---
"title": "Black men are less religious than black women, but more religious than white women and men"
"description": "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."
"date": "2018-09-26"
"authors":
  -
    "name": "Kiana Cox"
    "job_title": "Former Senior Researcher"
    "link": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/staff/kiana-cox/"
  -
    "name": "Jeff Diamant"
    "job_title": "Senior Writer/Editor"
    "link": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/staff/jeff-diamant/"
"url": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/short-reads/2018/09/26/black-men-are-less-religious-than-black-women-but-more-religious-than-white-women-and-men/"
"categories":
  - "Beliefs & Practices"
  - "Gender"
  - "Gender & LGBTQ"
  - "Gender & Religion"
  - "Historically Black Protestantism"
  - "Race & Ethnicity"
  - "Race, Ethnicity & Religion"
  - "Religion & Politics"
  - "Religion & Race"
  - "Religious Characteristics of Demographic Groups"
  - "Religious Commitment"
  - "U.S. Religious Demographics"
  - "White Americans"
---

# Black men are less religious than black women, but more religious than white women and men

[![](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2018/09/FT_18.09.24_blackReligionGenderDifferences_featured-jpg.webp?w=640){.align}](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/short-reads/2018/09/26/black-men-are-less-religious-than-black-women-but-more-religious-than-white-women-and-men/ft_18-09-24_blackreligiongenderdifferences_featured-jpg/)

*This is one of an occasional series of posts on black Americans and religion.*

Research has shown that men in the United States are generally [less religious than women](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/religion/2016/03/22/the-gender-gap-in-religion-around-the-world/). And while this pattern holds true among black Americans – black women tend to be more religious than black men – black men are still a highly religious group. In fact, black men are not only more religious than white men, but they also tend to be more religious than white women, a Pew Research Center analysis shows. Black men are also more religious than Hispanic men and at least as religious as Hispanic women on a number of key indicators of religious observance.

![Most black men are highly religious – but not as religious as black women](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/FT_18.09.24_blackReligionGenderDifferences_religiosity310px.png?w=310){.align}

About seven-in-ten (69%) black men say religion is very important to them, compared with 80% of black women. But black men place more importance on religion than white women (55%) and Hispanic women (65%), according to the [2014 Religious Landscape Study](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/religion/religious-landscape-study/).

The same dynamic holds true when it comes to belief in God. Roughly eight-in-ten (78%) black men say they believe in God with “absolute certainty,” a higher level of belief than is found among white women (67%) and Hispanic women (65%), though, again, lower than the level of belief seen among black women (86%).

The Center also uses a scale that combines responses to four questions – frequency of prayer, belief in God, attendance at religious services and importance of religion in their lives – to classify Americans’ levels of religious belief and practice as high, moderate or low.

On this scale, black men (70%) are less likely than black women (83%) to be categorized as highly religious. At the same time, they are more likely than white women (58%) and roughly as likely as Hispanic women (67%) to be in the highly religious category. They are also much more likely than Hispanic men (50%) and white men (44%) to be highly religious. (For more information on the way the index was compiled, see “[How religious is your state?](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/short-reads/2016/02/29/how-religious-is-your-state/?state=alabama)”)

*Read the other posts in this series:*

[5 facts about the religious lives of African Americans](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/short-reads/2018/02/07/5-facts-about-the-religious-lives-of-african-americans/)

[Blacks more likely than others in U.S. to read the Bible regularly, see it as God’s word](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/short-reads/2018/05/07/blacks-more-likely-than-others-in-u-s-to-read-the-bible-regularly-see-it-as-gods-word/)

[Black Millennials are more religious than other Millennials](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/short-reads/2018/07/20/black-millennials-are-more-religious-than-other-millennials/)

[Black Americans are more likely than overall public to be Christian, Protestant](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/short-reads/2018/04/23/black-americans-are-more-likely-than-overall-public-to-be-christian-protestant/)