While both prayer and scripture reading have declined among Americans over the past decade, they remain central expressions of religious engagement among many Americans. Prayer continues to be practiced at higher rates than scripture reading, highlighting a personal connection with the divine and ease of practice, compared with the time-intensive nature of reading religious texts that focuses more on doctrine and tradition. This Spotlight examines how frequently Americans are praying and reading religious texts outside of religious services across all 50 states, with special attention paid to race, gender, and religious affiliation.

Race and Gender

About half of Americans (48%) report praying outside of a religious service at least once a week, compared with less than two in ten who pray monthly or a few times a year (17%) and one-third who seldom or never pray (34%). Notably, women (54%) are more likely than men (41%) to pray at least once a week.

There are also differences by race and ethnicity. Most Black Americans (62%) report praying at least once a week, followed by half of Hispanic (48%) and white (47%) Americans, 39% of multiracial Americans, and 30% of AAPI Americans. There is also a distinct gender divide among racial groups. Black women (68%) are more likely than Black men (54%) to say they personally pray at least once a week. The same pattern holds true for white (53% vs. 40%), Hispanic (54% vs. 42%), multiracial (46% vs. 32%), and AAPI (34% vs. 25%) women and men.

In comparison, most Americans (56%) say they seldom or never read the Bible, Torah, Qur’an, or other sacred text. Over four in ten Americans report reading a sacred text either at least once a week (25%) or monthly or yearly (18%). Women (27%) are significantly more likely than men (22%) to report reading a sacred text weekly.

While most Black Americans (62%) pray weekly, only 39% read a sacred text at the same frequency. Still, they are more likely than multiracial (24%), Hispanic (24%), white (23%), and AAPI (18%) Americans to read sacred texts weekly. Nearly half of Black women (45%) frequently read religious texts, compared with one-third of Black men (32%). Aside from AAPI women and men (both 18%), there is a similar gender divide on frequent scripture reading among multiracial (31% vs. 18%), Hispanic (27% vs. 21%), and white (25% vs. 21%) women and men.

Religious Affiliation

White evangelical Protestants (85%) are the most likely to report personally praying at least once a week, followed by Jehovah’s Witnesses (81%), Latter-day Saints (76%), Black Protestants (73%), and Hispanic Protestants (73%). Around half of white Catholics (56%), Hispanic Catholics (52%), and white mainline/non-evangelical Protestants (50%) report praying weekly. Around one-third of Jewish Americans (30%) and members of other non-Christian religions (35%) report the same. Unsurprisingly, only 12% of religiously unaffiliated Americans report personally praying at least once a week; those who identify as “nothing in particular” (17%) are significantly more likely than agnostic (6%) and atheist (1%) Americans to do so.

Latter-day Saints (61%) and white evangelical Protestants (58%) are the only religious groups where majorities report reading sacred texts weekly. Half of Hispanic (50%) and Black (48%) Protestants report the same. Roughly two in ten Jewish Americans (20%), members of other non-Christian religions (17%), white Catholics (16%), Hispanic Catholics (16%), and white mainline/non-evangelical Protestants (15%) read religious texts weekly. Only 3% of religiously unaffiliated Americans report reading sacred texts at least once a week, and this small percentage is consistent across unaffiliated breaks.

Mapping Personal Prayer and Reading of Religious Texts

In 22 states, primarily in the South and Midwest, majorities of residents report personally praying at least once a week. Louisiana (68%), Alabama (65%), and South Dakota (63%) have the highest shares of weekly prayer. At the other end, Massachusetts (28%) and Rhode Island (30%), as well as Washington, D.C. (33%), have the lowest shares of weekly prayer.

In comparison, there is no state where most residents report reading religious texts at least once a week. Mississippi (44%), Utah (44%), and Oklahoma (40%) have the highest shares of weekly sacred texts readers. On the other hand, Rhode Island (10%), Massachusetts (11%), Vermont (14%), and Hawaii (14%) are those with the lowest shares.

There are clear gender and racial divides in personal religious activities as well as regional divides, with Southern and Midwestern states maintaining notably higher levels of personal religious practices compared with other regions. As religious disaffiliation continues to rise nationwide, these findings provide valuable insights into how Americans relate to their personal religious practices and private faith.