Biden is only the second Catholic president, but nearly all have been Christians
Although Catholicism has long been one of the largest U.S. religious groups, John F. Kennedy and Joe Biden are the only Catholic presidents.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Religion
-
-
Measuring Religion in Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel
Since the establishment of the ATP, the Center has gradually migrated away from telephone polling and toward online survey administration, and since early 2019, the Center has conducted most of its U.S. polling on the ATP. This shift has major implications for the way the Center measures trends in American religion – including those from the Center’s flagship Religious Landscape Studies, which were conducted by phone in 2007 and 2014.
-
Faith on the Hill
When it comes to religious affiliation, the 117th U.S. Congress looks similar to the previous Congress but quite different from Americans overall.
-
Women in many countries face harassment for clothing deemed too religious – or too secular
Women in 56 countries experienced social hostilities due to clothing that was deemed to violate religious or secular dress norms.
-
Polygamy is rare around the world and mostly confined to a few regions
In some countries – particularly in a segment of West and Central Africa – polygamy is frequently legal and widespread.
-
Government restrictions on religion around the world reached new record in 2018
Government restrictions in 2018 were at their highest level since 2007, when Pew Research Center began tracking these trends.
-
In 2018, Government Restrictions on Religion Reach Highest Level Globally in More Than a Decade
In 2018, the global median level of government restrictions on religion – that is, laws, policies and actions by officials that impinge on religious beliefs and practices – continued to climb, reaching an all-time high since Pew Research Center began tracking these trends in 2007.
-
How Catholics around the world see same-sex marriage, homosexuality
Pope Francis made news recently by voicing his support for same-sex civil unions. The statement struck observers as a shift for the Vatican.
-
What the 2020 electorate looks like by party, race and ethnicity, age, education and religion
What does the 2020 electorate look like politically, demographically and religiously as the race enters its final days?
-
8 key findings about Catholics and abortion
Like U.S. adults overall, the majority of U.S. Catholics say abortion should be legal – at least in some cases.
