Grace Thompson
The Catholic Church is the second-largest religious grouping in the United States, with 23% of the population identifying as Catholic as of 2018. The racial and ethnic makeup of the Catholic population varies across the country. In the Midwest, 78-80% of Catholics are White, while in the Northeast, this figure is between 72-75%. In the South, 44-49% are White, and in the West, 27-31% are White. Nationally, the Catholic population is 57% White, 33% Hispanic, 4% Asian, and 2% Black, with the remaining 3% identifying with another ethnicity.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Percentage of Catholics who are white | 57% |
| Percentage of Catholics who are non-Hispanic white | 59% |
| Percentage of Catholic voters who identify with the Republican Party | 52% |
| Percentage of Catholic voters who identify with the Democratic Party | 44% |
| Percentage of Catholics who believe abortion should be legal | 60% |
| Percentage of Catholics who are immigrants or children of immigrants | 42% |
| Percentage of Catholics who are registered voters | 53% |
| Percentage of Catholics who are 50 or older | 58% |
| Percentage of Catholics with a bachelor's degree | 32% |
| Percentage of Catholics with some college experience | 28% |
| Percentage of Catholics with a high school education or less | 40% |
| Percentage of Catholics who attend Mass weekly or more | 28% |
| Percentage of Catholics who pray daily | 52% |
| Percentage of Catholics who say religion is very important in their life | 46% |
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What You'll Learn
57% of US Catholics are white
The United States has the fourth-largest Catholic population in the world, with 20% of American adults identifying as Catholics. This equates to about 52 million people. The Catholic Church is the country's second-largest religious grouping after Protestantism.
According to Pew Research Center, 57% of US Catholics are white, 33% are Hispanic, 4% are Asian, and 2% are Black, while 3% are of another race. These figures vary considerably by region. For example, in the Midwest, 78% to 80% of Catholics are white and 15% to 17% are Hispanic. In the Northeast, 72% of Catholics are white and 19% to 20% are Hispanic. In the South, 44% to 49% are white and 45% to 40% are Hispanic. And in the West, there are more Hispanic Catholics than white Catholics (55% to 58% vs. 27% to 31%), with a relatively larger population of Asian Catholics (8% to 10%).
The racial and ethnic makeup of the Catholic population also varies with age. Hispanic Catholics and Asian Catholics tend to be younger than White Catholics. Four-in-ten Hispanic Catholics and 53% of Asian Catholics are 50 and older, compared with 70% of White Catholics. Just 14% of Hispanic Catholics and 20% of Asian Catholics are 65 and older, versus 39% of White Catholics.
The Catholic population in the US has shifted from the Northeast and Midwest toward the South and West regions. Catholics are still more heavily concentrated in the Northeast (26%) than Americans overall (18%). However, between 2007 and 2014, the share of Catholics living in the Northeast and Midwest fell by 3 percentage points each, while the shares living in the South and West increased by 3 points each.
The face of Catholic America is changing, with immigrants now making up a considerable share of Catholics, many of whom are Hispanic. At the same time, there is a regional shift from the Northeast and Midwest to the Western and Southern parts of the country.
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33% of US Catholics are Hispanic
The Catholic Church is the second-largest religious grouping in the United States, with 23% of the country's population identifying as Catholic as of 2018. This equates to about 52 million people, according to a 2020 Gallup poll. The United States has the fourth-largest Catholic population in the world.
A 2024 survey found that 33% of US Catholics are Hispanic. This is a notable increase from 2008, when Hispanics accounted for 32% of all American Catholics. However, the percentage of Hispanics who identify as Catholic has been declining. In 2010, 67% of Hispanics identified as Catholic, but this dropped to 55% in 2013 and 43% in 2022. This decline is attributed to factors such as secularization and inadequate pastoral outreach to the second generation of Hispanics in the United States.
The racial and ethnic makeup of the Catholic population varies across different regions of the US. In the Northeast, 72% of Catholics are White and 19%-20% are Hispanic. In the South, 44%-49% are White and 40%-45% are Hispanic. The West has the largest proportion of Hispanic Catholics, with 55%-58% compared to 27%-30% of White Catholics. The Midwest has the highest percentage of White Catholics, at 78%-80%, while 15%-17% are Hispanic.
Hispanic Catholics tend to be younger than White Catholics. While 58% of White Catholics are aged 50 and older, only 43% of Hispanic Catholics fall into this age group. Additionally, 38% of White Catholics are 65 and older, compared to just 14% of Hispanic Catholics.
