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Religion in California
California had rich and diverse religious cultures, and the freedom to practice beliefs has helped give rise to a highly unique religious pluralism and freedom. California is the US state with the largest population, Christianity being the majority religion and Protestantism as its largest branch.
Despite Protestants having the majority still California has the most Roman Catholics in the United States. It also has the largest Latter-day Saint population outside of Utah.
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 California
Table of Content
California Religion Percentage
Christianity is the main religion followed by 64% of the population. The largest Christian denomination in California is Protestant (32%) followed by Roman Catholics (28%), Mormonism (1%), Eastern Orthodoxy (1%), Jehovah’s Witnesses (1%), and Other Christian (1%).
Of the Protestants in the state, Evangelical Protestants compose 20% of the population, Mainline Protestants 10%, and Historically Black Protestants 2%.
Non-Christian faiths account for 8%, and the remaining 27% are classified as unaffiliated, which can mean agnostic, atheist, or “nothing in particular.”
Other Religions include Hinduism (2%), Buddhism(2%), Jews (2%), Islam (1%), and other smaller faiths.
| Religion/Affiliations | Percentage |
| Christianity | 64% |
| – Protestantism | – 32% |
| – Roman Catholicism | – 28% |
| – Mormonism | -1% |
| – Eastern Orthodoxy | – 1% |
| – Jehovah’s Witnesses | – 1% |
| – Other Christian | – 1% |
| Other Religion | |
| Judaism | 2% |
| Islam | 1% |
| Buddhism | 2% |
| Hinduism | 2% |
| Smaller Faiths | 1% |
| No religion/ Unaffiliated | 27% |
| Don’t know | 1% |
read about Religion in United States
Christianity in California
Christianity with 64% followers is the largest in California. All Protestant denominations accounted for 32% 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.
Rest include Mormons, Eastern Orthodoxy, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and other smaller denominations.
According to the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), the largest denominations by adherents in 2010 were the Catholic Church with 10,233,334; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with 763,818; and the Southern Baptist Convention with 489,953.
| Christianity Affiliations | Percentage |
| Protestantism | 32% |
| – Evangelical Protestant | – 20% |
| – Mainline Protestant | – 10% |
| – Black church | – 2% |
| Roman Catholicism | 28% |
| Mormonism | 1% |
| Eastern Orthodoxy | 1% |
| Jehovah’s Witnesses | 1% |
| Other Christians | 1% |
read about Christianity in United States
Protestantism in California
Among Christians in California, Protestantism is the largest group comprising about 32% 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 are Mainline Protestants (10%) and 2 % are Historically Black Protestants.
| Protestants Affiliation | % of population |
| Evangelical Protestant | 20% |
| Mainline Protestant | 10% |
| Historically Black Protestants | 2% |
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), the largest Protestant denomination by adherents in 2020 is the Southern Baptist Convention, Assemblies of God, and Seventh-day Adventist
Let’s have a look at the top 10 Protestant denominations in California
| # | Religious Bodies | Tradition | Family | Adherents |
| 1 | Non-denominational protestant Churches | Evangelical | Other Groups | 1,644,918 |
| 2 | Southern Baptist Convention | Evangelical | Baptist | 497,030 |
| 3 | Assemblies of God | Evangelical | Pentecostal | 378,673 |
| 4 | Seventh-day Adventist | Evangelical | Adventist | 221,356 |
| 5 | Church of God in Christ | Black Protestant | Pentecostal | 160,998 |
| 6 | United Methodist Church | Mainline | Methodist | 154,557 |
| 7 | International Church of the Foursquare Gospel | Evangelical | Pentecostal | 149,758 |
| 8 | National Missionary Baptist Convention of America | Black Protestant | Baptist | 145,918 |
| 9 | Episcopal Church | Mainline | Anglican/Episcopal | 99,574 |
| 10 | Church of the Nazarene | Evangelical | Holiness | 93,234 |
| 11 | Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) | Mainline | Presbyterian/Reformed | 82,429 |
read about Protestants in the United States
Catholics in California
California has the most number of Roman Catholics in the United States. Catholic Church at 28 % of the state population is the second largest religious grouping, after Protestantism. Most Roman Catholics in California are of Mexican, Central American, Irish, German, Italian, Vietnamese, Filipino, and Korean ancestry.
The population of Catholic Californians is rapidly growing due to the influx of Latin American, Asian, African, and Middle Eastern Christian immigrants. According to the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), the number of members affiliated with Catholic religious bodies in 2020 is 10,361,743 which is the largest among all affiliations.
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 (2%), Buddhism(2%), Jews (2%), Islam (1%), and other smaller faiths.
Jews in California
The state has a large American Jewish community, the second-largest in the nation, as well as the largest in the western U.S., and the third-largest in the world. According to the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), the number of members affiliated with Judaism religious bodies in 2020 is 186,377
Buddhism in California
The state has a large Buddhist community, According to the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), the number of members affiliated with Buddhist religious bodies in 202o is 311,273
Hinduism in California
California has the highest Hindu population in the United States, most of them Indian Americans. Many of the prominent Hindu temples including the Malibu Hindu Temple are located in California. According to the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), the number of members affiliated with Hindusim religious bodies in 2020 is 238,702
Islam in California
California has large Muslim communities in west Los Angeles, San Diego, Beverly Hills, Orange County, Santa Clara County, and the Modesto area. According to the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), the number of members affiliated with Islamic religious bodies in 2020 is 504,056
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