Demographics

Statistics on Hispanic/Latino(a) Catholics:

• Hispanics/Latinos(as) are present in practically every diocese of the United States.

• More than 20% of all Catholic parishes in the United States have Hispanic/Latino(a) ministry.

• More than 80% of all (arch)dioceses have diocesan staff coordinating Hispanic/Latino(a) ministry. Hispanics/Latinos(as) compose more than 35% of all Catholics in the United States. Hispanics/Latinos(as) have contributed 71% of the growth of the Catholic Church in the United States since 1960.

• More than 50% of all Catholics in the United States under age 25 are of Hispanic/Latino(a) descent.

• To date, 45 Hispanic/Latino bishops have been ordained in the United States, 28 of whom are active. They make up 9%of all Catholic bishops in the United States.

• Over the past few years, 15% of all new priests ordained in the United States have been of Hispanic/Latino(a) descent.

• Hispanics/Latinos(as) constitute 25% of all laypeople engaged in diocesan ministry programs.

• More than two-thirds (68%) of all Hispanics/Latinos(as) in the United States consider themselves to be Roman Catholics.

• The estimated Hispanic/Latino(a) population of the United States as of 2009 is 48.4 million. It is projected that Hispanics/Latinos(as) will surpass the 132.8 million mark by the year 2050.

Sources: www.usccb.org/hispanicaffairs; U.S. Census Bureau; the Pew Hispanic Center (April 2010)