Nine-in-ten Black ‘nones’ believe in God, but fewer pray or attend services
The vast majority of religiously unaffiliated Black Americans believe in God and about half pray regularly, although few attend services.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
All
Publications
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.
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.
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.
Black Millennials are more likely than nonblack Millennials, for example, to say they pray at least daily and attend religious services at least weekly.
While white Democrats are less likely to be religious than Republicans, nonwhite Democrats more closely resemble Republicans overall on certain religious measures.
Black adults in the U.S. are more likely than most other Americans to read scripture regularly and to view it as the word of God.
Nearly eight-in-ten black Americans identify as Christian, compared with 70% of whites, 77% of Latinos and just 34% of Asian Americans.
Religion, particularly Christianity, has played an outsize role in African American history. For Black History Month, here are five facts about the religious lives of African Americans.
Notifications