Atheism in the United States


According to the Pew Research Center in a 2014 survey, self-identified "atheists" make up 3.1% of the US population, even though 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 the 2014 General Sociological Survey, the number of atheists and agnostics in the U.S. had remained relatively flat in the previous 23 years. In 1991, only 2% identified as atheist, and 4% identified as agnostic. In 2014, only 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. A survey using binary wording found that around 26% of Americans don't believe in god, but they were not comfortable with directly admitting it. However, methodological problems have been identified with this particular study since people do not have binary relationships to questions on God and instead have more complex responses to such questions.
Accurate demographics of atheism are difficult to obtain since conceptions of atheism and self-identification are context dependent by culture.

Demographics

Age

Education

Gender

Generation

Household income

Immigrant status

Marital status

Metro area

Political affiliation

Parental status

Political ideology

Race

Region

Religion

Sexual orientation

State/federal district

Public officials

United States Representatives

PhotoNameStatePositionPartyTermSource
Pete StarkCaliforniaUnited States Representative from California's 8th district, 9th district, 13th districtDemocratic1973–2013
Jared HuffmanCaliforniaUnited States Representative from California's 2nd districtDemocratic2013–present
Barney FrankMassachusettsUnited States Representative from Massachusetts's 4th districtDemocratic1981–2013

United States Senators

PhotoNameStatePositionPartyTermSource
Thomas GoreOklahomaUnited States Senator from OklahomaDemocratic1907–1921
1931, 1937

Governors

State legislators

PhotoNameStatePositionPartyTermSource
Culbert OlsonCaliforniaCalifornia State SenatorDemocratic1934–1938
Jared HuffmanCaliforniaCalifornia State Assembly, 2nd districtDemocratic2006–2012
Sean FairclothMaineMaine Representative, 17th and 117th districts
Maine State Senator		Democratic1992–1994
2002–2008
1994–1996
Barney FrankMassachusettsMassachusetts State Representative, 5th and 8th Suffolk districtsDemocratic1973–1981
Ernie ChambersNebraskaNebraska State Senator, 11th districtIndependent1971–2009
2013–present
Lori Lipman BrownNevadaNevada State SenatorDemocratic1992–1994
Andrew ZwickerNew JerseyNew Jersey General Assembly, 16th DistrictDemocratic2016–present
Culbert OlsonUtahUtah State SenatorDemocratic1916–1920

Mayors

PhotoNameStatePositionPartyTermSource
Jesse VenturaMinnesotaMayor of Brooklyn Park, MinnesotaIndependent1991–1995
Rocky AndersonUtah33rd Mayor of Salt Lake City, UtahDemocratic2000–2008

City councils

PhotoNameStatePositionPartyTermSource
Sean FairclothMaineChair of the City Council of BangorDemocratic2016–present
Cecil BothwellNorth CarolinaCity councilor of AshevilleDemocratic2009–2017

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