Irreligion in the United States

A growing proportion of people appear to be reporting no religious affiliation on surveys. The percentage of Americans without religious affiliation, often labeled as "Nones", is between 22 and 31%. "No answer" is between 2 and 3%. According to Gallup, the "None" answer to "religious preference" has grown from 2% in 1948 to 22% in 2023. "Other" and "No answer" have been somewhat stable. According to Pew, all three subgroups that together make up the religious "nones" have grown over time: in 2021, atheists were 4% (up from 2% in 2011), 5% agnostics (3% a decade before) and 20% "nothing in particular" (14% ten years before). In 2023, atheists are still 4%. However, an Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion article says atheists were already about 4% around 2008 and that had been the case since at least the 1940s. Most of the increase in the unaffiliated comes from people who had weak or no commitment to religion in the first place, not from people who had a religious commitment. The decrease in strong belief was slower. Still, "Nones" is an unclear category. It is a heterogenous group of the not religious and intermittently religious.

For Robert C. Fuller, there are three types of unchurched: some who are not religious at all ("secular humanists"), those whose relationships with organized religion are ambiguous and those who are religious but unaffiliated with a church. Researchers argue that most of the "Nones" should be considered "unchurched", rather than objectively nonreligious; especially since most "Nones" do hold some religious-spiritual beliefs and a notable amount participate in such behaviors. For example, 72% of American "Nones" believe in God or a higher power and a majority believe in spiritual forces beyond the natural world, and the existence of souls. Even 23% of self-identified atheists believe in a higher power, but not a god as described in the bible. The majority of the "Nones" are not nonbelievers. The "None" response is more of an indicator for lacking affiliation than an active measure for irreligiosity, and a majority of the "Nones" can either be conventionally religious or "spiritual". Americans may be becoming more "spiritual" and less "religious". Some do appear to be spiritual but not religious. Their numbers may be growing.

Social scientists observe that nonreligious Americans are characterized by indifference. Very few incorporate active irreligion as part of their identity, and only about 1-2% join groups promoting such values. Nonetheless, secular congregations have emerged. Secular Americans are complex and not always devoid of religious or spiritual things.

Demographics

At the beginning of the 21st century, about one in every seven Americans was completely indifferent to religion. Between 38 to 40 percent of the adult population in the United States had no formal religious affiliation. Nearly 20% of all Americans considered themselves interested in spiritual issues.

A 2007 Barna group poll found that about 20 million people say they are atheist, have no religious faith, or are agnostic, with 5 million of that number claiming to be atheists. The study also found that "[t]hey tend to be more educated, more affluent and more likely to be male and unmarried than those with active faith" and that "only 6 percent of people over 60 have no faith in God, and one in four adults ages 18 to 22 describe themselves as having no faith."

In the 2008 American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) report, 15% of the US population identified as having "no religion", almost double the 1990 figure.

Irreligiosity is often under-reported in American surveys; many more express lack of faith in God or have alternative views on God (e.g. deism), than those who self-identify as atheists, agnostics and the like. In 2012, 23% of religious affiliates did not consider themselves to be "religious", though this is subjective. The number of atheists and agnostics found in common surveys tends to be quite low since, for instance, according to the 2019 Pew survey they were 4 and 5% respectively and according to the 2014 General Social Survey they were 4% and 5% respectively. In a 2007 Pew Forum U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, self-identification and actual views on God differed: out of all the adults who did not believe in God or a universal spirit, 24% self-identified as "Atheists". The others answered: "Nothing in particular" (35%), "Agnostics" (15%), one of five Christian choices (14%), "Jewish" (4%), "Buddhists" (3%), "Other religions" (4%) and "Don't know/Refused" (2%). In one 2018 research paper using indirect probabilistic methods with considerable uncertainty estimated that 26% of Americans are atheists, which is much higher than the 3%-11% rates that are consistently found in surveys.

