Religious Affiliation Among Black Americans: Overview and Trends
Black Americans remain largely Christian, though the landscape is diversifying. Across recent national surveys, roughly three-quarters of Black adults identify as Christian. This includes a large majority who are (non-Catholic) Christian, about 5–6% Catholic, and a small share in other Christian groups (notably Jehovah’s Witnesses, ~2–3%). About 3–4% belong to non-Christian religions—most commonly Islam (≈2%). Roughly one-fifth to one-quarter (≈21–24%) are religiously unaffiliated (“nones”: atheist, agnostic, or “nothing in particular”). In short: the vast majority are Christian (≈72–78%), a small minority follow other faiths, and about a quarter report no religious affiliation. (Pew Research Center)
1. Religious Composition of U.S. Black Adults (2023/24)
| Group | % of Black Adults |
|---|---|
| Baptist (all) | 32 |
| Nondenominational Christian | 10 |
| Pentecostal / Holiness | 8 |
| Methodist (all) | 5 |
| Other Christian (non-Catholic, not listed elsewhere) | 9 |
| Catholic | 5 |
| Jehovah’s Witness | 2 |
| Other Christian (Orthodox, LDS, etc.) | 1 |
| Muslim | 2 |
| Other Non-Christian | 2 |
| Unaffiliated (Nones) | 24 |
(Source: Pew Research Center 2021, PRRI 2023–24)
Denomination families
- Baptist remains the largest family among Black Christians.
- Nondenominational Christian congregations continue to grow and attract younger worshipers.
- Pentecostal/Holiness traditions (including COGIC) remain influential in worship culture.
- Methodist bodies (e.g., AME, AME Zion, CME) continue to play key community roles.
- Smaller shares identify as Catholic, Muslim, Jehovah’s Witness, Orthodox/LDS/Other Christian, or other non-Christian faiths. (Pew Research Center)
Within the Black Christian Population (how people actually identify)
A large Pew survey of Black adults shows that many Christians identify by Baptist, Pentecostal/Holiness, Methodist, or Nondenominational—and a sizable share use generic labels (“just Baptist,” “just Pentecostal,” “independent Baptist”), which makes precise denominational tallies conservative. Among named historic Black denominations, respondents most often cite National Baptist Convention, USA (~9% of Black Christians), COGIC (~6%), AME (~3%), with additional smaller shares in NBCA, Progressive National Baptist, AME Zion, and CME. Nondenominational Christians make up about 15% of Black Christians. Many others choose generic or local-church labels rather than a formal denominational name. (Pew Research Center)
2. Denominational Families – Within-Group Breakdown
| Family | Subgroup | % of Black Adults |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist (all) | National Baptist Convention, USA | 6.0 |
| National Baptist Convention of America | 1.3 | |
| Progressive National Baptist | 0.7 | |
| “Just Baptist” | 4.6 | |
| Independent / Other Baptist | 6.6 | |
| Missionary Baptist | 0.7 | |
| Southern Baptist (Black members) | 1.0 | |
| Pentecostal / Holiness | Church of God in Christ (COGIC) | 4.0 |
| “Just Pentecostal” | 1.3 | |
| Apostolic / Other Holiness | 0.7 | |
| Methodist (all) | African Methodist Episcopal (AME) | 2.0 |
| AME Zion | 0.7 | |
| Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) | 0.7 | |
| United Methodist / Other Methodist | 2.0 | |
| Nondenominational Christian | Nondenominational (all) | 10.0 |
Generational Differences
The most visible change is generational. Gen Z and Millennial Black adults are far more likely to be unaffiliated and less likely to identify with traditional denominations than older generations. In Pew’s Black-Americans study, unaffiliated rates are roughly 28% for Gen Z and 33% for Millennials, compared with about 11% for Baby Boomers and 5% for the Silent Generation. Younger Black adults also report lower attendance and are less likely than older cohorts to worship in predominantly Black congregations, reflecting both more multiracial church options and a rise in non-affiliation. (Pew Research Center)
3. Religious “Nones” by Generation (Pew 2021)
| Generation | % Unaffiliated (No Religion) |
|---|---|
| Gen Z | 28 |
| Millennials | 33 |
| Gen X | 20 |
| Baby Boomers | 11 |
| Silent Generation | 5 |
Changes Over the Past Decade (and longer)
Over time, Christian identification among Black Americans has declined modestly, while “nones” have grown—a trend mirrored nationally. PRRI’s 2023/2024 census shows unaffiliated Black adults rose from ~16% (2013) to ~24% (2023), with a corresponding drop in those identifying as Christian. This shift is driven largely by generational replacement—younger cohorts have higher non-affiliation than older ones. Still, Black Americans remain more religiously affiliated than the U.S. average, and the Black Church continues to be a major cultural and civic institution. (PRRI)
Notes on Catholic, Muslim, and Other Groups
- Catholic identity among Black Americans holds near 5–6% and has been relatively stable.
