Michael Brooks
The number of Catholics in Congress has been a topic of interest in recent years, with some sources noting an increase in Catholic representation. Catholics make up a significant proportion of the religious composition of Congress, and their presence has an impact on policy discussions and advocacy efforts. As of the 119th Congress, there are approximately 150 Catholic members, comprising around 28% of the legislative body. This percentage is higher than the share of Catholics in the general US population, indicating a level of overrepresentation in Congress. The majority of Catholic members in both the House and the Senate are Democrats, with a smaller number of Republicans identifying as Catholic.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Total number of Catholics in Congress | 150 |
| Percentage of Catholics in Congress | 28.2% |
| Number of Catholics in the House | 126 |
| Percentage of Catholics in the House | 31% |
| Number of Catholics in the Senate | 24 |
| Percentage of Catholic Senators | 24% |
| Number of Catholic Democrats in the House | 70 |
| Number of Catholic Republicans in the House | 56 |
| Number of Catholic Democrats in the Senate | 13 |
| Number of Catholic Republicans in the Senate | 11 |
| Number of Jews in Congress | 32 |
| Number of Muslims in Congress | 3 |
| Number of Buddhists in Congress | 2 |
| Number of Hindus in Congress | 3 |
| Number of Unitarian Universalists in Congress | 3 |
| Number of unaffiliated members in Congress | 3 |
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What You'll Learn
Catholics are the largest Christian denomination in Congress
The majority of Catholics in Congress are Democrats, with 70 in the House and 13 in the Senate. There are 56 Catholic Republicans in the House and 11 in the Senate. Overall, Democrats in Congress are more likely to be Catholic than Republicans, with 35% of congressional Democrats identifying as Catholic compared to 26% of Republicans.
Congress is more heavily Christian than the US adult population, with about 85-88% of Congress identifying as Christian compared to 65-71% of US adults. Within Congress, Catholics are the largest Christian denomination, followed by Protestants, who make up just under 56% of Congress. Baptists are the largest Protestant group, accounting for 14.1% of Congress.
Congress also includes members of other religious faiths, such as Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and Unitarian Universalists. However, these groups each account for less than 1% of Congress, except for Jews, who make up about 6% of Congress.
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Catholics make up 28% of Congress
Catholics are the largest Christian denomination represented in Congress, with about 85% of Congress identifying as Christian. This is a higher proportion than in the US adult population, where 71% identify as Christian. Catholics make up 20% of US adults, so they are overrepresented in Congress by more than eight percentage points.
The majority of Catholics in both chambers of Congress are Democrats. There are 70 Catholic Democrats in the House and 13 in the Senate, compared to 56 Catholic Republicans in the House and 11 in the Senate. This is a change from the two previous Congresses, where the number of Catholic Democrats and Republicans was about equal.
There is greater religious diversity among Democrats in Congress than Republicans. Two-thirds of Republicans are Protestant, while 27% are Catholic. Democrats are 42% Protestant and 37% Catholic, with the remaining members following a range of religions or having no religious affiliation.
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There are 126 Catholic members of the House
Catholics are the largest Christian denomination represented in Congress, with 126 members of the House identifying as Catholic. This is a slight increase from the 118th Congress, which had 148 Catholic members. Overall, the number of Catholics in Congress has increased by two members, bringing the total to 150 Catholic representatives in the 119th Congress. This accounts for 28.2% of Congress, a higher percentage than in the U.S. population, where about 20% of adults identify as Catholic.
The Catholic members of the House include 70 Democrats and 56 Republicans, with a majority of Catholics in the chamber belonging to the Democratic Party. This is in line with the overall religious breakdown of the Democratic Party, which has more religious diversity than the Republican Party. While 99.2% of Republicans in Congress are Christian, the Democrats have a lower percentage of Christians at 80%.
The religious diversity of the Democratic Party is also reflected in the House, where, in addition to Catholics, there are Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, and Unitarian Universalist members. There are also a few members who are unaffiliated with any religion or have not disclosed their religious affiliation.
The high number of Catholic members in the House of Representatives, particularly among Democrats, may have implications for policy advocacy. For example, on issues like abortion, where the Catholic Church has a clear stance, the large number of Catholic representatives could influence the direction taken by the House.
The religious makeup of Congress provides insight into the personal backgrounds and beliefs of our representatives. With Catholics making up a significant portion of the House, their perspectives and values are likely to be reflected in the legislative process and outcomes.
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22-24 senators are Catholic
The number of Catholics in Congress has been on the rise. As of 2025, there are 150 Catholic members of Congress, making up 28.2% of the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate. This is an increase from 27.7% in the 118th Congress, which had 148 Catholic members.
Catholics remain the largest Christian denomination represented in Congress. They make up 30.5% of Congress, while only 21% of US adults identify as Catholic. In fact, according to the Pew Research Center, about 88% of Congress identifies as Christian, compared with just 71% of all US adults. This means that Catholics are overrepresented in Congress by more than eight percentage points.
The majority of Catholics in Congress are Democrats. In the House of Representatives, there are 70 Catholic Democrats and 56 Republicans. In the Senate, there are 13 Catholic Democrats and 11 Republicans. This means that over a third of congressional Democrats (35%) are Catholic, while just over a quarter of Republicans (26%-27%) identify as Catholic.
The exact number of Catholic senators varies across sources, with figures ranging from 22 to 24 out of 100 senators. This suggests that around a quarter of senators are Catholic.
In addition to Catholics, Congress includes members of various other religious groups. The second-largest religious faith represented is Judaism, which accounts for about 6% of Congress. The third-largest faith is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism), which makes up about 1.7% of Congress. Other faiths, including Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, and Unitarian Universalism, each account for less than 1% of Congress.
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Catholics are overrepresented in Congress
Catholics are indeed overrepresented in Congress. In the 119th Congress, there are 150 Catholic members, making up 28.2% of the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate. This is an increase from the 118th Congress, which had 148 Catholic members, or 27.7% of Congress.
The Catholic share of Congress is notably higher than the share of Catholics in the US population. According to the Pew Research Center, about 20-21% of US adults identify as Catholic. This means that Catholics are overrepresented in Congress by more than eight percentage points.
The Catholic faith is the largest Christian denomination represented in Congress, with Catholics making up about 30-32% of the total number of Christians in Congress. Overall, Christians account for about 85-88% of Congress, which is higher than the proportion of Christians in the general US population (65-71%).
Looking at the breakdown by party, Catholics make up 35% of congressional Democrats and 26-27% of congressional Republicans. The majority of Catholics in both chambers of Congress are Democrats: 70 in the House and 13 in the Senate. There are 56 Catholic Republicans in the House and 11 in the Senate.
In terms of religious diversity, the Republican members of the Senate and House are overwhelmingly Christian (99.2%), with only a small percentage identifying as Jewish (0.8-2%). On the other hand, Democrats in Congress have more religious diversity, with 80% identifying as Christian, and the remaining 20% belonging to various religious groups.
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Frequently asked questions
There are 141 Catholic members in the House, or 32% of the chamber, and 22 Catholic members in the Senate, accounting for 22% of the Senate. Overall, there are 150 Catholic members in Congress, or 28.2% of Congress.
Congress is predominantly Christian, with 85-88% of members identifying as Christian. The second-largest religious group is Jewish, which makes up 6% of Congress.
Catholics are overrepresented in Congress, with 21% of US adults identifying as Catholic. Protestants are also overrepresented, making up 40% of the US population but 55.5% of Congress.
Yes, the religiously unaffiliated are the most underrepresented group in Congress, making up 23% of the general public but only 0.2% of Congress.
