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Religion in Illinois
Illinois had rich and diverse religious cultures, and the freedom to practice beliefs has helped give rise to a highly unique religious pluralism and freedom. Illinois is the US state with the 6th largest population, Christianity being the majority religion and Protestantism as its largest branch.
Since the 1990s, the religious share of Christians has decreased, while Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Sikhism, and other religions have spread, mainly from immigration. In recent years, surveys show that religious Unaffiliated (people who describe themselves as atheist, agnostic, or simply “nothing in particular”) have been growing as a share of the U.S. adult population.
also read about the Population of Illinois
Table of Content
Illinois Religion Percentage
Christianity is the largest religion followed by 71% of the population. The largest Christian denomination in Illinois is Protestants (43%) followed by Roman Catholics (28%), Jehovah’s Witnesses (1%), Eastern Orthodoxy (1%), and Other Christian (1%).
22% of the population don’t follow or adhere to any faith or religion. Other non-Christian-based religions and faiths are followed by 6% of the population.
Other Religions include Hinduism (1%), Buddhism(1%), Jews (2%), , and other smaller faiths (2%).
| Religion/Affiliations | Percentage |
| Christianity | 71% |
| – Protestantism | – 43% |
| – Roman Catholicism | – 28% |
| – Mormonism | -<1% |
| – Eastern Orthodoxy | – 1% |
| – Jehovah’s Witnesses | – 1% |
| – Other Christian | – 1% |
| Other Religion | 6% |
| Judaism | -2% |
| Islam | -<1% |
| Buddhism | -1% |
| Hinduism | -1% |
| Other religion | -1% |
| No religion | 21% |
| Don’t know | 1% |
Source: Pew Research Center
read about Religion in United States
Christianity in Illinois
Christianity with 71% followers is the largest in Illinois. All Protestant denominations accounted for 43% of the population, Catholics are 28% of the population, and are the largest individual denomination if Protestantism is divided into various denominations instead of being counted as a single category. Of the Protestants in the state, Evangelicals compose 20% of the population, Mainline Protestants 16%, and Historically Black Protestants 7%.
Other Christians include Jehovah’s Witnesses, Eastern Orthodoxy, Mormons, and Metaphysical. Illinois played an important role in the early Latter-Day Saint movement, with Nauvoo, Illinois becoming a gathering place for Mormons in the early 1840s. Nauvoo was the location of the succession crisis, which led to the separation of the Mormon movement into several Latter Day Saint sects. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the largest of the sects to emerge from the Mormon schism, has more than 55,000 adherents in Illinois today.
| Christianity Affiliations | Percentage |
| Protestantism | 43% |
| – Evangelical Protestant | – 20% |
| – Mainline Protestant | – 16% |
| – Historically Black Protestants | – 7% |
| Roman Catholicism | 28% |
| Mormonism | <1% |
| Eastern Orthodoxy | 1% |
| Jehovah’s Witnesses | 1% |
| Other Christians | 1% |
read about Christianity in the United States
Protestantism in Illinois
Among Christians in Illinois, Protestantism is the largest group comprising about 43% of the state’s population. Protestantism in the United States has branched out into several branches, denominations, and various interdenominational and related movements.
Protestants by tradition can be further classified into three main denominations. Evangelical is the largest and followed by 20% of the population, Next is Mainline Protestants (16%) and Historically Black Church is at 7%.
| Protestants Affiliation | % of population |
| Evangelical Protestant | 20% |
| Mainline Protestant | 16% |
| Historically Black Protestant | 7% |
Protestantism is also comprised of numerous denominational families (e.g., Baptist, Methodist, and Pentecostal) that fit into one or more of the traditions. The largest Protestant Churches were the United Methodist Church followed by the Southern Baptist Convention. Illinois has one of the largest concentrations of Missouri Synod Lutherans in the United States.
The largest Protestant church in Illinois
| Religious Bodies | Tradition | Family | Adherents |
| Non-denominational Christian Churches | Evangelical | Other Groups | 589,448 |
| United Methodist Church | Mainline | Methodist | 235,045 |
| Southern Baptist Convention | Evangelical | Baptist | 222,589 |
| Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) | Evangelical | Lutheran | 182,097 |
| Evangelical Lutheran Church in America | Mainline | Lutheran | 162,063 |
| National Missionary Baptist Convention of America | Black | Baptist | 161,734 |
| Christian Churches and Churches of Christ | Evangelical | Restorationists | 137,365 |
| Assemblies of God, General Council of the | Evangelical | Pentecostal | 106,173 |
| United Church of Christ | Mainline | Congregationalists (United Church of Christ) | 96,617 |
| National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. | Black | Baptist | 83,856 |
| Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) | Mainline | Presbyterian/Reformed | 62,272 |
read about Protestants in the United States
Catholics in Illinois
Roman Catholics are the largest religious group in Illinois, accounting for almost 28% of the state’s population. They are mainly concentrated in and around Chicago. According to the Association of Religious Data Archives (ARDA), the total number of Catholic church adherents in Illinois in 2020 was 3,099,544.
Since the 1990s, the religious share of Christians has decreased, while Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Sikhism, and other religions have spread, mainly from immigration. Other Religions together make up 6% of the Illinois population and include Hinduism, Buddhism, Jews, Islam, and other smaller faiths.
The largest and oldest surviving Baháʼí House of Worship in the world is located on the shores of Lake Michigan in Wilmette, Illinois, one of eight continental Baháʼí House of Worship. The Chicago area has a very large Jewish community, particularly in the suburbs of Skokie, Buffalo Grove, Highland Park, and surrounding suburbs.
Other Religion
- Judaism -1%
- Islam -1%
- Buddhism -1%
- Hinduism -1%
- other smaller faiths -2%
also read about Race and Ethnicity in Illinois
Sources
Note: The US census does not contain questions about one’s religious affiliation. Our Article is based on surveys conducted by various institutions and agencies.
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