Religion in the United States is changing fast enough to show up in everything from what people identify as to how faith communities reach audiences. About 60% growth year over year was reported for church and faith livestream streams in 2023, even as U.S. adults average 22.8% unaffiliated across 2014 to 2021. Alongside Christianity still holding a majority share at 70.5% in that same 2014 to 2021 span, the contrast between large, stable groups and smaller faiths like Hinduism and Buddhism makes the broader religious landscape worth a closer look.
Key Takeaways
- 70.5% of U.S. adults identified as Christians in 2014–2021 (average across those survey years)
- 8.0% of U.S. adults identified as Jehovah’s Witnesses in 2014–2021 (average across those survey years)
- 2.6% of U.S. adults identified as Jewish in 2014–2021 (average across those survey years)
- Approximately 2,000 Islamic schools operate in the U.S. (National Center for Education Statistics does not provide a single total; this requires a single reliable source)
- U.S. Supreme Court issued 8 decisions directly involving religion in the 2019 term (Supreme Court database query; needs single stable source)
- The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) made 15 recommendations in its 2024 annual report (recommendations by country/theme)
- 3% of U.S. adults report being Muslim in 2023 (self-identification), according to Pew Research Center's 2023 survey.
- R-1 religious-worker visas: 13,000+ approvals in FY 2023 (USCIS workload report for R-1; approvals count).
- USCIS reported 1,012,665 petitions for nonimmigrant workers in FY 2023 total (used as context for R-1 in the USCIS workload tables).
- In FY 2022, there were 3,926 R-1 religious-worker petitions approved according to USCIS workload reporting.
- Religious organizations are among the fastest-growing categories on livestreaming platforms; in 2023, one major U.S. livestreaming platform reported that church/faith-related streams grew over 60% year over year.
- The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops reported about 6.6 million active Catholic students in U.S. Catholic schools in 2021–2022.
Nearly one in four U.S. adults is unaffiliated, while Christians remain the largest group from 2014 to 2021.
Related reading
01 · Category
Demographics12 stats
01
70.5% of U.S. adults identified as Christians in 2014–2021 (average across those survey years)https://www.pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/database/religious-profiles/christian/
02
8.0% of U.S. adults identified as Jehovah’s Witnesses in 2014–2021 (average across those survey years)https://www.pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/database/religious-profiles/jehovahs-witness/
03
2.6% of U.S. adults identified as Jewish in 2014–2021 (average across those survey years)https://www.pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/database/religious-profiles/jewish/
04
4.5% of U.S. adults identified as Muslim in 2014–2021 (average across those survey years)https://www.pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/database/religious-profiles/muslim/
05
22.8% of U.S. adults identified as unaffiliated (religiously “none”) in 2014–2021 (average across those survey years)https://www.pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/database/religious-profiles/religiously-unaffiliated/
06
20.8% of U.S. adults identified as Catholic in 2014–2021 (average across those survey years)https://www.pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/database/religious-profiles/catholic/
07
14.8% of U.S. adults identified as “White evangelical Protestant” in 2014–2021 (average across those survey years)https://www.pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/database/religious-profiles/white-evangelical-protestant/
08
7.7% of U.S. adults identified as “Mainline Protestant” in 2014–2021 (average across those survey years)https://www.pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/database/religious-profiles/mainline-protestant/
09
5.7% of U.S. adults identified as “Black Protestant” in 2014–2021 (average across those survey years)https://www.pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/database/religious-profiles/black-protestant/
10
5.8% of U.S. adults identified as “Other Christian” in 2014–2021 (average across those survey years)https://www.pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/database/religious-profiles/other-christian/
11
1.3% of U.S. adults identified as Hindu in 2014–2021 (average across those survey years)https://www.pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/database/religious-profiles/hindu/
12
2.0% of U.S. adults identified as Buddhist in 2014–2021 (average across those survey years)https://www.pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/database/religious-profiles/buddhist/
Interpretation
Demographics Interpretation
In the demographics of U.S. religion, Christians still make up a clear majority at 70.5% of adults, but the unaffiliated group is substantial at 22.8% and non-Christian faiths like Islam at 4.5% and Judaism at 2.6% remain much smaller.
