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Pope Francis to visit US amid decline in Catholic numbers

Percentage of Catholics in the US has fallen as more Americans identify with no religion; Latino numbers rise

Pope Francis is scheduled to arrive in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, kicking off a U.S. tour that will also take him to New York City and Philadelphia. 

The United States remains among one of the most Christian nations in the world, and roughly 20.8 percent of the nation identifies as Catholic. But that share is declining. A recent Pew Research Center report suggests that Americans are becoming less religious overall. The percentage of the population identifying as Catholic has declined since 2007, and a growing part of the population is not affiliated with any religion. 

Percentage of people in the US identifying as religious 

2007 2014

Source: Pew Research Center
Notes: Non-Christian faiths include Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and other religions. 

The Pew study also found that Catholics in the U.S. are an aging demographic; the share of Catholics in their 30s and 40s is declining, while the proportion in their 50s and 60s is on the rise.

Percentage of Catholics in the US, by age 

2007 2014

Source: Pew Research Center

While the Catholic Church has been losing parishioners in the U.S., it has seen an increase in Latino members.

US Catholics, by race and ethnicity

2007 2014

Source: Pew Research Center
Note: Other races include people who identify as black, Asian, mixed race or as another race. 

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