Unites States >> Religion >> Georgia
Religion in Georgia
Georgia lies in The Bible Belt, a region in the Southern United States in which socially conservative Protestant Christianity plays a strong role in society and politics, and church attendance across the denominations is generally higher than the nation’s average.
The region contrasts with the religiously diverse Midwest and Great Lakes, and the Mormon corridor in Utah and southern Idaho. Georgia is the US state with the 8th largest population, Christianity being the majority religion and Protestantism as its largest branch.
The unaffiliated population and other Non-Christian faiths are also less in number in Georgia as compared to other larger states of the United States.
Georgia is home to several historic synagogues including The Temple (Atlanta), Congregation Beth Jacob (Atlanta), and Congregation Mickve Israel (Savannah). Chabad and the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute are also active in the state.
also read about Race and Ethnicity in Georgia
Table of Content
Georgia Religion Percentage
Christianity is the main religion followed by 79% of the population. The largest Christian denomination in Georgia is Protestants (67%) followed by Roman Catholics (9%), Mormonism (1%), Jehovah’s Witnesses (2%), and Other Christians
18% of the population don’t follow or adhere to any faith or religion and the rest 3% follow other non-Christian-based religions.
Other Religions include Hinduism, Buddhism, Jews, Islam, and other smaller faiths.
| Religion/Affiliations | Percentage |
| Christianity | 79% |
| – Protestantism | – 67% |
| – Roman Catholicism | – 9% |
| – Mormonism | -1% |
| – Eastern Orthodoxy | – <1% |
| – Jehovah’s Witnesses | – 2% |
| – Other Christian | – <1% |
| Other Religion | 3% |
| Judaism | 1% |
| Islam | <1% |
| Buddhism | <1% |
| Hinduism | <1% |
| Other religion | 1% |
| No religion | 18% |
| Don’t know | 1% |
Source: Pew Research Center
read about Religion in the United States
Christianity in Georgia
Christianity with 79% followers is the largest religion in Georgia. All Protestant denominations accounted for 67% of the population followed by Roman Catholics at 9% of the population.
Of the Protestants in the state, Evangelical Protestants compose 38% of the population, Mainline Protestants 12%, and Historically Black Protestants 17%.
Rest include Mormons, Eastern Orthodoxy, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and other smaller denominations.
| Christianity Affiliations | Percentage |
| Protestantism | 79% |
| – Evangelical Protestant | – 38% |
| – Mainline Protestant | – 12% |
| – Black church | – 17% |
| Roman Catholicism | 9% |
| Mormonism | 1% |
| Eastern Orthodoxy | <1% |
| Jehovah’s Witnesses | 2% |
| Other Christians | 1% |
read about Christianity in the United States
Protestantism in Georgia
Among Christians in Georgia, Protestantism is the largest group comprising about 67% 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 38% of the population, Next are Historically Black Protestants (17%). and Mainline Protestants (12%).
Protestants by tradition
| Protestants Affiliation | % of population |
| Evangelical Protestant | 38% |
| Mainline Protestant | 17% |
| Historically Black Protestants | 12% |
Protestantism is also comprised of numerous denominational families (e.g., Baptist, Methodist, and Pentecostal) that fit into one or more of the traditions. As per the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), The largest Protestant Churches by the number of adherents in Georgia in 2020 are as follows
| Religious Bodies | Tradition | Family | Adherents |
| Southern Baptist Convention | Evangelical | Baptist | 1,584,393 |
| Non-denominational Christian Churches | Evangelical | Other Groups | 735,582 |
| United Methodist Church | Mainline | Methodist | 549,222 |
| National Missionary Baptist Convention of America | Black | Baptist | 165,834 |
| National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. | Black | Baptist | 162,044 |
| Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) | Evangelical | Pentecostal | 138,336 |
| African Methodist Episcopal Church | Black | Methodist | 112,931 |
| Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints | Latter-day Saints | Latter-day Saints (Mormonism) | 87,411 |
| Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) | Mainline | Presbyterian/Reformed | 59,898 |
| Episcopal Church | Mainline | Anglican/Episcopal | 59,128 |
| Assemblies of God, General Council of the | Evangelical | Pentecostal | 57,331 |
read about Protestants in the United States
Catholics in Georgia
Catholics make up 9% of Georgia’s population. According to the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), there were 898,162 adherents to the Roman Catholic Church in 2020. The Roman Catholic Church has a significant presence in Georgia’s urban areas and includes the Archdiocese of Atlanta and the Diocese of Savannah.
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 include Hinduism (1%), Buddhism(0.5%), Jews (1%), Islam (0.5%), and other smaller faiths.
Jews in Georgia
The state has a large American Jewish community. Georgia’s Jewish community dates to the settlement of 42 mostly Sephardic Portuguese Jews in Savannah in 1733. Atlanta also has a large and established Jewish community.
Hinduism in Georgia
Georgia has a sizeable Hindu population, most of them Indian Americans. It’s home to the largest Hindu temple in the United States, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Atlanta, located in the suburb city of Lilburn.
also read about the Population of Georgia
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.
English
Español
Português
Deutsch