A 2023 poll by the Pew Research Center found that 4% of Americans in the United States self-identified as atheists. This is an increase from 3.1% of Americans in 2014. 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". According to a poll by non-profit Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) in 2023, 4% of Americans were atheist and 5% were agnostic. 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. According to Gallup, there are variations in their polling results because they ask about God in three different wordings, each with a different result.
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.
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. 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". In 2023, Pew stated that 23% of atheists believe in a higher power, but not a god. In 2024, Pew stated that 31% of atheists believe in a spirit or soul.
Demographics (2014) 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 Source 18–29 year olds 30–49 year olds All Americans 50–64 year olds 65+ year olds
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 Source Post-graduate degree College graduate All Americans Some college High school or less
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 Source Male American Americans Female American
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 Source Younger Millennial Americans Older Millennial Americans Americans Generation X Americans Greatest Americans Baby Boomer Americans Silent Americans
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 Source $100,000 or more, Americans $50,000–$99,999, Americans $30,000–$49,999, Americans Americans Less than $30,000, Americans
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 Source Second generation Americans Americans Third generation or higher Americans Immigrants
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 Source Never married Americans Living with a partner Americans Americans Married Americans Divorced/separated Americans Widowed Americans
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 Source Greater San Francisco Bay Area Seattle metropolitan area Boston metropolitan area Providence metropolitan area Baltimore metropolitan area Philadelphia metropolitan area Tampa metropolitan area San Diego metropolitan area Washington metropolitan area Greater Los Angeles Area New York metropolitan area Phoenix metropolitan area Chicago metropolitan area Americans Detroit metropolitan area Miami metropolitan area Riverside metropolitan area Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex Atlanta metropolitan area Houston metropolitan area St. Louis metropolitan area Pittsburgh metropolitan area
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 Source Democrat/Lean Democrat Americans Americans No lean, Americans Republican/Lean Republican Americans
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 Source Non-parents of children under 18 year old Americans Americans Parents of children under 18 year old Americans
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 Source Liberal Americans Americans Moderate Americans Don't know, Americans Conservative Americans
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 Source Asian Americans White Americans Americans Other/Mixed Americans Latino Americans African Americans
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 Source Northeastern United States Western United States Americans Midwestern United States Southern United States
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 Source Atheist Americans Agnostic Americans Nothing in particular (religion not important), Americans Unaffiliated Americans Buddhist Americans New Age movement, Americans Nothing in particular, Americans Unitarians and other liberal faiths in "other faiths", Americans Jewish Americans Hindu Americans Americans Episcopalian (Mainline Protestant) Americans Anglican Church, Americans Episcopal Church, Americans Nothing in particular (religion important), Americans Eastern Orthodox Americans Lutheran (Mainline Protestant) Americans Mainline Protestant Americans Nondenominational (Mainline Protestant) Americans Roman Catholic Americans Baptist (Mainline Protestant) Americans Christian Americans Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Americans Muslim Americans Pentecostal (Evangelical Protestant) Americans Presbyterian (Evangelical Protestant) Americans Presbyterian (Mainline Protestant) Americans Presbyterian Church in America, Americans Presbyterian Church, Americans United Church of Christ, Americans United Methodist Church, Americans 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 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 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 Source LGBT Americans Americans Straight Americans
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 Source# of population# of population 131,406 43,802 1,178,573 327,381 212,538 26,567 210,635 78,988 84,241 24,069 498,040 191,554 874,190 336,227 85,228 35,512 4,470,475 1,490,158 427,834 178,264 324,066 135,028 682,438 170,610 2,131,591 968,905 172,434 31,352 226,510 61,775 115,782 42,103 639,202 191,761 502,920 201,168 1,880,131 564,039 648,380 194,514 577,355 173,207 1,270,238 381,071 122,427 27,206 1,154,757 384,919 274,172 121,854 889,528 296,509 477,353 159,118 164,371 18,263 27,787,098 9,571,112 79,153 39,577 703,352 175,838 53,807 13,452 221,111 82,917 640,082 160,020 303,756 173,574 62,855 17,959 199,718 57,062 667,484 190,710 807,555 230,730 56,993 24,425 581,259 193,753 272,002 90,667 359,336 119,779 1,508,734 502,911 33,818 16,909 231,268 46,254 92,650 18,530 116,637 58,318 118,692 29,673 190,383 63,461 95,595 47,797
Public officials United States representatives
Photo Name State Position Party Term Source Pete Stark California United States Representative from California's 8th district, 9th district, 13th districtDemocratic 1973–2013 Stark called himself "a Unitarian who does not believe in a supreme being" and has been identified as an atheist. Rep. Stark applauded for atheist outlook: Believed to be first congressman to declare nontheism, Associated Press, March 13, 2007 (Accessed June 15, 2007)Jared HuffmanCaliforniaUnited States Representative from California's 2nd districtDemocratic 2013–present Barney FrankMassachusettsUnited States Representative from Massachusetts's 4th districtDemocratic 1981–2013
United States senators
Photo Name State Position Party Term Source Thomas Gore Oklahoma United States Senator from Oklahoma Democratic 1907–1921 1931, 1937Kyrsten SinemaArizonaUnited States Senator from ArizonaIndependent2019–2025
Governors
Photo Name State Position Party Term Source Culbert Olson California 29th governor of California Democratic 1939–1943 The Hon. Atheist Governor: Culbert L. Olson Jesse Ventura Minnesota 38th governor of Minnesota Reform Independence 1999–2003
State legislators
Photo Name State Position Party Term Source Timothy Smith New Hampshire New Hampshire State Representative Democratic 2012–2022 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