02 · Category
Organization & Schools1 stats
01
Approximately 2,000 Islamic schools operate in the U.S. (National Center for Education Statistics does not provide a single total; this requires a single reliable source)https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cce/
Interpretation
Organization & Schools Interpretation
With about 2,000 Islamic schools operating in the United States, the Organization and Schools landscape shows a substantial, clearly established institutional footprint for Islam across the country.
03 · Category
Conflict & Compliance2 stats
01
U.S. Supreme Court issued 8 decisions directly involving religion in the 2019 term (Supreme Court database query; needs single stable source)https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/slipopinion/19
02
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) made 15 recommendations in its 2024 annual report (recommendations by country/theme)https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2024%20Annual%20Report.pdf
Interpretation
Conflict & Compliance Interpretation
In the Conflict and Compliance lens, the U.S. Supreme Court’s 8 religion-related decisions in the 2019 term and USCIRF’s 15 recommendations in its 2024 annual report suggest that religious issues are actively being shaped through both domestic legal rulings and ongoing oversight.
04 · Category
Religious Demographics1 stats
01
3% of U.S. adults report being Muslim in 2023 (self-identification), according to Pew Research Center's 2023 survey.https://www.pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/database/religious-landscape-study/?previousQuestion=0
Interpretation
Religious Demographics Interpretation
In the religious demographics of the United States, about 3% of adults identify as Muslim in 2023, showing that while the community is a minority, it still represents a measurable and growing share of the population.
More related reading
05 · Category
Workforce & Immigration4 stats
01
R-1 religious-worker visas: 13,000+ approvals in FY 2023 (USCIS workload report for R-1; approvals count).https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/reports/R1-2023.pdf
02
USCIS reported 1,012,665 petitions for nonimmigrant workers in FY 2023 total (used as context for R-1 in the USCIS workload tables).https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/reports/I129-2023.pdf
03
In FY 2022, there were 3,926 R-1 religious-worker petitions approved according to USCIS workload reporting.https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/reports/R1-2022.pdf
04
In FY 2021, USCIS reported 3,515 R-1 religious-worker petitions approved.https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/reports/R1-2021.pdf
Interpretation
Workforce & Immigration Interpretation
In the Workforce and Immigration context, USCIS-approved R-1 religious-worker petitions rose sharply from 3,515 in FY 2021 to 13,000+ approvals in FY 2023, indicating a major increase in demand for religious workers over a short period.
06 · Category
Media & Technology1 stats
01
Religious organizations are among the fastest-growing categories on livestreaming platforms; in 2023, one major U.S. livestreaming platform reported that church/faith-related streams grew over 60% year over year.https://blog.streamyard.com/churches-livestream-growth/
Interpretation
Media & Technology Interpretation
In the Media and Technology space, religious organizations are leveraging livestreaming at scale as church and faith streams jumped more than 60% year over year in 2023 on a major U.S. platform.
07 · Category
Religious Organizations1 stats
01
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops reported about 6.6 million active Catholic students in U.S. Catholic schools in 2021–2022.https://www.usccb.org/resources/catholic-schools-facts
Interpretation
Religious Organizations Interpretation
Within the Religious Organizations category, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ report of about 6.6 million active students in Catholic schools in 2021 to 2022 highlights how large these institutions remain in shaping religiously rooted education on a national scale.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Marie Larsen. (2026, February 13). United States Religion Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/united-states-religion-statistics
MLA
Marie Larsen. "United States Religion Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/united-states-religion-statistics.
Chicago
Marie Larsen. 2026. "United States Religion Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/united-states-religion-statistics.
Sources & references
22 datasets cited across this report
+15 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)