---
title: "6. African- and Caribbean-born adults differ on measures of religiosity"
description: "Although the Census Bureau provides some types of demographic data, it does not collect information on religious identification. However, a Pew Research Center survey of Black adults in the U.S. conducted in 2019-2020 offers some insight into this population’s religious identities. While Black adults who are either U.S. born or U.S. immigrants are more likely […]"
date: "2022-01-20"
authors:
  - name: "Christine Tamir"
    job_title: "Former Research Analyst"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/christine-tamir/"
  - name: "Monica Anderson"
    job_title: "Director, Internet and Technology Research"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/monica-anderson/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/2022/01/20/african-and-caribbean-born-adults-differ-on-measures-of-religiosity/"
---

# 6. African- and Caribbean-born adults differ on measures of religiosity

Although the Census Bureau provides some types of demographic data, it does not collect information on religious identification. However, a Pew Research Center [survey of Black adults in the U.S.](https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2021/02/16/faith-among-black-americans/) conducted in 2019-2020 offers some insight into this population’s religious identities.

[![Bar chart showing among Black immigrants and U.S.-born Black adults, more identify as Protestants than as any other religion](https://www.pewresearch.org/race-ethnicity/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2022/01/RE_2022.01.20_Black-Immigrants_6-01.png?w=420)](https://www.pewresearch.org/race-ethnicity/?attachment_id=179)

While Black adults who are either U.S. born or U.S. immigrants are more likely to identify as Protestant than any other religion, a larger share of the U.S.-born Black population identifies as Protestant. About seven-in-ten Black U.S.-born adults are Protestant (68%), while 53% of the Black immigrant population has this religious affiliation.

A larger share of Black immigrant adults are Catholic than their U.S.-born Black counterparts (19% vs. 5%), and a slightly smaller share are unaffiliated with any religion (18% vs. 22%).

However, religiosity and religious composition vary by origin group among the Black U.S. immigrant population. While many African- and Caribbean-born Black immigrants identify as Protestant (55% and 57%, respectively), Caribbean-born Black immigrants are more likely to be unaffiliated than African-born immigrants (23% vs. 7%).

A similar pattern emerges when it comes to the importance of religion. Large shares of both U.S.-born and immigrant Black adults say that religion is *very* important to them (59% and 61%, respectively), but there are some differences among African- and Caribbean-born Black adults. While about six-in-ten Caribbean-born Black adults (59%) say religion is very important to them, seven-in-ten (72%) of those born in Africa say the same. African-born Black adults are also significantly more likely than those who are Caribbean born to say that people of faith have a religious duty to try to convert nonbelievers (68% vs. 55%, respectively).

There are less pronounced differences when it comes to whether belief in God is necessary to be moral and have good values. Somewhat similar shares of both U.S.-born and immigrant Black adults say belief in God is necessary to be moral and have good values (54% and 57%, respectively). And over half of both Caribbean-born and African-born adults say it is necessary to believe in God to have good values (59% and 61%).

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**Next:** [Acknowledgments](https://www.pewresearch.org/2022/01/20/black-immigrants-acknowledgments.md)