- Muslim identity is about 2% of Black adults (Black Americans constitute a notable share of U.S. Muslims overall).
- Other Christian identities include Jehovah’s Witnesses (the largest in this “other Christian” bucket), along with Orthodox and LDS, each at very small shares. (Pew Research Center)
Religious Affiliation – Black vs White Adults (same groups & structure)
Source: PRRI 2023, Pew Religion Landscape supplemental detail
| Group | % of Black Adults | % of White Adults | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baptist | 32% | 10% | White Baptist share mostly in Southern Baptist & mainline Baptist |
| Nondenominational | 10% | 13% | Larger among whites due to evangelical megachurches |
| Pentecostal / Holiness | 8% | 3% | Much larger cultural footprint in Black Christianity |
| Methodist (all) | 5% | 7% | Whites more in UMC; Blacks in AME / AMEZ / CME |
| Other Christian (non-Catholic, unspecified) | 9% | 9% | Generic “Christian,” “just Protestant,” evangelical not named |
| Catholic | 5% | 20% | Whites 4x more likely to be Catholic |
| Jehovah’s Witness | 2% | <1% | Black adults overrepresented (about 1 in 3 US JWs is Black) |
| Other Christian (Orthodox, LDS, etc.) | 1% | 2% | Slightly higher among whites |
| Muslim | 2% | 1% | Black Muslims ≈ 20% of US Muslim population |
| Other Non-Christian | 2% | 3% | Whites more in Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu traditions |
| Unaffiliated (Nones) | 24% | 29% | Both groups trending upward over last decade |
Key takeaway:
Black Americans are more Christian and more Baptist, and less Catholic than White Americans. White adults are more secular — but the gap is shrinking quickly due to generation change.
Generational Breakdown: % Unaffiliated (No Religion)
| Generation | Black Adults | White Adults | What It Shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gen Z | 28% | 38% | White youth secularizing faster |
| Millennials | 33% | 34% | Nearly identical disaffiliation |
| Gen X | 20% | 25% | Gap widens among older Gen X |
| Baby Boomers | 11% | 22% | White Boomers twice as secular |
| Silent Gen | 5% | 14% | Faith remains strongest among older Black adults |
Generational takeaway:
Younger Black and White adults look more similar in their movement away from organized religion.
The differences between racial groups are driven most by Boomers and older where Black religiosity remains extremely strong.
Methodology Snapshot
- Top-line composition (Christian vs. Catholic vs. other vs. unaffiliated) is drawn primarily from Pew’s “Faith Among Black Americans” (2019–2020 survey; published 2021) and PRRI’s 2023 Census of American Religion.
- Within-group denomination detail uses Pew’s shares among Black Christians (e.g., National Baptist, COGIC, AME, “just Baptist,” nondenominational, etc.). For your chart, we scaled those to represent shares of all Black adults.
- Because many respondents use generic labels (“just Baptist,” “independent Baptist,” “just Pentecostal”), the named historic-denomination shares should be treated as minimum estimates. (Pew Research Center)
Sources (key references)
- Pew Research Center. Faith and Religion Among Black Americans (report hub, incl. denominational and generational tabs), Feb. 16, 2021. (Pew Research Center)
- Pew Research Center. Religious Landscape Study: Black adults (historical/tradition context). (Pew Research Center)
- PRRI. 2023 PRRI Census of American Religion (report + methods; unaffiliated trend 2013→2023). (PRRI)