Good Question: What Religions Are We In Minnesota?
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- According to the Pew Research Center, nine out of every ten Americans celebrate Christmas, even though fewer than 80 percent identify as Christian. From the holidays, to political campaigns, to terrorism, we've been talking a lot about religion and faith these days.
So, what religions are we in Minnesota? Good Question.
The U.S. Census doesn't collect data on religion. It's against the law to require that question on a mandatory government questionnaire. But, if you ask a dozen people in downtown Minneapolis their religious affiliation, you'll get all kinds of answers.
The Pew Research Center's 2015 Religious Landscape Study finds Christians make up 74 percent of Minnesotans, slightly higher than the national number of 71 percent. Non-Christian faiths are 5 percent and 20 percent of Minnesotans consider themselves unaffiliated. That can mean atheist, agnostic or no religion in particular.
Across the country, the percentage of people who consider themselves unaffiliated with one religion has jumped from 16 percent in 2007 to 23 percent in 2015.
Further breaking down Minnesota's numbers, you'll find Lutherans (both evangelical and mainstream) are the most common religious affiliation at 26 percent. Catholics are 22 percent, followed by nondenominational at 5 percent, Pentecostal at 4 percent, Baptist at 4 percent, Methodist at 4 percent and Presbyterian at 2 percent.
Every other religious group are 1 percent or less. Jewish, Muslim and Mormon each constitute 1 percent, while Jehovah's Witness, Orthodox Christian, Buddhist and Hindu each make up less than 1 percent.