Opinion of Muslims (Demographic Patterns)

Thinking about specific religious groups, what is your overall opinion of: Muslims? (Religion and Public Life Survey, 2002)

Opinion of Muslims by Age (Religion and Public Life Survey, 2002)

	18-24	25-34	35-44	45-54	55-64	65 +	Missing	TOTAL
Very favorable	4.9% 5	10.4% 17	7.4% 15	3.6% 6	11.5% 14	5.7% 10	0	7.2% 67
Mostly favorable	49.5% 51	47.9% 78	39.6% 80	53.8% 91	36.9% 45	25.9% 45	3	41.8% 390
Mostly unfavorable	17.5% 18	16.6% 27	19.8% 40	17.2% 29	11.5% 14	16.7% 29	5	16.8% 157
Very unfavorable	8.7% 9	9.8% 16	7.4% 15	10.1% 17	13.1% 16	13.2% 23	0	10.3% 96
Never heard of	1.0% 1	0.6% 1	0.5% 1	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	2.3% 4	0	0.8% 7
Can't rate	14.6% 15	12.3% 20	22.8% 46	14.8% 25	20.5% 25	31.0% 54	2	19.8% 185
Refused	3.9% 4	2.5% 4	2.5% 5	0.6% 1	6.6% 8	5.2% 9	1	3.3% 31
Missing	136	155	207	210	146	187	17	1058
TOTAL	100% 103	100% 163	100% 202	100% 169	100% 122	100% 174	28	933

Opinion of Muslims by Gender (Religion and Public Life Survey, 2002)

	Male	Female	TOTAL
Very favorable	6.4% 27	7.7% 40	7.1% 67
Mostly favorable	41.4% 176	41.8% 217	41.6% 393
Mostly unfavorable	20.9% 89	14.1% 73	17.2% 162
Very unfavorable	9.6% 41	10.6% 55	10.2% 96
Never heard of	0.5% 2	1.0% 5	0.7% 7
Can't rate	16.9% 72	22.2% 115	19.8% 187
Refused	4.2% 18	2.7% 14	3.4% 32
Missing	497	561	1058
TOTAL	100% 425	100% 519	944

Opinion of Muslims by Political party (Religion and Public Life Survey, 2002)

	Republican	Democrat	Independent	No preference	Other party	Don't know/Refused	TOTAL
Very favorable	6.1% 18	6.8% 19	8.5% 24	9.4% 6	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	7.1% 67
Mostly favorable	37.9% 111	46.1% 129	44.5% 125	34.4% 22	100.0% 1	20.0% 5	41.6% 393
Mostly unfavorable	19.1% 56	16.8% 47	17.8% 50	12.5% 8	0.0% 0	4.0% 1	17.2% 162
Very unfavorable	12.6% 37	7.9% 22	9.3% 26	17.2% 11	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	10.2% 96
Never heard of	0.3% 1	0.4% 1	0.7% 2	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	12.0% 3	0.7% 7
Can't rate	19.8% 58	19.6% 55	17.4% 49	21.9% 14	0.0% 0	44.0% 11	19.8% 187
Refused	4.1% 12	2.5% 7	1.8% 5	4.7% 3	0.0% 0	20.0% 5	3.4% 32
Missing	360	314	295	57	3	29	1058
TOTAL	100% 293	100% 280	100% 281	100% 64	100% 1	100% 25	944

Opinion of Muslims by Household income (Religion and Public Life Survey, 2002)

	Less than $20,000	$20,000 to under $40,000	$40,000 to under $75,000	$75,000 to under $100,000	$100,000 or more	Don't know/Refused	TOTAL
Very favorable	6.6% 11	8.2% 17	6.1% 15	8.3% 8	7.1% 6	7.0% 10	7.1% 67
Mostly favorable	33.5% 56	39.1% 81	48.0% 118	42.7% 41	57.6% 49	33.6% 48	41.6% 393
Mostly unfavorable	16.8% 28	18.4% 38	17.1% 42	21.9% 21	17.6% 15	12.6% 18	17.2% 162
Very unfavorable	13.2% 22	10.1% 21	8.5% 21	9.4% 9	8.2% 7	11.2% 16	10.2% 96
Never heard of	1.8% 3	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	2.8% 4	0.7% 7
Can't rate	24.6% 41	21.7% 45	18.3% 45	15.6% 15	5.9% 5	25.2% 36	19.8% 187
Refused	3.6% 6	2.4% 5	2.0% 5	2.1% 2	3.5% 3	7.7% 11	3.4% 32
Missing	145	265	275	104	110	159	1058
TOTAL	100% 167	100% 207	100% 246	100% 96	100% 85	100% 143	944

