Alabama is located in the middle of the Bible Belt, a region of numerous Protestant Christians
Alabama has been identified as one of the most religious states in the United States, with about 58% of the population attending church regularly
A majority of people in the state identify as Evangelical Protestant
, the three largest denominational groups in Alabama are the Southern Baptist Convention, The United Methodist Church, and non-denominational Evangelical Protestant
Many Baptist and Methodist congregations became established in the Great Awakening of the early 19th century, when preachers proselytized across the South
The Assemblies of God had almost 60,000 members, the Churches of Christ had nearly 120,000 members
In a 2007 survey, nearly 70% of respondents could name all four of the Christian Gospels
Of those who indicated a religious preference, 59% said they possessed a "full understanding" of their faith and needed no further learning
In a 2007 poll, 92% of Alabamians reported having at least some confidence in churches in the state
Although in much smaller numbers, many other religious faiths are represented in the state as well, including Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, the Baháʼí Faith, and Unitarian Universalism
Jews have been present in what is now Alabama since 1763, during the colonial era of Mobile, when Sephardic Jews immigrated from London
The oldest Jewish congregation in the state is Congregation Sha'arai Shomayim in Mobile
It was formally recognized by the state legislature on January 25, 1844
Later immigrants in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries tended to be Ashkenazi Jews from eastern Europe
Jewish denominations in the state include two Orthodox, four Conservative, ten Reform, and one Humanistic synagogue
Muslims have been increasing in Alabama, with 31 mosques built by 2011, many by African-American converts
There are six Dharma centers and organizations for Theravada Buddhists
Most monastic Buddhist temples are concentrated in southern Mobile County, near Bayou La Batre
This area has attracted an influx of refugees from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam during the 1970s and thereafter
The four temples within a ten-mile radius of Bayou La Batre, include Chua Chanh Giac, Wat Buddharaksa, and Wat Lao Phoutthavihan
The first community of adherents of the Baháʼí Faith in Alabama was founded in 1896 by Paul K
Dealy, who moved from Chicago to Fairhope
Baháʼí centers in Alabama exist in Birmingham, Huntsville, and Florence
Health 
In 2018, life expectancy in Alabama was 75.1 years, below the national average of 78.7 years and is the third lowest life expectancy in the country
Factors that can cause lower life expectancy are maternal mortality, suicide, and gun crimes
Residents of the state, along with those in five other states, were least likely in the nation to be physically active during leisure time
Alabama, and the southeastern U.S
in general, has one of the highest incidences of adult onset diabetes in the country, exceeding 10% of adults
Economy 

The state has invested in aerospace, education, health care, banking, and various heavy industries, including automobile manufacturing, mineral extraction, steel production and fabrication
By 2006, crop and animal production in Alabama was valued at $1.5billion
In contrast to the primarily agricultural economy of the previous century, this was only about one percent of the state's gross domestic product
The number of private farms has declined at a steady rate since the 1960s, as land has been sold to developers, timber companies, and large farming conglomerates
Bureau of Economic Analysis, the 2008 total gross state product was $170billion, or $29,411 per capita
Alabama's 2012 GDP increased 1.2% from the previous year
The single largest increase came in the area of information
In 2010, per capita income for the state was $22,984
The state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.8% in April 2015
This compared to a nationwide seasonally adjusted rate of 5.4%
Alabama has no minimum wage and in February 2016 passed legislation preventing municipalities from setting one
(A Birmingham city ordinance would have raised theirs to $10.10.)

, Alabama has the sixth highest poverty rate among states in the U.S
In 2017, United Nations Special Rapporteur Philip Alston toured parts of rural Alabama and observed environmental conditions he said were poorer than anywhere he had seen in the developed world
Although known as "The Cotton State", Alabama ranks between eighth and tenth in national cotton production, according to various reports, with Texas, Georgia and Mississippi comprising the top three
Aquaculture 

Aquaculture is a large part of the economy of Alabama
Alabamians began to practice aquaculture in the early 1960s
farm-raised catfish is the 8th most popular seafood product in America
By 2008, approximately 4,000 people in Alabama were employed by the catfish industry and Alabama produced 132 million pounds of catfish
In 2020, Alabama produced  of the United States' farm-raised catfish
The total 2020 sales of catfish raised in Alabama equaled $307 million but by 2020 the total employment of Alabamians fell to 2,442
From the early 2000s to 2020, the Alabamian catfish industry has declined from 250 farms and 4 processors to 66 farms and 2 processors
Reasons for this decline include increased feed prices, catfish alternatives, COVID-19's impact on restaurant sales, disease, and fish size