Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Not All Nonbelievers Call Themselves Atheists

April 3, 2009

American Atheists, a group that advocates on behalf of atheists in the U.S., will hold its national convention later this month. According to the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, conducted by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life, 5% of American adults say they do not believe in God or a universal spirit, but only about a quarter (24%) of these nonbelievers actually call themselves atheists. In fact, 14% of Americans that do not believe in God self-identify as Christian and 4% as Jewish. Of the nonbelievers, 15% consider themselves agnostic.

_{Data from the Pew Forum U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, conducted May 8 to Aug. 13, 2007, among more than 35,000 Americans age 18 and older; released in 2008. Pie chart based on respondents who say they do not believe in God or a universal spirit. Due to rounding, nested figures may not add to the subtotal indicated.}