---
"title": "Blacks Are The Most Religious Americans"
"description": "Of all the major racial and ethnic groups in the US, blacks are the most likely to report a formal religious affiliation."
"date": "2008-11-03"
"authors":
  -
    "name": "Russell Heimlich"
    "job_title": "Former web developer"
    "link": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
"url": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/short-reads/2008/11/03/blacks-are-the-most-religious-americans/"
---

# Blacks Are The Most Religious Americans

Of all the major racial and ethnic groups in America, blacks are the most likely to report a formal religious affiliation, and even among black adults who are unaffiliated (12%), more than two-thirds (70%) say that religion is somewhat or very important in their lives. Only 1% of blacks identify as atheist or agnostic. About six-in-ten (59%) black adults are affiliated with historically black Protestant churches; however, only about two-in-ten are members of predominantly white evangelical (15%) and mainline (4%) Protestant churches. Asians are the ethnic group most likely to be unaffiliated. Roughly a quarter (23%) of Asians have no religious affiliation, and more than three-in-four of these are either secular (11% overall), atheist (3% overall) or agnostic (4% overall). [Read More](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/pubs/743/united-states-religion)