9 facts about U.S. Catholics
Catholics are one of the largest religious groups in the United States, outnumbering any single Protestant denomination.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Catholics are one of the largest religious groups in the United States, outnumbering any single Protestant denomination.
Most say Francis represents change in the church. And many say the church should allow priests to marry and let Catholics use birth control.
Most Americans say religion’s influence is shrinking, and about half (48%) see conflict between their own religious beliefs and mainstream American culture.
Self-identified Christians make up 63% of the U.S. population in 2021, down from 75% a decade ago.
President Trump continues to be White Christians’ preferred candidate, but support among voters in three traditions has slipped since August.
Roughly seven-in-ten white evangelical Protestants approve of Trump’s presidential job performance. Other religious groups are more divided.
The 2016 presidential exit polling reveals little change in the political alignments of U.S. religious groups.
As Donald Trump has racked up big wins among self-described “born-again or evangelical” Christians in many of the early primaries, some religious leaders, political analysts and researchers have questioned whether many of these self-described evangelicals actually are evangelical Christians.
White evangelical Republicans who attend church regularly are most heavily concentrated in the Ted Cruz camp.
1615 L St. NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036
USA
(+1) 202-419-4300 | Main
(+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax
(+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries
ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts.
© 2024 Pew Research Center