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.
In the United States, 21% of adults overall say they fast for certain periods during holy times.
Most say Francis represents change in the church. And many say the church should allow priests to marry and let Catholics use birth control.
63% of U.S adults have a “very” or “mostly” favorable opinion of Pope Francis, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in March.
Self-identified Christians make up 63% of the U.S. population in 2021, down from 75% a decade ago.
82% of members of the historically Black Protestant tradition who attend church regularly have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
During the pandemic, a stable share of U.S. adults have been participating in religious services in some way – either virtually or in person – but in-person attendance is slightly lower than it was before COVID-19. Among Americans surveyed across several years, the vast majority described their attendance habits in roughly the same way in both 2019 and 2022.
President Trump continues to be White Christians’ preferred candidate, but support among voters in three traditions has slipped since August.
Today, most Black adults say they rely on prayer to help make major decisions, and view opposing racism as essential to their religious faith.
There are differences by religious tradition in how satisfied churchgoers are with what they hear from the pulpit.
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