6 Charts That Show America’s Shifting Catholic Landscape

Upon arriving in Washington, D.C., earlier this week, Pope Francis was greeted by throngs of people eager to see the leader of the Roman Catholic Church. But across the U.S., the pope is also seeing a Catholic Church in America with changing demographics.

Pope Francis arrived in the U.S. on Tuesday and spent two days in Washington, D.C. In addition to meeting with President Obama at the White House, the pope also addressed a joint session of Congress, becoming the first pope to do so. He headed to New York next and will end his trip to the U.S. in Philadelphia.

According to the Pew Research Center, approximately one-in-five adults say they are affiliated with the Catholic Church. However, a report released by Pew in May detailing the religious landscape in the U.S. found that there has been a shift in those identifying as Catholics.

For example, Hispanics make up 34 percent of Catholics, compared to 15 percent of the general public, Pew found. Additionally, 27 percent of Catholics in the U.S. were born outside of the country. Among the general public, just 15 percent were born abroad.

Though the Catholic Church is attracting immigrants, a 2011 report from Georgetown University found that the number of parishes in the U.S. dropped from a high of more than 19,600 in 1990 to just under 17,800 a decade later.

Here are six charts that show how the Catholic landscape has changed in the U.S.