Opinion of Muslims by Education (Religion and Public Life Survey, 2002)

	Less than high school	High school graduate	Some college	College +	Refused	TOTAL
Very favorable	2.2% 2	6.3% 19	8.3% 19	8.5% 27	0.0% 0	7.1% 67
Mostly favorable	26.9% 25	35.8% 108	40.6% 93	52.5% 166	25.0% 1	41.6% 393
Mostly unfavorable	20.4% 19	15.6% 47	19.7% 45	15.8% 50	25.0% 1	17.2% 162
Very unfavorable	12.9% 12	11.9% 36	10.5% 24	7.6% 24	0.0% 0	10.2% 96
Never heard of	5.4% 5	0.7% 2	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.7% 7
Can't rate	30.1% 28	25.5% 77	18.3% 42	12.0% 38	50.0% 2	19.8% 187
Refused	2.2% 2	4.3% 13	2.6% 6	3.5% 11	0.0% 0	3.4% 32
Missing	90	344	296	324	4	1058
TOTAL	100% 93	100% 302	100% 229	100% 316	100% 4	944

Opinion of Muslims by Marital status (Religion and Public Life Survey, 2002)

	Married	Divorced	Separated	Widowed	Never been married	Don't know/Refused	TOTAL
Very favorable	5.9% 29	9.3% 11	15.4% 4	4.3% 4	8.7% 18	16.7% 1	7.1% 67
Mostly favorable	41.8% 207	40.7% 48	38.5% 10	26.1% 24	48.8% 101	50.0% 3	41.6% 393
Mostly unfavorable	16.0% 79	22.0% 26	11.5% 3	16.3% 15	18.4% 38	16.7% 1	17.2% 162
Very unfavorable	11.1% 55	8.5% 10	15.4% 4	13.0% 12	7.2% 15	0.0% 0	10.2% 96
Never heard of	0.6% 3	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	3.3% 3	0.5% 1	0.0% 0	0.7% 7
Can't rate	20.8% 103	17.8% 21	15.4% 4	33.7% 31	13.0% 27	16.7% 1	19.8% 187
Refused	3.8% 19	1.7% 2	3.8% 1	3.3% 3	3.4% 7	0.0% 0	3.4% 32
Missing	557	159	23	86	227	6	1058
TOTAL	100% 495	100% 118	100% 26	100% 92	100% 207	100% 6	944

Opinion of Muslims by Church attendance (Religion and Public Life Survey, 2002)

	More than once a week	Once a week	Once or twice a month	A few times a year	Seldom	Never	Missing	TOTAL
Very favorable	8.0% 10	8.5% 22	5.1% 8	8.5% 15	5.8% 8	5.0% 4	0	7.2% 67
Mostly favorable	29.6% 37	41.5% 107	50.3% 79	43.5% 77	41.3% 57	41.3% 33	3	41.7% 390
Mostly unfavorable	17.6% 22	15.5% 40	16.6% 26	18.6% 33	19.6% 27	16.3% 13	1	17.2% 161
Very unfavorable	17.6% 22	12.4% 32	9.6% 15	4.5% 8	8.0% 11	10.0% 8	0	10.3% 96
Never heard of	0.8% 1	1.2% 3	0.0% 0	1.1% 2	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	1	0.6% 6
Can't rate	23.2% 29	17.1% 44	15.3% 24	21.5% 38	22.5% 31	23.8% 19	2	19.8% 185
Refused	3.2% 4	3.9% 10	3.2% 5	2.3% 4	2.9% 4	3.8% 3	2	3.2% 30
Missing	186	274	165	181	155	91	6	1058
TOTAL	100% 125	100% 258	100% 157	100% 177	100% 138	100% 80	15	935

Notes

This project investigated the public's attitudes on religion and public life. The survey was commissioned by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press (www.people-press.org) and produced two reports. The first report addressed America’s struggle with religion in the post 9-11 climate. The second report examined the public’s attitudes about genetic research.