News

Faith on Capitol Hill: How Religious is Congress?

by Jorge Gomez • 2 min read

Pew Research Center recently published its biannual report on the religious composition of Congress.

Here are four takeaways you must know about religion within the Legislative Branch:

Congress Predominantly Identifies as Christian

88% of Congressional members self-identify as Christian, with most (57%) saying they are Protestant. The new Congress has 148 Catholics, 10 fewer than the previous. Still, Catholics make up about 28% of the members of Congress, a greater share than in the U.S. population overall (21%).

House Has Slightly Higher Proportion of Christians than Senate

Christians comprise a majority in both the House and Senate, with each chamber having a similar majority (57% in the House, 56% in the Senate). Looking at minority religions, Jews have a wider presence in the Senate (9%) than in the House (6%).

Notable Differences by Party

Most Republicans and Democrats in Congress identify as Christian, but there’s substantial gap between the two parties. Almost all congressional Republicans—268 out of 271, or 99%—describe themselves as Christians. However, about three-quarters of Democrats—201 out of 263, or 76%—say they are Christian.

Democrats in Congress also are much less likely than Republicans to identify as Protestant (44% vs. 69%), but a greater share of Democrats than Republicans are Catholic (31% vs. 25%). Nine Democrats identify as Jewish, compared to only two Republicans.

Roughly Equal Shares of Newcomers and Incumbents Identify as Christians

Approximately 88% of incumbents and new members of Congress say they are Christian. However, newcomers to Congress are substantially more likely than returning members to identify as Protestant: Nearly two-thirds of freshmen (64%) are Protestants, compared with 55% of incumbents. The same proportion of freshmen and incumbents (6%) identify as Jewish. 

—         —         —         —         —

What About Your Elected Representatives?

You can use the map below to easily find the religious affiliation of all congressional representatives—including those members that represent you and your state!