Despite the decline in the percentage of Hispanics identifying as Catholic, Catholicism remains the largest religious group among Latinos in the United States. However, there has been a significant increase in the number of Latinos who are religiously unaffiliated, with 30% describing themselves as atheist, agnostic, or "nothing in particular" in 2022, up from 10% in 2010.
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4% of US Catholics are Asian
According to a 2025 Pew Research Center report, 4% of US Catholics identify as Asian. This is a slight decrease from 2007, when 5% of US Catholics identified as Asian or another non-white ethnicity.
The racial and ethnic makeup of the Catholic population varies across the US. For example, in the Midwest, 78% of Catholics are White and 15% are Hispanic, while in the Northeast, 72% are White and 20% are Hispanic. The West has a relatively larger population of Asian Catholics than other regions, at 10%.
Asian Catholics tend to be younger than White Catholics, with 53% of Asian Catholics aged 50 or older, compared to 70% of White Catholics. Asian Catholics also have a higher level of educational attainment, with 53% holding a college degree, compared to 43% of White Catholics.
The percentage of Asian Americans identifying as Catholic has remained relatively stable since 2007, although the number of Asian Catholics in the US is small compared to other ethnic groups.
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2% of US Catholics are Black
According to a 2024 Pew Research survey, 2% of US Catholics are Black, while 57% are white, 33% are Hispanic, 4% are Asian, and 3% are of another ethnicity. These figures represent a stable trend over the past decade.
The racial and ethnic makeup of the Catholic population varies across the US. In the Northeast, 72% of Catholics are white and 20% are Hispanic, while in the South, 44% are white and 45% are Hispanic. The West has the highest percentage of Hispanic Catholics, at 58%, compared to 27% of white Catholics. The Midwest has the highest proportion of white Catholics, at 80%, and 17% are Hispanic.
The US Catholic Church is the most diverse religious organization in the country in terms of race and ethnicity. It has had a significant cultural, social, and political impact on the nation. The number of US Catholics has grown over time, increasing by 3 to 6% each decade since 1965.
Black Catholics are often racial minorities in their congregations, and they tend to travel farther to attend services. They are more likely than white Catholics to experience charismatic styles of worship, such as speaking in tongues and spontaneous dancing. The Black Catholic population has grown over the years, particularly in the early and mid-20th century when Black Americans migrated to cities with large pre-existing Catholic populations. Immigration from Africa and the Caribbean has also contributed to the growth of Black Catholics in the US.
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3% of US Catholics are of another ethnicity
According to a 2020 Gallup poll, 25% of Americans identify as Catholic, making the United States the fourth-largest Catholic population in the world. The Catholic Church is the second-largest religious grouping in the country, after Protestantism.
The racial and ethnic makeup of the Catholic population varies by region. In the Northeast, 72% of Catholics are White, and 19% are Hispanic. In the Midwest, 80% are White, and 17% are Hispanic. The West has a larger population of Hispanic Catholics than White Catholics (55% vs. 30%), and also has a larger population of Asian Catholics than other regions (10%). The South has a more even distribution, with 49% of Catholics being White and 40% being Hispanic.
The Catholic population in the US has shifted from the Northeast and Midwest to the South and West in recent years. The Northeast still has a higher concentration of Catholics than other regions, with 26% of Catholics living there, compared to 18% of Americans overall.
The percentage of Catholics who are Hispanic has been growing and is expected to continue to do so. Among Catholic millennials, 46% are Hispanic, and 43% are White. Hispanic Catholics tend to be younger than White Catholics, with fewer than half (43%) being 50 or older, compared to 70% of White Catholics.
While the majority of Catholics are non-Hispanic White, 3% are of another ethnicity, including Black, Asian, and Native American individuals.
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Frequently asked questions
According to a 2014 report, 59% of Catholics in America are non-Hispanic white. However, a more recent report from 2024 puts this figure at 57%.
The percentage of white Catholics varies considerably by region. In the Northeast, 72% of Catholics are white, and in the Midwest, this figure is even higher at 80%. In the South, 44-49% of Catholics are white, and in the West, only 27-31% of Catholics are white.
The percentage of white Catholics in America is higher than that of other ethnicities. Hispanic Catholics make up around a third of all Catholics in the US, while Black and Asian Catholics each make up around 2-4%.
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