Joshua Bennett
The religious composition of Congress has been a topic of interest for many Americans. While 29% of Americans claim no religious affiliation, only two members of the 117th Congress identified as religiously unaffiliated. The 118th Congress, which began in January 2023, includes 148 Catholics, or 28% of its members, a greater share than in the U.S. population overall (21%). Catholics make up a larger share of House members (31%) than Senators (24%), and Democrats are more likely to be Catholic than Republicans (34% vs. 26%).
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Catholics in the 118th Congress | 148 |
| Percentage of Catholics in the 118th Congress | 28% |
| Number of Catholics in the 117th Congress | 158 |
| Percentage of Catholics in the 117th Congress | 30% |
| Percentage of Democrats who are Catholic | 31-34% |
| Percentage of Republicans who are Catholic | 25-27% |
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What You'll Learn
Catholics make up 28% of Congress, higher than the US population
The religious composition of the 118th US Congress, sworn in in January 2023, includes 148 Catholic members out of a total of 535. This means that Catholics make up about 28% of Congress, a greater proportion than in the US population overall (21%).
The number of Catholic members in the 118th Congress is 10 fewer than in the previous Congress. However, the percentage of Catholics in Congress is slightly higher than in previous years, with 26% of the 117th Congress identifying as Catholic.
The religious makeup of Congress has been noted as not reflecting modern America. While 29% of Americans claim no religious affiliation, only two members of Congress are overtly non-religious. Congress is also more heavily Protestant (55-57%) than the US population (43%).
Within Congress, there are differences in religious affiliation between the House and the Senate, as well as between the Democratic and Republican parties. The House has a slightly higher proportion of Christians (88%) than the Senate (87%), and Catholics make up a larger share in the House (31%) than in the Senate (24-26%).
Among
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There are 148 Catholic members of Congress
The religious composition of Congress has been a topic of interest for various organizations, including the Pew Research Center and First Liberty. The data shows that the religious makeup of Congress does not always reflect the religious landscape of the United States. While 26% of US adults are religiously unaffiliated, only one member of Congress, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, identifies as such.
Congress is more heavily Protestant (55-57%) and Catholic (28-30%) than the US adult population. Democrats in Congress are more likely to be Catholic than Republicans (31-34% vs. 25-26%). However, Republicans have a higher proportion of Christians overall (99% vs. 76-78% for Democrats).
The religious composition of Congress has been a topic of discussion, with some arguing that it does not reflect modern America. While nearly 88% of members of Congress identify as Christian, only about 63-65% of US adults do so. This disparity is also seen in the breakdown of religious denominations.
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Catholics make up a larger share of Democrats than Republicans
The religious composition of Congress has been a topic of interest for many Americans. While Congress is predominantly Christian, with a Protestant majority, there are notable differences in the religious makeup of the two major parties. According to the Pew Research Center's analysis of the 118th Congress, Catholics make up about 28% of the members, a slightly higher proportion than in the U.S. population (21%).
A closer look at the religious affiliations of Democrats and Republicans in Congress reveals that Catholics indeed make up a larger share of Democrats than Republicans. Among Democrats, about 31-34% identify as Catholic, while only around 25-26% of Republicans do the same. This difference is significant, especially when compared to the overall percentage of Catholics in Congress.
The higher proportion of Catholics among Democrats contributes to the religious diversity within the party. Democrats in Congress are less likely to identify as Protestant than their Republican counterparts (43-44% vs 68-69%), and they also have a higher percentage of members from other religious minorities. For example, 11% of Democrats are Jewish, compared to only 2% of Republicans. Additionally, all of the Unitarian Universalists, Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus in Congress are Democrats, further emphasizing the religious diversity within the Democratic Party.
The religious composition of Congress, including the higher percentage of Catholics among Democrats, is noteworthy because it contrasts with the religious landscape of the United States. While nearly 88% of members of Congress identify as Christian, only about 65% of U.S. adults overall do the same. This disparity highlights a disconnect between the religious makeup of Congress and the diverse religious beliefs of the American people.
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There are more Catholics in the House than the Senate
The religious composition of the US Congress has been a topic of interest for many Americans. The 118th US Congress, sworn in in January 2023, consists of 535 members. Of these, 148 are Catholics, 10 fewer than the previous Congress. While the number of Catholics in Congress has decreased, they still make up about 28% of the members, a greater share than in the US population overall (21%).
Catholics make up a larger share of the House than the Senate members. In the House, Catholics constitute 28% of the members, while in the Senate, they make up 26%. This difference in proportion translates to a higher number of Catholics in the House than in the Senate.
The House has a slightly higher proportion of Christians than the Senate. Baptists, for example, make up a larger share of the House (13%) than the Senate (10%). However, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Lutherans, and Congregationalists are more prominently represented in the Senate than in the House.
The religious composition of Congress has been noted to differ from that of the general American population. While nearly 88% of Congress members identify as Christian, only about 65% of US adults do the same. This disparity is also observed within religious denominations. For instance, while Catholics constitute 30% of Congress, they only account for 20% of the US adult population.
The religious makeup of Congress also varies between the Democratic and Republican parties. Democrats in Congress are less likely than Republicans to identify as Protestant (43- 44% vs. 68-69%). Conversely, a higher proportion of Democrats than Republicans identify as Catholics (31- 34% vs. 25-26%).
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Catholics are more common in Congress than Jews
The religious composition of Congress does not reflect the religious makeup of the United States as a whole. While 26% of US adults are religiously unaffiliated, only one member of Congress identifies as religiously unaffiliated. Congress is more heavily Protestant and Catholic than the US population.
The 118th Congress, sworn in in January 2023, consisted of 303 Protestants and 148 Catholics. This is a slight decrease in the number of Catholics from the previous Congress. Still, Catholics make up about 28% of the members of Congress, a greater share than in the US population overall (21%).
Jews make up a slim majority of the non-Christian members of Congress, although the number of Jews has decreased by one from the 117th session to the 118th (which had 34 Jewish members). Jews continue to make up 6% of the members of Congress, a greater share than they do of the general population (2%).
There is a substantial gap between the religious affiliations of Republicans and Democrats in Congress. Almost all congressional Republicans (99%) describe themselves as Christians. In contrast, about three-quarters of Democrats (76%) say they are Christian. A greater share of Democrats than Republicans are Catholic (31-34% vs. 25-26%).
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Frequently asked questions
There are 148 Catholic members of Congress, making up about 28% of the members.
There were 5 more Catholic members of Congress in the 117th Congress, making up 30% or 31% of members.
Catholics make up about 21% or 20% of the US population, so they are overrepresented in Congress.
