Opinion of Catholics (Demographic Patterns)

Thinking about specific religious groups, what is your overall opinion of: Catholics? (Religion and Public Life Survey, 2002)

Opinion of Catholics by Age (Religion and Public Life Survey, 2002)

	18-24	25-34	35-44	45-54	55-64	65 +	Missing	TOTAL
Very favorable	22.6% 54	16.0% 51	19.6% 80	15.8% 60	20.9% 56	21.3% 77	3	19.1% 378
Mostly favorable	54.4% 130	56.3% 179	55.5% 227	65.4% 248	53.7% 144	51.2% 185	15	56.4% 1113
Mostly unfavorable	7.9% 19	11.0% 35	10.0% 41	7.4% 28	9.0% 24	8.3% 30	3	9.0% 177
Very unfavorable	3.3% 8	3.8% 12	2.7% 11	2.4% 9	3.0% 8	3.6% 13	1	3.1% 61
Never heard of	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.3% 1	0.0% 0	0.6% 2	0	0.2% 3
Can't rate	9.6% 23	11.6% 37	10.8% 44	7.7% 29	10.4% 28	11.4% 41	2	10.2% 202
Refused	2.1% 5	1.3% 4	1.5% 6	1.1% 4	3.0% 8	3.6% 13	4	2.0% 40
TOTAL	100% 239	100% 318	100% 409	100% 379	100% 268	100% 361	28	1974

Opinion of Catholics by Gender (Religion and Public Life Survey, 2002)

	Male	Female	TOTAL
Very favorable	16.5% 152	21.2% 229	19.0% 381
Mostly favorable	56.6% 522	56.1% 606	56.3% 1128
Mostly unfavorable	9.9% 91	8.2% 89	9.0% 180
Very unfavorable	3.7% 34	2.6% 28	3.1% 62
Never heard of	0.1% 1	0.2% 2	0.1% 3
Can't rate	10.5% 97	9.9% 107	10.2% 204
Refused	2.7% 25	1.8% 19	2.2% 44
TOTAL	100% 922	100% 1080	2002

Opinion of Catholics by Political party (Religion and Public Life Survey, 2002)

	Republican	Democrat	Independent	No preference	Other party	Don't know/Refused	TOTAL
Very favorable	20.4% 133	19.2% 114	18.4% 106	12.4% 15	0.0% 0	24.1% 13	19.0% 381
Mostly favorable	58.8% 384	57.9% 344	55.7% 321	46.3% 56	50.0% 2	38.9% 21	56.3% 1128
Mostly unfavorable	8.3% 54	7.7% 46	11.1% 64	13.2% 16	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	9.0% 180
Very unfavorable	2.0% 13	3.9% 23	3.1% 18	4.1% 5	0.0% 0	5.6% 3	3.1% 62
Never heard of	0.0% 0	0.2% 1	0.2% 1	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	1.9% 1	0.1% 3
Can't rate	8.6% 56	9.3% 55	9.9% 57	20.7% 25	0.0% 0	20.4% 11	10.2% 204
Refused	2.0% 13	1.9% 11	1.6% 9	3.3% 4	50.0% 2	9.3% 5	2.2% 44
TOTAL	100% 653	100% 594	100% 576	100% 121	100% 4	100% 54	2002

Opinion of Catholics by Household income (Religion and Public Life Survey, 2002)

	Less than $20,000	$20,000 to under $40,000	$40,000 to under $75,000	$75,000 to under $100,000	$100,000 or more	Don't know/Refused	TOTAL
Very favorable	19.2% 60	19.1% 90	16.3% 85	21.5% 43	19.5% 38	21.5% 65	19.0% 381
Mostly favorable	52.2% 163	54.0% 255	60.5% 315	63.0% 126	63.6% 124	48.0% 145	56.3% 1128
Mostly unfavorable	9.6% 30	9.3% 44	9.8% 51	9.0% 18	9.7% 19	6.0% 18	9.0% 180
Very unfavorable	5.1% 16	3.8% 18	2.3% 12	0.5% 1	0.0% 0	5.0% 15	3.1% 62
Never heard of	0.3% 1	0.2% 1	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.3% 1	0.1% 3
Can't rate	12.2% 38	11.7% 55	9.8% 51	5.0% 10	5.6% 11	12.9% 39	10.2% 204
Refused	1.3% 4	1.9% 9	1.3% 7	1.0% 2	1.5% 3	6.3% 19	2.2% 44
TOTAL	100% 312	100% 472	100% 521	100% 200	100% 195	100% 302	2002

