Sarah Mitchell
Catholicism is the largest religious body in 36 US states, with 61.9 million Catholics in the US as of 2020, about 18.7% of the population. The Catholic population in the US has grown by about 2 million people in the past 10 years, with the number of self-identified Catholics growing by 48.5 million to 73.2 million as of 2021. The average number of adherents per congregation is 3,000 for Catholics, unusually high compared to other groups. Large Catholic congregations are especially common in the West, where there are 4,700 Catholics per congregation. The typical Catholic parent has two or three children, and 29% of US Catholics say they attend Mass weekly or more.
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What You'll Learn
Catholic population growth
Catholicism is growing in more than half of the United States, with several states witnessing a rise in the number of Catholic worshippers. The number of practicing Catholics increased across the nation from 2010 to 2020, despite a decline in the number of churches. This growth is particularly evident in the South and West, where the Catholic population rose by 6 million. States like Florida and Arizona have seen significant increases in their Catholic populations, with 1 in 5 Floridians now identifying as Catholic.
The growth in the Latino population has significantly contributed to the expansion of Catholicism in the US. Between 1990 and 2008, the increase in Latino Catholics accounted for 9 million of the 11 million additional Catholics. In 2008, Latinos made up 32% of American Catholics, a notable rise from 20% in 1990. While the percentage of Hispanics identifying as Catholic decreased from 67% in 2010 to 55% in 2013, the share of U.S. Catholics who are Hispanic continues to rise.
The racial and ethnic composition of the Catholic population varies across different regions. The Midwest has the highest proportion of White Catholics at 78%, followed by the Northeast at 72%. In contrast, the South has the highest percentage of Hispanic Catholics at 45%, while the West has the highest proportion of Asian Catholics at 10%.
Catholicism is the third-largest religious group in the United States in terms of local congregations, after Southern Baptists and United Methodists. In 2018, there were 17,007 local Catholic parishes within the 196 geographical dioceses and archdioceses. The average Catholic parish is notably larger than Baptist or Methodist congregations, with approximately four times as many Catholics as Southern Baptists.
While the percentage of Americans who identify as Catholic has fluctuated over the years, recent estimates suggest that around 20% to 28% of Americans, or roughly 53 million to 72 million people, consider themselves Catholic. This percentage has been relatively stable since 2014, although it is slightly lower than the 24% recorded in 2007.
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Catholic political leanings
Catholicism is growing in more than half of US states, with a notable increase in the number of practitioners from 2010 to 2020. However, the number of churches has decreased during this period. The Catholic population is growing most among Hispanics, and the South and West have seen the most significant increases. In 2017, there were 70,412,000 registered Catholics in the US, constituting 22% of the population.
Catholics in the US are split fairly evenly between the two major parties, with a slight lean towards the Republicans. In 2018 and 2019, 48% of Catholic voters described themselves as Republican, while 47% identified as Democrats. However, these figures vary significantly by race. 57% of White Catholic voters identify as Republicans, compared to 68% of Hispanic Catholics who identify as Democrats. This divide is also reflected in the approval ratings for former President Trump, with 54% of White Catholics approving of his performance, compared to 69% of Hispanic Catholics who disapproved.
In recent presidential elections, Catholic voters have swung between the two major parties. They narrowly supported Republican George W. Bush in 2004, Democrat Barack Obama in 2008, and Republican Donald Trump in 2016. On specific issues, Catholic voters tend to align more with their political parties than with the teachings of the Church. For example, on abortion, Catholic voters hold views that are closer to their respective parties' stances than the Church's official position.
Historically, a distinct Catholic vote existed, with 75% of Irish and German Catholics voting for Democratic candidates in the late 19th century. The Catholic Church has often led the national debate on abortion, fiercely opposing liberalized abortion laws and organizing political resistance.
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Catholic family structure
Catholicism is the third-largest religion in the United States, with around 72 million followers, or 23.9% of the population, as of 2008. This number has likely increased since, as Catholicism is growing in more than half of US states, with the number of practitioners increasing from 2010 to 2020. The Catholic population is spread relatively evenly across the country, with 29% in the South, 26% in the Northeast, 25% in the West, and 20% in the Midwest.
The Catholic Church defines a family as a "fundamental social group formed by the more or less permanent union of one man with one woman, or of one or more men with one or more women, and their children". In the classical Roman period, the family rarely included parents or children, and the term was used to refer to all the persons of the domestic circle, including parents, children, and servants.