A 2012 study by Pew reported that, of the U.S. adult population, 19.6% had no religious affiliation and an additional 16% identified as "neither spiritual nor religious". Furthermore, atheists made up 2.4% and agnostics made up 3.3% of the US population. It also notes that a third of adults under the age of 30 are religiously unaffiliated. However, out of the religiously unaffiliated demographic: the majority describe themselves either as a religious (18%) or as spiritual but not religious (37%) while a significant minority (42%) considers themselves neither spiritual nor religious. Additionally, out of the unaffiliated: 68% believe in God, 12% are atheists, 17% are agnostics and overall 21% of the religiously unaffiliated pray every day.

The Pew Religious Landscape survey reported that as of 2014, 22.8% of the U.S. population is religiously unaffiliated, atheists made up 3.1% and agnostics made up 4% of the U.S. population. Out of all Americans who identify as unaffiliated including atheists and agnostics, 41% were raised Protestant and 28% were raised Catholic according to the 2014 Pew Religious Landscape survey. The 2022 General Social Survey found that of Americans with no religion, 40% were raised Protestant and 25% were raised Catholic. A 2023 PRRI survey found that 51% of unaffiliated Americans were formerly Protestant while 35% were formerly Catholic.

The 2014 General Social Survey reported that 21% of Americans had no religion with 3% being atheist and 5% being agnostic.

Some 20% of Americans considered themselves neither religious nor spiritual. Irreligiousness is highest among young, white, unmarried, educated males.

When asked, around a third (24%-34% in different years) answered they were "not religious", and another 8% as atheist. Many of these identify/affiliate themselves with established religious groups and most believe in God. In one survey, 88% considered themselves as at least moderately spiritual.

According to the 2014 General Social Survey the percentages of the US population that identified as no religion were 21% in 2014, 20% in 2012, just 14% in 2000, and only 8 percent in 1990. Furthermore, the number of atheists and agnostics in the US has remained relatively flat in the past 23 years since in 1991 only 2% identified as atheist and 4% identified as agnostic while in 2014 only 3% identified as atheist and 5% identified as agnostic.

According to the 2008 Pew Religious Landscape report, as 2007, 16.1% of the US population identified as "no religion", atheists made up 1.6% and agnostics made up 2.4% of the US population.

According to a 2012 Pew Report on the "Nones", 19.6% of the population identified as "no religion", atheists made up 2.4% and agnostics made up 3.3% of the US population.

The Pew Religious Landscape survey reported that as of 2014, 22.8% of the American population is religiously unaffiliated, atheists made up 3.1% and agnostics made up 4% of the US population.

A 2010 Pew Research Center study comparing Millennials to other generations showed that of those between 18 and 29 years old, only 3% self-identified as "atheists" and only 4% as "agnostics". Overall, 25% of Millennials were "Nones" and 74% were religiously affiliated. Though Millennials are less religious than previous generations at the same age frame, they are also much less engaged in many social institutions in general than previous generations.

According to the American Values Atlas from PPRI, 24% of the US Population was unaffiliated with a religion in 2017.

According to the Cooperative Congressional Election Study, 31% were "nones" in 2016 and 29.5% were "nones" in 2018.

According to a Pew study, 7% of those raised Protestant are now unaffiliated whereas 4% of those raised Catholic are now unaffiliated.

In 2019, a Pew study found that 65% of American adults described themselves as Christians while the religiously unaffiliated, including atheist, agnostic or "nothing in particular", is 26%.

According to a 2018 Pew report, 72% of the "Nones" have belief in God, a higher power, or spiritual force. A 2024 Pew survey found that 28% of Americans are unaffiliated. Estimates of the population with no religion range to almost a hundred million.

Several groups promoting irreligion – including the Freedom From Religion Foundation, American Atheists, Camp Quest, and the Rational Response Squad – have witnessed large increases in membership numbers in recent years, and the number of nonreligious student organizations at American colleges and universities increased during the 2000s (decade). However, the growth of atheist groups is very limited and will possibly shrink due to atheists normally being non-joiners. The overwhelming majority of the nonreligious in the US do not express their convictions in any manner, and only a negligible percentage joins irreligious organizations. As such, the overwhelming majority on the nonreligious do not join secular groups. Only a very small minority of the nonreligious, around 1% to 2%, actually join these kinds of groups.