Society of the United States

Population

Political Institutions

Economy

Religion

The United States is primarily a Protestant country, with over 46% of the population adhering to one of the many congregations found across the nation, starting with evangelical churches, which account for one in three believers. Catholics make up 20%, still strongly present among Latino migrants and those of Irish or Italian descent. Additionally, 1.5% are Mormons (primarily in their stronghold of Utah), 0.8% are Jehovah’s Witnesses, and a few other even smaller denominations exist. However, overall, Christian religions have seen a noticeable decline in recent years, giving way to other traditionally "secondary" practices and, above all, to atheists or those "without religion," who now represent around 20% of the population.

Beyond Christianity, the country is home to 2% Jews, 1% Muslims, 0.7% Buddhists, and an equal percentage of Hindus, along with various other ultra-minority religions. These groups are predominantly concentrated in major cities.

The Role of Religion in American Society

Contrary to what one might assume, religion is officially separated from the state in the U.S. Constitution. Yet, the President has always taken the oath of office on the Bible, the motto "In God We Trust" has been printed on banknotes since 1956, and, above all, God is invoked constantly in all sorts of contexts by a large portion of Americans—a fact that often surprises many Europeans, particularly the French. Furthermore, numerous Protestant churches with sect-like appearances, (tele)evangelists who are often extreme, and fundamentalist practitioners continue to position themselves as moral authorities in American society, sometimes successfully influencing it. In short, beneath its secular principles, the United States is a deeply religious country, a reality that should never be overlooked when trying to understand how it functions.

Depending on the region, the influence of Christianity and the many Protestant churches is not felt in the same way. While New England and the Pacific Coast are the least religious parts of the country—sometimes almost entirely secular—the Southern states and Texas form what is known as the "Bible Belt", which, along with parts of the Midwest and the Great Plains, represents the most religious and fundamentalist, even obscurantist, America. Elsewhere, only Mormon-dominated Utah sees a religion exert such a strong influence over the local population.