Ethnicity and Race in the Christian Population of the United States

This presentation seeks to show, through statistical and factual analyses, the intricacies of race and ethnicity in the Christian population of the United States. Racial diversity varies broadly across denominational and regional lines. Lutheran, Evangelical, and Episcopal traditions have the highest percentage of white believers, while African Methodist, National Baptist Convention, and Church of God in Christ traditions are almost entirely composed of black believers.

The Catholic Church Southern Baptist United Methodist Four Largest Denominations in the American Christianity: The Catholic Church Southern Baptist United Methodist Church of God in Christ

Foundational Statistics: Evangelical Christians = 76% white Mainline Protestants = 86% white Black Protestants = 94% black Catholics = 34% Hispanic

Evangelical, Mainline Protestant, and Orthodox Christian traditions are predominantly white. Catholic & Unaffiliated traditions, however, are relatively much more likely to be multiracial.

Percent African-American by Religious Tradition (2012) Roman Catholic White conservative, evangelical, or fundamentalist Black Protestant White liberal or moderate Non-Christian TOTAL 0% 37.5% 27 49.8% 306 0.7% 2 53.3% 144 42.0% 37 38.8% 516 More than 0% but less than 5% 38.9% 28 22.4% 138 0.0% 0 31.1% 84 33.0% 29 21.0% 279 5% to less than 50% 22.2% 16 26.5% 163 12.6% 34 9.1% 8 16.6% 221 50% or more 1.4% 1 1.3% 8 99.3% 282 3.0% 8 15.9% 14 23.6% 313 100.0% 72 100.0% 615 100.0% 284 100.0% 270 100.0% 88 1329

Percent White by Religious Tradition (2012) Roman Catholic White conservative, evangelical, or fundamentalist Black Protestant White liberal or moderate Non-Christian TOTAL Less than 20% 23.3% 17 14.2% 87 98.6% 280 0.7% 2 25.8% 23 30.8% 409 20% to less than 80% 15.0% 92 13.0% 35 16.9% 15 12.1% 161 80% to less than 99% 31.5% 23 33.1% 203 0.0% 0 34.4% 93 29.2% 26 26.0% 345 99% or more 21.9% 16 37.7% 231 51.9% 140 28.1% 25 31.2% 414 Missing 1 100.0% 73 100.0% 613 100.0% 284 100.0% 270 100.0% 89 1329

Racial composition of American Evangelicals

Racial composition of Historically Black Church in United States

Racial composition of Catholics in United States (The Catholic church exhibits (relatively) the most diversity:

There are also differing economic trends between religious traditions: Evangelicals’ income levels are more likely to be higher than those of Black Pentecostals. Black Pentecostal traditions have a much wider income disparity within their religious tradition, with the largest population of believers making $30,000 or less. The population of the Catholic tradition displays a more equitable distribution of socio-economic levels

Socio-economic distribution of Evangelicals in United States

Socio-economic distribution of Historically Black Church in United States

Black American Christians were reported to have the highest view of religion’s importance in their lives

Black American Christians were also reported to be the population with the strongest belief in God

Interestingly, however, white American Christians were reported to have the most absolute stance on right and wrong

Increasing Diversity in American Christianity Number of multiracial church communities has nearly doubled in the past decade. 12.5% percent of Protestant churches and 27.1% of other Christian churches (Catholic/Orthodox) are multiracial. However, 38.9% of churches reported having no black members in their congregation The vast majority of multiracial churches in the United States are concentrated on the West Coast.

Growth of the “Unaffiliated” Group The number of unaffiliated believers is increasing as the number of Christians is decreasing. This is happening in all of the ethnic groups represented in Christianity. Whites continue to be more likely than both blacks and Hispanics to identify as religiously unaffiliated; 24% of whites say they have no religion, compared with 20% of Hispanics and 18% of blacks. Pew Research Forum rates black Christians as having the highest view of religion’s significance in their life.

The number of unaffiliated believers is increasing as the number of Christians is decreasing

Pew Research Center studies show that the Christian population in the United States is decreasing in relation to other religions. However, the fastest-growing group in the country is the Unaffiliated Group (including Agnostics and Atheists)

Sources: Pew Research Forum – America’s Changing Religious Landscape Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies U.S. Religion Census 2010 Hartford Institute for Religious Research Pew Research Forum – Religious Landscape Study Association of Religion Data Archives FactTank US Census Bureau Centers for Disease Control Multiple news sites, research journals, and articles