant Americans	<1
Historically Black Protestant, Americans	<1
Holiness (Evangelical Protestant), Americans	<1
Independent Baptist (Evangelical Protestant) Americans	<1
Interdenominational (Evangelical Protestant) Americans	<1
Interdenominational (Mainline Protestant) Americans	<1
Jehovah's Witness, Americans	<1
Lutheran (Evangelical Protestant) Americans	<1
Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, Americans	<1
Methodist (Historically Black Protestant) Americans	<1
Mormon Americans	<1
National Baptist Convention, Americans	<1
Nondenominational (Evangelical Protestant) Americans	<1
Nondenominational (Historically Black Protestant) Americans	<1
Nondenominational charismatic Americans	<1
Nondenominational evangelical Americans	<1
Nondenominational fundamentalist Americans	<1
Pentecostal (Historically Black Protestant) Americans	<1
Restorationist (Evangelical Protestant) Americans	<1
Seventh-day Adventist Americans	<1
Southern Baptist Convention, Americans	<1

Sexual orientation

Self described atheists among sexual orientations in the United States (2014)
Sexual orientation	% of self described atheists
LGBT Americans	8	8
Americans	3.1	3.1
Straight Americans	3	3

State/federal district

Lack of belief in god/gods/self described atheists among states/local district in the United States (2014)
State/federal district	% of lack of belief in god/gods			% of self described atheists
	# of population			# of population
Vermont	131,406	21	21	43,802	7	7
Massachusetts	1,178,573	18	18	327,381	5	5
Maine	212,538	16	16	26,567	2	2
New Hampshire	210,635	16	16	78,988	6	6
District of Columbia	84,241	14	14	24,069	4	4
Oregon	498,040	13	13	191,554	5	5
Washington	874,190	13	13	336,227	5	5
Alaska	85,228	12	12	35,512	5	5
California	4,470,475	12	12	1,490,158	4	4
Connecticut	427,834	12	12	178,264	5	5
Nevada	324,066	12	12	135,028	5	5
Wisconsin	682,438	12	12	170,610	3	3
New York	2,131,591	11	11	968,905	5	5
Idaho	172,434	11	11	31,352	2	2
New Mexico	226,510	11	11	61,775	3	3
Rhode Island	115,782	11	11	42,103	4	4
Arizona	639,202	10	10	191,761	3	3
Colorado	502,920	10	10	201,168	4	4
Florida	1,880,131	10	10	564,039	3	3
Indiana	648,380	10	10	194,514	3	3
Maryland	577,355	10	10	173,207	3	3
Pennsylvania	1,270,238	10	10	381,071	3	3
Hawaii	122,427	9	9	27,206	2	2
Illinois	1,154,757	9	9	384,919	3	3
Iowa	274,172	9	9	121,854	4	4
Michigan	889,528	9	9	296,509	3	3
Minnesota	477,353	9	9	159,118	3	3
Nebraska	164,371	9	9	18,263	1	1
United States	27,787,098	9	9	9,571,112	3.1	3.1
Montana	79,153	8	8	39,577	4	4
New Jersey	703,352	8	8	175,838	2	2
North Dakota	53,807	8	8	13,452	2	2
Utah	221,111	8	8	82,917	3	3
Virginia	640,082	8	8	160,020	2	2
Kentucky	303,756	7	7	173,574	4	4
Delaware	62,855	7	7	17,959	2	2
Kansas	199,718	7	7	57,062	2	2
North Carolina	667,484	7	7	190,710	2	2
Ohio	807,555	7	7	230,730	2	2
South Dakota	56,993	7	7	24,425	3	3
Georgia	581,259	6	6	193,753	2	2
Louisiana	272,002	6	6	90,667	2	2
Missouri	359,336	6	6	119,779	2	2
Texas	1,508,734	6	6	502,911	2	2
Wyoming	33,818	6	6	16,909	3	3
South Carolina	231,268	5	5	46,254	1	1
West Virginia	92,650	5	5	18,530	1	1
Arkansas	116,637	4	4	58,318	2	2
Mississippi	118,692	4	4	29,673	1	1
Tennessee	190,383	3	3	63,461	1	1
Alabama	95,595	2	2	47,797	1	1

Public officials

United States Representatives

Name	State	Position	Party	Term
Pete Stark	California	United States Representative from California's 8th district, 9th district, 13th district	Democratic	1973–2013
Jared Huffman	California	United States Representative from California's 2nd district	Democratic	2013–present
Barney Frank	Massachusetts	United States Representative from Massachusetts's 4th district	Democratic	1981–2013

United States Senators

Photo	Name	State	Position	Party	Term	Source
	Thomas Gore	Oklahoma	United States Senator from Oklahoma	Democratic	1907–1921 1931, 1937
	Kyrsten Sinema	Arizona	United States Senator from Arizona	Independent	2019–

Governors

Photo	Name	State	Position	Party		Term	Source
	Culbert Olson	California	29th Governor of California	Democratic		1939–1943
	Jesse Ventura	Minnesota	38th Governor of Minnesota	Reform (1998-2000)	Independence (2000-2003)	1999–2003

State legislators

Name	State	Position	Party	Term
Timothy Smith	New Hampshire	New Hampshire State Representative	Democratic	2012-Present
Culbert Olson	California	California State Senator	Democratic	1934–1938
Jared Huffman	California	California State Assembly, 2nd district	Democratic	2006–2012
Sean Faircloth	Maine	Maine Representative, 17th and 117th districts Maine State Senator	Democratic	1992–1994 2002–2008 1994–1996
Barney Frank	Massachusetts	Massachusetts State Representative, 5th and 8th Suffolk districts	Democratic	1973–1981
Ernie Chambers	Nebraska	Nebraska State Senator, 11th district	Independent	1971–2009 2013–2021
Megan Hunt	Nebraska	Nebraska State Senator, 8th district	Democratic	2019–present
Lori Lipman Brown	Nevada	Nevada State Senator	Democratic	1992–1994
Andrew Zwicker	New Jersey	New Jersey General Assembly, 16th District	Democratic	2016–present
Culbert Olson	Utah	Utah State Senator	Democratic	1916–1920

Mayors

Photo	Name	State	Position	Party	Term	Source
	Jesse Ventura	Minnesota	Mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota	Independent	1991–1995
	Rocky Anderson	Utah	33rd Mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah	Democratic	2000–2008

City councils

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

Political views

Views of atheists

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.

Views about atheists

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.

Groups that include atheists

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.

List of atheist Americans

Organizations

References

External links

Reality Check: Being Nonreligious in America 2020 report from American Atheists

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