*These facts are for 2014, unless otherwise noted.

Laity1


There are 71,128,395 Catholics in the United States (22% of the U.S. population), and 1.1 billion2Catholics worldwide.

New Church Members3 


  • Infant Baptisms: 708,979
  • Adult Baptisms: 44,544
  • Received into Full Communion: 70,117

Growth of the Catholic population over the years:4

1965

Catholic Population: 45.6 m

Percent of US Population: 24%

1975

Catholic Population: 48.7 m
Percent of US Population:23%

1985

Catholic Population: 52.3 m
Percent of US Population:23%

1995

Catholic Population: 57.4 m
Percent of US Population:23%

2005

Catholic Population: 64.8 m
Percent of US Population:23%

2010

Catholic Population: 65.6 m
Percent of US Population:21%

2015

Catholic Population: 71.1 m
Percent of US Population: 22%

*m: million

Catholic population in the U.S. by Generation5

  • 25.7% of Baby Boomers (Vatican II, born between 1943-1960) self-identify as Catholic. 19.4% were born in the U.S. and 6.3% were born outside the U.S.
  • 27.2% of Generation X adults (Post-Vatican II, born between 1961-1981) self-identify as Catholic. 17.1% were born in the U.S. and 10.1% were born outside the U.S.
  • 22.8% of Millennials (born in 1982 or later) self-identify as Catholic. 18.5% were born in the U.S. and 4.3% were born outside the U.S.

Ethnic/Racial Groups in the United States

African American Catholics

There are 2.1 million African American, African or Afro-Caribbean (non-Hispanic) Catholics, representing about 5.6 % of the 37.7 million people of this race/ethnicity in the U.S.6  

4% of the priests ordained in 2015 are African American.7

798 parishes are predominantly African American, 75 of which have African American pastors. Approximately 250 priests, 400 sisters and 437 deacons are African American.8

Currently, there are 15 African American bishops. 9 active, 6 retired.9  

Native American Catholics

There are 2.9 million people who identify themselves as Native American or Alaskan Native; 536,601 or 18.3% are considered Catholic.10 

Currently, there is one Native American bishop in active service in the United States: Archbishop Charles Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. of Philadelphia.11

Asian and Pacific Islander Catholics

Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders account for about 2.9 million or 19.1% of the 15.2 million people of this race/ethnicity in the country. The U.S. Asian Pacific population with the largest number of Catholics is the Filipino community, followed by the Vietnamese, Chinese, Indian and Korean communities.12

10% of ordinands in 2015 are of Asian or Pacific Islander background.13

Currently, there are 16 Asian Pacific Island bishops, three of whom are retired.14 

Hispanic/Latino Catholics

Some 29.7 million are estimated to be Catholic, representing about 59% of the total Hispanic/Latino population.15 

64% of Hispanics who identify as Catholic attend church services regularly.16

There are 41 Hispanic bishops, 26 active and 15 retired.17 

Total population of U.S. Hispanics: 56.8 million18

Percentage of U.S. population: 17.4%19

Percentage of U.S. population growth due to Hispanics between 2010–2014: 49%20

Percentage of U.S. Hispanic population under age 18: 32.3%21

Percentage of U.S. Hispanic population 18-64: 61.2%22

Percentage of U.S. Hispanic population age 65 or more: 6.4%23

Percentage of Hispanic population, native born: 65%24

Percentage of Hispanic population, foreign born:35%25  

Percentage of U.S. Millennial Catholics who are Hispanic  (born in 1982 or later): 54%26

Percentage of Catholics under age 18 who are Hispanic: 60%27

Percentage of U.S. Catholic population growth since 1960 (due to Hispanics): 71%28

Percentage of first-generation Hispanics who are Catholic: 69%29

Percentage of second-generation Hispanics who are Catholic: 59%30

Percentage of third-generation Hispanics who are Catholic: 40%31

Number of dioceses with formal structures serving Hispanic Catholics: 17232

Number of U.S. parishes with Hispanic ministry: 4,54433

Number of priests in the U.S.: 38,26034

Number of priests who are Hispanic in the U.S. (approx.): 3,00035

Percentage of priests who are Hispanic in the U.S.: 7.45%36

Percentage of newly ordained priests who are Hispanic, class of 2015: 14%37

Percentage of College Seminarians who are Hispanic: 21%38

Number of permanent deacons who self-identify as Hispanic: 2,25039

Percentage of women religious who self-identify as Hispanic: 13%40

Percentage of newly professed religious who are Hispanic: 21%41

Percentage of religious entrants who are Hispanic in the last 10 years: 17%42

Percentage of lay people in formation programs who are Hispanic: 47%43

Percentage of U.S. Hispanic family households with a married couple: 60%44

Percentage of students enrolled in Catholic schools who are Hispanic: 15%45

Percentage of Hispanic Catholic children who attend Catholic school: 3%46

Hispanic citizens reported voting in 2012 Presidential Election: 11.2 million47

Percent increase of Hispanic voters in Presidential election from 2008-2012: 15.5%48  

Hispanics 5 and older who speak Spanish at home: 73.3%49

Projected Hispanic population by 2050: 105 million50

Projected percentage of the total U.S. Hispanic population by 2050: 26.5%51

Catholic Parishes

Total number of parishes in the U.S. is 17,755. There also are 585 pastoral centers and 2,618 missions and 58 new parishes opened their doors in 2014.52 

The average number of registered households in U.S. parishes is estimated at 1,168.53

More than 5,000 parishes or 29%, celebrate Mass in a language other than English. 81% of those Masses are in Spanish.54 

The average number of people attending Mass on a typical weekend at a Catholic parish is 24%.55

6,269 parishes, or about 35.5%, serve a particular racial, ethnic, cultural or linguistic community other than Euro-American white Catholics. About 70% serve Spanish-speaking Catholics.56

As of 2013, the estimated number of lay ecclesial ministers in the United States was approximately 38,000 (2.1 per parish). 14% of these are vowed religious and 86% are other lay persons.57 
_________________________________________________________________________________

[1] The Official Catholic Directory 2015, General Summary.

