Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Read our research on:
U.S. Catholics Open to Non-Traditional Families
Nearly Three-Quarters of Current Catholics Are Lifelong Catholics; Nearly One-Fifth Left Church but Returned
Embed
Infographic Gallery
- U.S. Catholics Open to Non-Traditional Families
- One-in-Four Catholics Have Gone Through a Divorce; More Than Four-in-Ten Have Lived With a Romantic Partner
- Catholics Say Traditional Families Ideal; Other Family Arrangements Acceptable
- Nearly Half of U.S. Adults Have Close Connection to Catholicism
- About Half of Those Raised Catholic Leave the Church – Sometimes Temporarily, Sometimes Permanently
- Catholics Who Regularly Attend Mass Less Accepting of Non-Traditional Families
- Catholics Who Attend Mass Weekly Are Less Accepting of Homosexual Be
- Fewer Than Half of Catholics Say Homosexual Behavior, Remarriage Without Annulment, Cohabitation, Contraception Are Sins
- Ex-Catholics Have Favorable View of the Pope, But Otherwise Are Firmly Disconnected From the Church
- Six-in-Ten Catholics Say Working to Help Poor Is Essential Part of Catholicism; Fewer Say This About Working to Address Climate Change
- More Than Four-in-Ten U.S. Adults Are Catholics, Cultural Catholics, Ex-Catholics or Connected to Catholicism in Other Ways
- More Than Eight-in-Ten Latinos Have Direct Catholic Connections
- At Least Four-in-Ten in Every Generational Cohort Have Catholic Connections
- Catholic Identity by Region
- Cultural Catholics Give Variety of Reasons for Considering Themselves Catholic
- Being Catholic Mainly Matter of Religion, Ancestry or Culture?
- Two-Thirds of Catholics Say Personal Relationship With Jesus, Belief in Resurrection Are Essential to What Being Catholic Means to Them
- Like Catholics, Most Cultural Catholics Name Personal Relationship With Jesus, Belief in Resurrection, Working to Help Poor as Essential to Catholic Identity
- Partisan Differences Among Catholics on Whether Abortion, Climate Change, Helping Poor Are Key to Catholic Identity
- Seven-in-Ten Catholics Say They Could Not Imagine Leaving the Church
- Nearly Three-Quarters of Current Catholics Are Lifelong Catholics; Nearly One-Fifth Left Church but Returned
- Most Who Have Left Catholic Church Say They Will Not Return
- Nearly Half of Cultural Catholics Say They Attend Mass at Least Occasionally
- Mass Attendance Among Catholics
- Most Catholics Regularly Receive Communion When They Attend Mass
- White Catholics More Likely Than Hispanics to Regularly Receive Communion
- Four-in-Ten Catholics Say They Go to Confession at Least Once a Year
- Lenten Observance, Anointing of the Sick
- Confession, Anointing of the Sick, Lenten Observance Among Catholics
- Prayer: Memorized Devotions or Personal Conversations?
- Style of Prayer Among Catholics
- Familial Obligations to Participate in Catholic Activities
- Many Catholics Say They Sometimes Participate in Catholic Activities to Please Family or Friends
- Two-Thirds of Married Catholics Were Married in the Church
- Marital History Among Catholics and Catholic-Connected Groups
- Compared With Other Groups, Catholics Who Have Been Married Are Less Likely to Have Obtained a Divorce
- A Quarter of Divorced Catholics Have Sought an Annulment From the Catholic Church
- Reasons for Not Seeking an Annulment
- Cohabitation History Among Catholics, Cultural Catholics and Ex-Catholics
- Cohabitation, Remarriage and Eligibility for Communion
- Broad Acceptance of Various Living Arrangements for Adults
- Multiple Ways of Life Deemed Acceptable for Adults
- Catholics Views on Adults’ Lifestyles
- Nuclear Family Seen as Ideal for Child Rearing, but Other Arrangements Also Seen as Acceptable
- Wide Range of Acceptable Child-Rearing Arrangements
- Catholics’ Views on Child-Rearing Arrangements
- More Reticence About Same-Sex Child-Rearing Than Other Arrangements
- Most Catholics Support Changes in Key Church Teachings and Policies
- Religious and Demographic Differences on Sinfulness of Cohabitation, Divorce and Remarriage
- About a Third of Catholics Say Remarrying After a Divorce Without an Annulment Is Sinful
- Fewer Than Half of Catholics, U.S. Adults Overall Say Buying Luxuries Without Giving to Poor, Using Energy Without Considering Environment Are Sinful