Population Growth of USA East

Apostolic Planning depends on having informed participants around a shared profile of the USA East Province, as well as informed analysis of the social and cultural context of our ministries. We will highlight over the next few weeks some interesting demographic trends in the Church that we serve.

During the past 20 years from 2000 to 2020 the Catholic population in ten of the forty-three Diocese of the USA East Province. These dioceses reported a decline of 100,000 or more Catholics: Brooklyn 321,208; Hartford 272,929; Philadelphia 202,419; Buffalo 160,008; Syracuse 155,234; Pittsburgh 126,121; Manchester 122,615; Springfield 110,849; Scranton108,138; and Albany 100,049. Conversely, six dioceses reported an increase of 100,000 or more Catholics: Atlanta 859,670; New York 399,905; Charlotte 392,898; Washington 157,434;Arlington 118,030; and Rockville Center 113,250.

You will find some of the changes in the Catholic population on a percentage basis are dramatic. You can click here for the full profile report produced by Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA). Check out the first section of the report on pp.1-12.