Opinion of Catholics by Education (Religion and Public Life Survey, 2002)

	Less than high school	High school graduate	Some college	College +	Refused	TOTAL
Very favorable	16.4% 30	18.7% 121	20.0% 105	19.4% 124	12.5% 1	19.0% 381
Mostly favorable	45.9% 84	54.6% 353	55.2% 290	62.2% 398	37.5% 3	56.3% 1128
Mostly unfavorable	8.7% 16	8.8% 57	9.7% 51	8.6% 55	12.5% 1	9.0% 180
Very unfavorable	6.6% 12	3.4% 22	3.6% 19	1.3% 8	12.5% 1	3.1% 62
Never heard of	1.6% 3	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.1% 3
Can't rate	18.0% 33	11.6% 75	9.7% 51	6.7% 43	25.0% 2	10.2% 204
Refused	2.7% 5	2.8% 18	1.7% 9	1.9% 12	0.0% 0	2.2% 44
TOTAL	100% 183	100% 646	100% 525	100% 640	100% 8	2002

Opinion of Catholics by Marital status (Religion and Public Life Survey, 2002)

	Married	Divorced	Separated	Widowed	Never been married	Don't know/Refused	TOTAL
Very favorable	19.6% 206	17.3% 48	24.5% 12	22.5% 40	17.1% 74	8.3% 1	19.0% 381
Mostly favorable	57.2% 602	57.0% 158	61.2% 30	45.5% 81	57.8% 251	50.0% 6	56.3% 1128
Mostly unfavorable	8.8% 93	9.7% 27	4.1% 2	10.1% 18	8.8% 38	16.7% 2	9.0% 180
Very unfavorable	2.6% 27	4.0% 11	0.0% 0	4.5% 8	3.5% 15	8.3% 1	3.1% 62
Never heard of	0.1% 1	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	1.1% 2	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.1% 3
Can't rate	9.2% 97	10.8% 30	6.1% 3	14.6% 26	10.8% 47	8.3% 1	10.2% 204
Refused	2.5% 26	1.1% 3	4.1% 2	1.7% 3	2.1% 9	8.3% 1	2.2% 44
TOTAL	100% 1052	100% 277	100% 49	100% 178	100% 434	100% 12	2002

Opinion of Catholics by Church attendance (Religion and Public Life Survey, 2002)

	More than once a week	Once a week	Once or twice a month	A few times a year	Seldom	Never	Missing	TOTAL
Very favorable	17.7% 55	23.9% 127	21.4% 69	20.9% 75	14.0% 41	6.4% 11	3	19.0% 378
Mostly favorable	51.1% 159	61.5% 327	60.2% 194	57.0% 204	56.7% 166	43.9% 75	3	56.6% 1125
Mostly unfavorable	13.5% 42	3.6% 19	5.0% 16	9.2% 33	11.6% 34	19.9% 34	2	9.0% 178
Very unfavorable	5.1% 16	1.7% 9	3.1% 10	1.7% 6	3.4% 10	6.4% 11	0	3.1% 62
Never heard of	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.3% 1	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.6% 1	1	0.1% 2
Can't rate	11.6% 36	7.1% 38	8.4% 27	10.3% 37	11.6% 34	18.1% 31	1	10.2% 203
Refused	1.0% 3	2.3% 12	1.6% 5	0.8% 3	2.7% 8	4.7% 8	5	2.0% 39
TOTAL	100% 311	100% 532	100% 322	100% 358	100% 293	100% 171	15	1987

Notes

This project investigated the public's attitudes on religion and public life. The survey was commissioned by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press (www.people-press.org) and produced two reports. The first report addressed America’s struggle with religion in the post 9-11 climate. The second report examined the public’s attitudes about genetic research.