With 17% of the world’s population as members, the Catholic Church is one of the largest religions traditions on Earth. However, the Church’s global flock is not exactly evenly distributed. 95% of Italians identity as Catholic, while only 1% of Russians and Chinese say the same.
In the United States, the Catholics have increased their numbers by more than 20 million since 1965, but the religion’s share of the national population has held steady at 21%. A large majority of American Catholics, 64%, are white, but the faith is quickly diversifying. Latinos are expected to make up 30% of U.S. Catholics by the year 2050. Check out the graphic below for more facts on the Church’s global reach.
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