Unites States >> Religion >> South Carolina
Religion in South Carolina
The United States had rich and diverse religious cultures, and the freedom to practice beliefs has helped give rise to a highly unique religious pluralism and freedom. South Carolina is part of the Bible Belt, with Christianity being the majority religion and Protestantism as its largest branch.
Being part of the Bible Belt, the 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.
Since the 1990s, the religious share of Christians has decreased, while Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Sikhism, and other religions have spread, mainly from immigration.
also read about Race and Ethnicity in South Carolina
Table of Content
South Carolina Religion Percentage
Christianity is the main religion followed by 79% of the population. The largest Christian denomination in South Carolina is Protestant (66%); Roman Catholic (10%); Mormonism (1%); Eastern Orthodoxy (1%); Jehovah’s Witnesses (1%)
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 | – 66% |
| – Roman Catholicism | – 10% |
| – Mormonism | -1% |
| – Eastern Orthodoxy | – 1% |
| – Jehovah’s Witnesses | – 1% |
| – 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 South Carolina
Christianity with 79% followers is the largest in South Carolina. All Protestant denominations accounted for 66% of the population, and Catholics are 10% of the population and are the largest individual denomination if Protestantism is divided into various denominations instead of being counted as a single category.
Rest include Mormons, Eastern Orthodoxy, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and other smaller denominations.
| Christianity Affiliations | Percentage |
| Protestantism | 66% |
| – Evangelical Protestant | – 35% |
| – Mainline Protestant | – 16% |
| – Black church | – 15% |
| Roman Catholicism | 10% |
| Mormonism | 1% |
| Eastern Orthodoxy | 1% |
| Jehovah’s Witnesses | 1% |
| Other Christians | <1% |
read about Christianity in United States
Protestantism in South Carolina
Among Christians in South Carolina, Protestantism is the largest group comprising about 66% 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 35% of the population, Next are Mainline Protestants (16%) and Historically Black Protestants (15%)
| Protestants Affiliation | % of population |
| Evangelical Protestant | 35% |
| Mainline Protestant | 16% |
| Historically Black Protestants | 15% |
Protestantism is also comprised of numerous denominational families (e.g., Baptist, Methodist, and Pentecostal) that fit into one or more of the traditions. According to the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), in 2020 the largest Protestant Churches in South Carolina are as follows
| # | Religious Bodies | Tradition | Family | Adherents |
| 1 | Southern Baptist Convention | Evangelical | Baptist | 816,405 |
| 2 | Non-denominational Christian Churches | Evangelical | Other Groups | 454,063 |
| 3 | United Methodist Church | Mainline | Methodist | 242,467 |
| 4 | African Methodist Episcopal Church | Black Protestants | Methodist | 108,516 |
| 5 | Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) | Mainline | Presbyterian/Reformed | 63,370 |
| 6 | Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) | Evangelical | Pentecostal | 59,054 |
| 7 | National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. | Black Protestants | Baptist | 54,018 |
| 8 | National Missionary Baptist Convention of America | Black Protestants | Baptist | 40,534 |
| 9 | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America | Mainline | Lutheran | 40,105 |
| 10 | Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc. | Black Protestants | Baptist | 31,372 |
read about Protestantism in the United States
Catholics in South Carolina
Catholic Church at 10 % of the state population is the second largest religious grouping, after Protestantism. According to the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), in 2020 Roman Catholic Church with 407,840 adherents is the third-largest denomination in South Carolina.
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 are at 3% of South Carolina’s population and it includes Hinduism, Buddhism, Jews, Islam, and other smaller faiths.
- Judaism 1%
- Islam <1%
- Buddhism <1%
- Hinduism <1%
- Other religions 1%
also read about Population in South Carolina
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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