[2] Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA), Frequently Requested Catholic Church Statistics, https://cara.georgetown.edu/CARAServices/requestedchurchstats.html(accessed on 07/12/15)

[3] The Official Catholic Directory 2015, General Summary.

[4] Information source: The Official Catholic Directory 1965-2015

[5] CARA, 1964 Blog, Data Check: Catholic Population Changes and New Ordinations. April, 2015, p.3. https://nineteensixty-four.blogspot.com/2015/04/data-check-catholic-population-changes.html

[6] CARA, Cultural Diversity in the Catholic Church in the United States, June 2014, p.8. https://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/cultural-diversity/upload/cultural-diversity-cara-report-phase-1.pdf

[7] Center of Applied Research in the Apostolate, The Class of 2015, Survey of Ordinands to the Priesthood.

[8] 2015 Catholic Almanac. Huntington, In.: Our Sunday Visitor, 2015, 427.

[9] USCCB, Secretariat for Cultural Diversity in the Church, as of 7/13/15.

[10]Boston College, CARA. "Hispanic Ministry in Catholic Parishes, 2014, p. 8. https://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/cultural-diversity/hispanic-latino/resources/upload/BC-NatlStudyParishesHM-Rep1-201405-2.pdf

[11] USCCB, Secretariat for Cultural Diversity in the Church. 2015.

[12] CARA, Cultural Diversity in the Catholic Church in the United States, June 2014, 8.

[13] Center of Applied Research in the Apostolate, The Class of 2015, Survey of Ordinands to the Priesthood, 8.

[14] USCCB, Secretariat for Cultural Diversity in the Church, as of 7/13/15.

[15] CARA, Cultural Diversity in the Catholic Church in the United States, June 2014, p.8.

[16] United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Secretariat for Cultural Diversity in the Church. 2015.

[17] USCCB, Secretariat for Cultural Diversity in the Church, as of June 2015.

[18] U.S. Census Bureau, Projections of the Population by Sex, Hispanic Origin, and Race for the United States: 2015 to 2060.  

     https://www.census.gov/population/projections/data/national/2014/summarytables.html

[19] U.S. Census Bureau, 2014 Population Estimates. https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=bkmk

[20] Ibid.

[21] Ibid.

[22] Ibid.

[23] Ibid.

[24] U.S. Census Bureau.American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, 2013 https://www.census.gov/newsroom/facts-for-features/2014/cb14-ff22.html

[25] Ibid.

[26] Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, 1964 Blog, Diversification. https://nineteensixty-four.blogspot.com/2010/08/diversification.html(Note: Millennial = people born after 1982)

[27] USCCB, Secretariat for Cultural Diversity in the Church

[28] Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, CARA Catholic Poll, Georgetown University, 2010.

[29] Pew Research Center. Hispanic Trends.When Labels Don't Fit: Hispanics and Their Views of Identity. April 4, 2012.

[30] Ibid.

[31] Ibid.

[32] Ospino, Hosffman.Hispanic Ministry in Catholic Parishes, 2014. p. 27

[33] Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, Cultural Diversity in the Catholic Church in the United States Report, June 2014.

[34] The Official Catholic Directory, Anno Domini 2015, P.J. Kennedy & Sons.

[35] USCCB, Secretariat for Cultural Diversity, Office of Hispanic Affairs.

[36] Ibid.

[37] Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, The Class of 2015: Survey of Ordinands to the Priesthood. https://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/vocations/ordination-class/upload/Class-of-2015-report-FINAL-V2.pdf

[38] Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate."Catholic Ministry Formation Enrollment: Statistical Overview for 2013-2014."

[39] Ospino, Hosffman. p. 25

[40] Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, New Sisters and Brothers Professing Perpetual Vows in Religious Life: The Profession Class of 2014. January, 2015. https://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/vocations/consecrated-life/upload/Profession-Class-2014-report-FINAL.PDF

[41] NRVC Factsheet.

[42]https://nrvc.net/download_article/5570/nrvc-cultural-diversity-report-final-revised-2.pdf?view=true

[43] Matovina, Timothy.Latino Catholicism.Chapter 5.

[44] U.S. Census Bureau, Facts for Features.

[45] Ibid.

[46] To Nurture the Soul of a Nation:Latino Families, Catholic Schools and Educational Opportunity.A report of the University of Notre Dame Task Force on the Participation of Latino Children and their Families in Catholic Schools.University of Notre Dame, 2009, 11.

[47] Census.gov; Voting and Registration in the election of 2012. https://www.census.gov/hhes/www/socdemo/voting/publications/p20/2012/tables.html

[48] Ibid.

[49] U.S. Census Bureau, Estimates 2013. https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_12_1YR_B16006&prodType=table

[50] U.S. Census Bureau National Population Projections, 2014.

[51] Ibid.

[52] The Official Catholic Directory 2015, General Summary.

[53] CARA, Cultural Diversity in the Catholic Church in the United States, June 2014, 5.

[54] Ibid., 6.

[55] CARA, Frequently Requested Catholic Church Statistics.

[56] Boston College, CARA. "Hispanic Ministry in Catholic Parishes," 2014, 8.

[57] Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, Emerging Models of Pastoral Leadership Project. Executive Summary, 2013, 7.