Religious Adherentsnin the United States of America, AD 1900-2000

▪ Table

Religious Adherents in the United States of America, AD 1900–2000

  Year           Annual change, 1990–95        

Adherents 1900 %  mid-1970 % mid-1990 % Natural Conversion Total Rate (%) 1995 % 2000 %

Christians 73,270,000 96.4 186,121,000 90.8 213,924,000 85.6 2,281,400 -39,200    2,242,200 1.03    225,135,000 85.5 234,875,000 85.4

Professing Christians 73,270,000 96.4 186,121,000 90.8 213,924,000 85.6 2,281,400 -39,200    2,242,200 1.03    225,135,000 85.5 234,875,000 85.4

  Unaffiliated Christians 18,845,000 24.8 32,920,000 16.1 28,373,000 11.4 302,600 -117,400    185,200 0.64    29,299,000 11.1 29,785,000 10.8

  Affiliated Christians 54,425,000 71.6 153,201,000 74.7 185,551,000 74.2 1,978,800 78,200    2,057,000 1.08    195,836,000 74.4 205,090,000 74.5

    Roman Catholics 10,775,000 14.2 48,391,000 23.6 56,665,000 22.7 604,300 -47,300    557,000 0.96    59,450,000 22.6 61,800,000 22.5

    Protestants 35,000,000 46.1 70,653,000 34.5 82,072,000 32.8 875,300 -189,700    685,600 0.82    85,500,000 32.5 88,800,000 32.3

      Evangelicals 26,598,000 35.0 50,689,000 24.7 67,743,000 27.1 722,500 244,900    967,400 1.39    72,580,000 27.6 76,815,000 27.9

    Anglicans 1,600,000 2.1 3,234,000 1.6 2,480,000 1.0 26,400 -52,400    -26,000 -1.07    2,350,000 0.9 2,203,000 0.8

    Orthodox 400,000 0.5 4,387,000 2.1 4,250,000 1.7 45,300 230,900    276,200 5.79    5,631,000 2.1 6,260,000 2.3

    Black Christians 5,750,000 7.6 19,679,000 9.6 32,598,000 13.0 347,700 92,700    440,400 1.32    34,800,000 13.2 37,200,000 13.5

      Black Evangelicals 5,320,000 7.0 13,551,000 6.6 17,248,000 6.9 183,900 50,500    234,400 1.32    18,420,000 7.0 19,548,000 7.1

    Catholics (non-Roman) 100,000 0.1 473,000 0.2 646,000 0.3 6,900 5,900    12,800 1.91    710,000 0.3 800,000 0.3

    Other Christians 800,000 1.1 6,384,000 3.1 9,680,000 3.9 103,200 100,800    204,000 2.02    10,700,000 4.1 12,100,000 4.4

    Doubly-affiliated Christians 0 0.0 0 0.0 -2,840,000 -1.1 -30,300 -62,700    -93,000 3.08    -3,305,000 -1.3 -4,073,000 -1.5

Non-Christians 2,725,000 3.6 18,928,000 9.2 35,997,000 14.4 383,700 39,500    423,200 1.15    38,113,000 14.5 40,244,000 14.6

Atheists 1,000 0.0 200,000 0.1 770,000 0.3 8,200 12,600    20,800 2.57    874,000 0.3 925,000 0.3

Baha'is 3,000 0.0 138,000 0.1 600,000 0.2 6,400 10,200    16,600 2.63    683,000 0.3 750,000 0.3

Buddhists 30,000 0.0 200,000 0.1 1,680,000 0.7 17,900 18,900    36,800 2.10    1,864,000 0.7 2,000,000 0.7

Chinese folk religionists 70,000 0.1 90,000 0.0 76,000 0.0 800 -1,200    -400 -0.53    74,000 0.0 70,000 0.0

Hindus 1,000 0.0 100,000 0.0 650,000 0.3 6,900 22,100    29,000 4.11    795,000 0.3 950,000 0.3

Jews 1,500,000 2.0 6,700,000 3.3 5,535,000 2.2 59,000 -62,400    -3,400 -0.06    5,518,000 2.1 5,500,000 2.0

Muslims 10,000 0.0 800,000 0.4 3,600,000 1.4 38,400 -5,000    33,400 0.91    3,767,000 1.4 3,950,000 1.4

  Black Muslims 0 0.0 200,000 0.1 1,250,000 0.5 13,300 16,700    30,000 2.29    1,400,000 0.5 1,650,000 0.6

New-Religionists 0 0.0 110,000 0.1 575,000 0.2 6,100 -500    5,600 0.96    603,000 0.2 675,000 0.2

Nonreligious 1,000,000 1.3 10,069,000 4.9 21,364,000 8.5 227,800 35,400    263,200 1.20    22,680,000 8.6 24,034,000 8.7

Sikhs 0 0.0 1,000 0.0 160,000 0.1 1,700 4,300    6,000 3.50    190,000 0.1 220,000 0.1

Tribal religionists 100,000 0.1 70,000 0.1 280,000 0.1 3,000 2,000    5,000 1.73    305,000 0.1 350,000 0.1

Other religionists 10,000 0.0 450,000 0.2 707,000 0.3 7,500 3,100    10,600 1.46    760,000 0.3 820,000 0.3

Total population 75,995,000 100.0 205,049,000 100.0 249,921,000 100.0 2,665,100 0    2,665,400 1.04    263,248,000 100.0 275,119,000 100.0

See as table:

Methodology. This table extracts a microcosm of the world table above. It depicts the United States, the country with the largest number of adherents of Christianity, the world's largest religion.

 Statistics for five points in time across the 20th century are presented. Also analyzed is each religion's Annual change by:Natural increase (births minus deaths, plus immigrants minus

 emigrants) per year and Conversion (new converts minus new defectors per year, which together constitute the Total increase per year. Rate is then computed as percentage per year.

Christians. Professing Christians are all persons who profess publicly (in censuses or polls) to follow Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. This category is subdivided into affiliated Christians

 (church members) and unaffiliated (nominal) Christians (professing Christians not affiliated with any church).

Evangelicals. Churches, agencies, and individuals that call themselves by this term usually emphasize five or more fundamental doctrines (salvation by faith, personal acceptance, verbal

 inspiration of Scripture, depravity of man, Virgin Birth, miracles of Christ, atonement, evangelism, Second Advent).

Black Christians. Members of denominations initiated by African-Americans.

Other Christians. This term denotes members of denominations and churches that regard themselves as outside mainline Protestant/Catholic/Orthodox Christianity.

Doubly-affiliated Christians. Members of more than one denomination.

Non-Christians. Followers of non-Christian religions or of no religion; the 12 largest such varieties are listed.

Jews. Core Jewish population relating to Judaism, excluding Jewish persons professing a different religion but including immigrants from the former U.S.S.R., Eastern Europe, Israel, and

  other areas.

Other categories. Definitions as given above under the Worldwide Adherents table.                                                                                                      (DAVID B. BARRETT; TODD M. JOHNSON)

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