Father Thomas Maikowski is a Catholic priest, who has served for 40 years at a diocese in the southwestern United States. Though at one time it was believed that practicing Catholics, like those in Father Thomas Maikowski’s parish, accounted for at least a quarter of the US population, and that the number of Catholics entering the church each year outweighed the number of people who left it, new data collected in 2014 has dispelled these statements.
According to this new data, released by the Pew Forum in May 2015, Catholics now account for only 20 percent of the US population, with the total number of Catholics having dropped by 3 million over seven years. The data also suggests that for every one person who joins the Catholic church, at least six people leave it.
The Pew Forum does admit that there are various factors that may contribute to the extreme difference in total population of Catholics, including the fact in past studies, less people between the ages of 18 and 24 were interviewed, and more people who identified as Hispanic were interviewed in past studies. Statistically, a greater number of Hispanics identify as Catholic compared to other ethnicities, and fewer young adults identify as Catholic than older adults.
According to this new data, released by the Pew Forum in May 2015, Catholics now account for only 20 percent of the US population, with the total number of Catholics having dropped by 3 million over seven years. The data also suggests that for every one person who joins the Catholic church, at least six people leave it.
The Pew Forum does admit that there are various factors that may contribute to the extreme difference in total population of Catholics, including the fact in past studies, less people between the ages of 18 and 24 were interviewed, and more people who identified as Hispanic were interviewed in past studies. Statistically, a greater number of Hispanics identify as Catholic compared to other ethnicities, and fewer young adults identify as Catholic than older adults.