U.S. Religious Demographics

The vast majority of religiously unaffiliated Black Americans believe in God and about half pray regularly, although few attend services.

Black American religious life is diverse, encompassing a wide range of religious affiliations, worship practices and beliefs.

Today, most Black adults say they rely on prayer to help make major decisions, and view opposing racism as essential to their religious faith.

There is a rising number of atheists in the United States. Here are some key facts about atheists in the U.S. and around the world.

The religious landscape of the United States continues to change at a rapid clip, with both Protestantism and Catholicism experiencing losses of population share.

Southern Baptists are the largest evangelical Protestant group in the United States. Yet the total number of Southern Baptists is falling.

The global Muslim population is more concentrated in Islam’s main population centers than the global Christian population is for Christianity.

About half of black Muslims are converts to Islam, a relatively high conversion level. Black Muslims, like black Americans overall, have high levels of religious commitment.

American Catholics are racially and ethnically diverse and fairly evenly dispersed throughout the country. Many want to see the church make significant changes.

Research has shown that men in the United States are generally less religious than women. And while this pattern holds true among black Americans, black men are still a highly religious group.