Religious Preference

• Introduction
• Patterns
• Over Time
• Other Surveys

Religious Preference (Demographic Patterns)

What is your religious preference? Is it Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, some other religion, or no religion?

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Religious Preference by Age (General Social Survey, 2006)

	18-30	31-44	45-64	65+	Missing	TOTAL
Protestant	42.0% 354	48.5% 623	55.8% 886	60.8% 458	7	51.9% 2321
Catholic	25.5% 215	25.6% 329	23.7% 376	25.4% 191	3	24.9% 1111
Jewish	1.5% 13	1.6% 20	1.4% 22	2.9% 22	1	1.7% 77
None	24.8% 209	18.6% 239	13.9% 221	8.9% 67	3	16.5% 736
Other	6.2% 52	5.8% 74	5.2% 82	2.0% 15	2	5.0% 223
Missing	7	4	9	4	2	26
TOTAL	100% 843	100% 1285	100% 1587	100% 753	18	4468

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Religious Preference by Race (General Social Survey, 2006)

	White	Black	Other	TOTAL
Protestant	52.7% 1721	77.7% 490	20.0% 117	51.9% 2328
Catholic	22.8% 745	6.5% 41	56.1% 328	24.8% 1114
Jewish	2.3% 74	0.2% 1	0.5% 3	1.7% 78
None	18.0% 587	11.4% 72	13.7% 80	16.5% 739
Other	4.3% 141	4.3% 27	9.7% 57	5.0% 225
Missing	16	3	7	26
TOTAL	100% 3268	100% 631	100% 585	4484

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Religious Preference by Gender (General Social Survey, 2006)

	MALE	FEMALE	TOTAL
Protestant	47.7% 948	55.2% 1380	51.9% 2328
Catholic	24.8% 492	24.9% 622	24.8% 1114
Jewish	1.6% 31	1.9% 47	1.7% 78
None	20.7% 411	13.1% 328	16.5% 739
Other	5.2% 104	4.8% 121	5.0% 225
Missing	17	9	26
TOTAL	100% 1986	100% 2498	4484

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Religious Preference by Church attendance (General Social Survey, 2006)

	Never	Yearly	Monthly	Weekly	Missing	TOTAL
Protestant	27.0% 274	49.6% 679	58.7% 403	68.8% 967	5	51.9% 2323
Catholic	16.3% 165	27.9% 382	29.7% 204	25.8% 362	1	24.9% 1113
Jewish	1.7% 17	3.1% 42	1.2% 8	0.7% 10	1	1.7% 77
None	48.5% 492	14.7% 201	4.2% 29	1.2% 17	0	16.5% 739
Other	6.6% 67	4.8% 66	6.1% 42	3.5% 49	1	5.0% 224
Missing	5	5	2	3	11	26
TOTAL	100% 1015	100% 1370	100% 686	100% 1405	19	4476

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Religious Preference by Political ideology (General Social Survey, 2006)

	Liberal	Moderate	Conservative	Missing	TOTAL
Protestant	42.7% 502	50.0% 838	62.0% 909	79	52.1% 2249
Catholic	23.1% 271	26.6% 445	24.1% 353	45	24.8% 1069
Jewish	3.7% 43	1.2% 20	0.9% 13	2	1.8% 76
None	24.7% 290	16.9% 284	9.4% 137	28	16.5% 711
Other	5.9% 69	5.3% 89	3.6% 53	14	4.9% 211
Missing	5	7	5	9	26
TOTAL	100% 1175	100% 1676	100% 1465	177	4316

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Religious Preference by Education (General Social Survey, 2006)

	Not High School	High School	Jr. College	B.A.	Grad Degree	Missing	TOTAL
Protestant	48.3% 332	55.3% 1253	53.9% 201	50.5% 383	39.5% 158	1	51.9% 2327
Catholic	33.0% 227	22.3% 504	24.9% 93	23.7% 180	27.5% 110	0	24.8% 1114
Jewish	0.4% 3	1.2% 28	2.4% 9	2.6% 20	4.5% 18	0	1.7% 78
None	15.7% 108	15.9% 361	13.9% 52	17.0% 129	22.3% 89	0	16.5% 739
Other	2.6% 18	5.2% 118	4.8% 18	6.1% 46	6.3% 25	0	5.0% 225
Missing	3	9	4	5	3	2	26
TOTAL	100% 688	100% 2264	100% 373	100% 758	100% 400	3	4483

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Notes

General Social Survey, 2006: The General Social Surveys (GSS) have been conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) annually since 1972 except for the years 1979, 1981, and 1992 (a supplement was added in 1992), and biennially beginning in 1994. The GSS are designed as part of a program of social indicator research, replicating questionnaire items and wording in order to facilitate time-trend studies. The 2006 GSS includes a topical module for mental health. Items in the 2006 GSS include questions on religious self-identification, denominational affiliation, personal beliefs, and religious upbringing.