Opinion of atheists (Demographic Patterns)

Thinking about specific religious groups, what is your overall opinion of: atheists, that is, people who don't believe in God? (Religion and Public Life Survey, 2002)

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

	18-24	25-34	35-44	45-54	55-64	65 +	Missing	TOTAL
Very favorable	7.4% 10	9.7% 15	2.9% 6	4.3% 9	3.4% 5	2.1% 4	0	4.7% 49
Mostly favorable	36.8% 50	27.1% 42	38.2% 79	32.4% 68	25.3% 37	17.1% 32	6	29.6% 308
Mostly unfavorable	25.7% 35	25.2% 39	18.8% 39	25.2% 53	22.6% 33	22.5% 42	3	23.2% 241
Very unfavorable	23.5% 32	24.5% 38	29.0% 60	24.3% 51	36.3% 53	45.5% 85	6	30.6% 319
Never heard of	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.5% 1	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0	0.1% 1
Can't rate	5.9% 8	12.9% 20	9.2% 19	11.4% 24	10.3% 15	10.2% 19	1	10.1% 105
Refused	0.7% 1	0.6% 1	1.9% 4	1.9% 4	2.1% 3	2.7% 5	1	1.7% 18
Missing	103	163	202	169	122	174	11	944
TOTAL	100% 136	100% 155	100% 207	100% 210	100% 146	100% 187	28	1041

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

	Male	Female	TOTAL
Very favorable	4.8% 24	4.5% 25	4.6% 49
Mostly favorable	33.4% 166	26.4% 148	29.7% 314
Mostly unfavorable	24.9% 124	21.4% 120	23.1% 244
Very unfavorable	25.2% 125	35.7% 200	30.7% 325
Never heard of	0.2% 1	0.0% 0	0.1% 1
Can't rate	9.3% 46	10.7% 60	10.0% 106
Refused	2.2% 11	1.4% 8	1.8% 19
Missing	425	519	944
TOTAL	100% 497	100% 561	1058

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

	Republican	Democrat	Independent	No preference	Other party	Don't know/Refused	TOTAL
Very favorable	2.5% 9	4.1% 13	7.8% 23	5.3% 3	0.0% 0	3.4% 1	4.6% 49
Mostly favorable	24.4% 88	30.3% 95	37.3% 110	19.3% 11	33.3% 1	31.0% 9	29.7% 314
Mostly unfavorable	26.4% 95	23.9% 75	20.0% 59	15.8% 9	0.0% 0	20.7% 6	23.1% 244
Very unfavorable	34.7% 125	33.8% 106	22.4% 66	38.6% 22	0.0% 0	20.7% 6	30.7% 325
Never heard of	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.3% 1	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.1% 1
Can't rate	10.3% 37	6.4% 20	11.5% 34	19.3% 11	0.0% 0	13.8% 4	10.0% 106
Refused	1.7% 6	1.6% 5	0.7% 2	1.8% 1	66.7% 2	10.3% 3	1.8% 19
Missing	293	280	281	64	1	25	944
TOTAL	100% 360	100% 314	100% 295	100% 57	100% 3	100% 29	1058

Opinion of atheists 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	2.8% 4	4.2% 11	8.0% 22	2.9% 3	4.5% 5	2.5% 4	4.6% 49
Mostly favorable	24.8% 36	25.7% 68	31.3% 86	40.4% 42	40.9% 45	23.3% 37	29.7% 314
Mostly unfavorable	20.0% 29	24.9% 66	18.5% 51	24.0% 25	31.8% 35	23.9% 38	23.1% 244
Very unfavorable	42.8% 62	34.0% 90	31.6% 87	24.0% 25	10.0% 11	31.4% 50	30.7% 325
Never heard of	0.0% 0	0.4% 1	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.1% 1
Can't rate	9.0% 13	9.8% 26	9.1% 25	7.7% 8	11.8% 13	13.2% 21	10.0% 106
Refused	0.7% 1	1.1% 3	1.5% 4	1.0% 1	0.9% 1	5.7% 9	1.8% 19
Missing	167	207	246	96	85	143	944
TOTAL	100% 145	100% 265	100% 275	100% 104	100% 110	100% 159	1058

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

	Less than high school	High school graduate	Some college	College +	Refused	TOTAL
Very favorable	3.3% 3	3.5% 12	4.4% 13	6.5% 21	0.0% 0	4.6% 49
Mostly favorable	18.9% 17	20.3% 70	34.1% 101	38.9% 126	0.0% 0	29.7% 314
Mostly unfavorable	17.8% 16	25.9% 89	21.6% 64	22.5% 73	50.0% 2	23.1% 244
Very unfavorable	47.8% 43	40.7% 140	30.1% 89	15.7% 51	50.0% 2	30.7% 325
Never heard of	1.1% 1	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.1% 1
Can't rate	8.9% 8	8.1% 28	7.8% 23	14.5% 47	0.0% 0	10.0% 106
Refused	2.2% 2	1.5% 5	2.0% 6	1.9% 6	0.0% 0	1.8% 19
Missing	93	302	229	316	4	944
TOTAL	100% 90	100% 344	100% 296	100% 324	100% 4	1058

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

	Married	Divorced	Separated	Widowed	Never been married	Don't know/Refused	TOTAL
Very favorable	4.7% 26	3.8% 6	0.0% 0	2.3% 2	6.6% 15	0.0% 0	4.6% 49
Mostly favorable	28.5% 159	27.0% 43	26.1% 6	15.1% 13	40.1% 91	33.3% 2	29.7% 314
Mostly unfavorable	22.3% 124	25.8% 41	39.1% 9	20.9% 18	22.5% 51	16.7% 1	23.1% 244
Very unfavorable	32.3% 180	27.7% 44	30.4% 7	48.8% 42	22.0% 50	33.3% 2	30.7% 325
Never heard of	0.2% 1	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.1% 1
Can't rate	9.9% 55	15.1% 24	0.0% 0	11.6% 10	7.0% 16	16.7% 1	10.0% 106
Refused	2.2% 12	0.6% 1	4.3% 1	1.2% 1	1.8% 4	0.0% 0	1.8% 19
Missing	495	118	26	92	207	6	944
TOTAL	100% 557	100% 159	100% 23	100% 86	100% 227	100% 6	1058

Opinion of atheists 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	2.2% 4	2.6% 7	3.0% 5	6.6% 12	7.7% 12	9.9% 9	0	4.7% 49
Mostly favorable	13.4% 25	22.3% 61	34.5% 57	36.5% 66	45.2% 70	38.5% 35	0	29.8% 314
Mostly unfavorable	22.6% 42	29.9% 82	24.8% 41	21.5% 39	17.4% 27	14.3% 13	0	23.2% 244
Very unfavorable	51.6% 96	36.9% 101	28.5% 47	22.1% 40	16.8% 26	14.3% 13	2	30.7% 323
Never heard of	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	1.1% 1	0	0.1% 1
Can't rate	8.1% 15	7.7% 21	8.5% 14	13.3% 24	11.6% 18	15.4% 14	0	10.1% 106
Refused	2.2% 4	0.7% 2	0.6% 1	0.0% 0	1.3% 2	6.6% 6	4	1.4% 15
Missing	125	258	157	177	138	80	9	944
TOTAL	100% 186	100% 274	100% 165	100% 181	100% 155	100% 91	15	1052

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.