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Tuesday, April 23, 2024
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DATA: Americans with no religious affiliation most underrepresented in Congress

By  Chad Merda
   
SHARE DATA: Americans with no religious affiliation most underrepresented in Congress

When the 114th Congress convenes on Tuesday, Protestants and Catholics will continue to make up a larger percentage of members of Congress than the U.S. population.

Americans with no religious affiliation are the most underrepresented group, according to data released by Pew Research.

This group makes up 20% of the general public but just 0.2% of Congress. The only member of Congress who describes herself as religiously unaffiliated is Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz.

More than nine-in-ten members of Congress are Christian, compared to 73 percent of the U.S. population.

Protestants and Catholics continue to make up the largest group in Congress, coming in at 57 and 31 percent, respectively.

The full breakdown from Pew:

pr_15.01.05_religioncongress_01_new_302x600.png


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