More than half of the 30% of Americans who identify as not religious are men: Pew Research poll

A new poll released by Pew Research has revealed that over a quarter of Americans now religiously identify as either atheist, agnostic, or "nothing in particular."

The three classifications, jointly known as "nones" make up the fastest growing demographic in the United States, and now account for 28 percent of the population. Catholics and Evangenicals, in contrast, make up 23 and 24 percent, respectively.

White Americans are more likely to be "nones" than their black, hispanic, Asian, or mixed-race countrymen, with caucasians making up 63 percent of the demographic. 51 percent of that group are men. 






The group is almost evenly split between education levels, with those who graduated college, have some college experience, or only went to high school or less accounting for 35, 31, and 34 percent, respectively.

According to the poll, while the term "nones" may give the impression that those who fall into this category don't believe in anything outside the realm of scientific understanding, only about 17 percent of them identify as atheists. A further 20 percent are on the fence.

The largest portion of the "nones" pie is made up of those who say their religious beliefs are "nothing in particular." While they rarely, if ever, attend organized religious services, members of this group largely believe in god or some sort of higher power.

There is a relatively even split between male and female "nones," however the latter are far more likely to be atheists while the latter make up a greater proportion of the "nothing in particular" cohort.

Nearly 70 percent of "nones" are under the age of 50, suggesting that the drop in religious affiliation is more prevalent among young Americans. 

Politically, "nones" are twice as likely to vote Democrat over Republican, though 15 percent do identify as "conservative."

The poll, conducted between July 31 and August 6, 2023 among 3,300 adults across the country, revealed that "nones" are split over whether religion does more harm than good, but largely agree that morality should be guided by a "desire to avoid hurting people" and "logic and reason," not "religious beliefs."