Historically, Catholic families have been influenced by the Church's teachings on marriage and children. The Church opposes the dissolution of the marriage bond, believing that divorce encourages rash marriages and produces a laxer view of the obligation of conjugal fidelity. It also discourages the deliberate limitation of the number of children in a family, as it believes that this leads to a lessening of the capacity for self-sacrifice among family members and a more permissive view of sexual immorality.
In the past, the Church's influence on family life has been significant, with a higher proportion of married women at work leading to a smaller proportion of marriages and a weakening of family bonds and domestic authority. However, the number of women as breadwinners has increased over time, with two out of every seven women in American cities being breadwinners as of 1900, according to the US Census.
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Catholic ethnicity
Catholicism is growing in more than half of the United States, with an increase in the number of practising Catholics from 2010 to 2020. The Catholic population in the US is approximately 72 million, with estimates ranging from 20% to 28% of the overall population. The Catholic Church has the third-highest number of local congregations in the US, with over 17,000 parishes.
The racial and ethnic makeup of the Catholic population varies across the country. The Northeast and Midwest, which were historically Catholic strongholds, have seen a decline in the number of Catholic congregants. In these regions, most Catholics are non-Hispanic White (75% and 82% respectively). In the Northeast, 20% of Catholics are Hispanic, while in the Midwest, this figure stands at 15%. However, the South and West have experienced an influx of Catholics, with the Catholic population in these regions growing by 6 million. The West has a relatively larger population of Asian Catholics (10%), while the South has a higher proportion of Hispanic Catholics (45%) than any other region.
Hispanic Americans are the group with the highest percentage of practising Catholics in the nation. The share of U.S. Catholics who are Hispanic has grown by 5% since 2007, and among Catholic millennials, 46% are Hispanic. The growing number of Hispanics in certain regions is linked to the shift in Catholic geography, with three-quarters of Hispanic Catholics living in the South or West.
Black Catholics make up a small share of Catholic adults at 4%, with approximately 3 million Black Catholics in the US. They are less likely than White or Hispanic Catholics to worship in parishes where most people share their race or ethnicity.
Overall, the face of Catholic America is changing, with immigrants and their children making up a significant portion of Catholics. More than a quarter of US Catholic adults (27%) were born outside the country, and an additional 15% have at least one foreign-born parent.
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Catholic church attendance
Catholicism is the third-largest religious congregation in the United States, behind Southern Baptists and United Methodists. While the percentage of Americans who identify as Catholic has decreased since 1960, from 25% to 22%, the absolute number of Catholics has increased from 45 million to 72 million. This makes Catholics about 6% of the Catholic Church's total worldwide membership of 1.3 billion.
In 2021, 21% of US adults described themselves as Catholic, identical to the Catholic share of the population in 2014. A 2015 survey by Georgetown University researchers found that 81.6 million Americans, or 25% of the population, self-identified as Catholic, including those who did not attend Mass regularly. The survey also found that 68.1 million, or 20% of the population, were Catholics tied to a specific parish.
In terms of church attendance, there is a varied picture. While some sources note a decline in church attendance among Catholics, others suggest that Catholicism is growing in more than half of US states. In 2013, 37% of Americans reported attending religious services weekly or near-weekly. A 2015 survey by Georgetown University researchers found that about 25% of US Catholics attended Mass once a week or more, while 38% attended at least once a month. A 2025 survey by Pew Research Center found that 29% of US Catholics attended Mass weekly or more often, while 10% attended a few times a year or less.
The distribution of Catholics across the US is relatively even. Around 29% live in the South, 26% in the Northeast, 25% in the West, and 20% in the Midwest. The racial and ethnic makeup of Catholics varies by region. For example, in the Midwest, 78% of Catholics are White and 15% are Hispanic, while in the West, there are more Hispanic Catholics than White Catholics (58% vs. 27%).
The Catholic Church in the US is organised into 196 geographical dioceses and archdioceses, with 17,007 local parishes in 2018. Each parish is headed by a priest and typically meets at a permanent church building for liturgies every Sunday, weekday, and on holy days.
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Frequently asked questions
It is hard to give an exact number as the data varies. However, it is estimated that there are around 72 million Catholics in the US, with an average of 3,000 per congregation. The number of self-identified Catholics grew by 48.5 million to 73.2 million from 1999 to 2020.
The typical Catholic parent has two or three children. However, this has changed over time, with three out of four Catholic adults being married in the 1970s, compared to around 50% in more recent times.
Catholics are spread relatively evenly across the US, with 29% in the South, 26% in the Northeast, 25% in the West, and 20% in the Midwest.
Yes, the Catholic population in the US is growing, particularly in the South and West, with states like Florida and Arizona seeing large increases.
