Tag Archives for U.S. Census Bureau

How religious are we? National survey results

Published in RINewsToday.com on April 21, 2025

According to an April 17 article in the National Catholic Register (NCR), outreach, Eucharistic revival, immigration—and perhaps even the Holy Spirit—are sparking spiritual renewal, not just in the United States, but also abroad.

NCR reports that France expects a surge in adult baptisms this year, estimated at more than 10,000. Meanwhile, England is witnessing a quiet Catholic revival, primarily driven by young male converts.

Closer to home, the Rhode Island Catholic, the newspaper of the Diocese of Providence, reported in its latest issue that “Boston Archbishop Richard G. Henning, S.T.D., was greeted by one of the largest crowds in years for a Chrismas Mass at the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul. The church was packed with worshippers from across the diocese, and Archbishop Henning described being buoyed by the joyful spirit that began for him during his time as shepherd of the Diocese of Providence.”

What does research say about America’s Catholics?

According to a March 4, 2025 article “10 Facts About U.S. Catholics,” posted on the Pew Research Center’s (PRS) website, around 20% of U.S. adults identify as Catholic, translating to approximately 53 million Catholic adults nationwide.

Here are a few facts detailed in the article…

The share of Hispanic Catholics continues to rise. While since the year 2007, the percentage of white Catholics has dropped by 10 percentage points, the share of Hispanic Catholics has increased by 7 percentage points. In fact, 29% of U.S. Catholics are immigrants, or children of immigrants.

Demographically, Catholics tend to skew older: nearly 58% are age 50 or older. Regionally, 29% reside in the South, 26% in the Northeast, 25% in the West, and 20% in the Midwest.

In terms of education, 35% of U.S. Catholics are college graduates, while 27% have some college experience but no degree, and 38% have a high school diploma or less. Religiously, about three-in-ten Catholics attend Mass weekly or more, while 51% pray daily, and 44% say religion is very important in their lives.

Taking a look at America’s religious communities

PRS’s latest 393 page RLS report, “Decline of Christianity in the U.S. Has Slowed, May Have Leveled Off”, released on Feb. 26, 2025, suggests that the steady decline in Christian affiliation may be stabilizing. As of 2025, 62% of U.S. adults identify as Christian—a 9-point drop since 2014 and 16 points down from 2007—but that figure has held relatively stable between 60% and 64% over the past five years.

This latest RLS is the third major national study conducted by PRC over the past 17 years, each surveying around 36,908 randomly selected respondents. Since the U.S. Census Bureau does not collect religious data, the PRC’s work represents the largest ongoing national survey on religion and spirituality, providing insights into all 50 states, D.C., and 34 of the largest metropolitan areas.

The report, released February 26, 2025, also highlights trends in other faiths. While still in the single digits, the number of Americans identifying with non-Christian religions is growing:

  • 1.7% are Jewish
  • 1.2% are Muslim
  • 1.1% are Buddhist
  • 0.9% are Hindu

Meanwhile, 29% of Americans are religiously unaffiliated, identifying as atheists, agnostics, or “nothing in particular.” This group—often called the NONES — has grown rapidly in previous decades but appears to be plateauing.

Despite this shift, spiritual belief remains widespread:

  • 86% believe in a soul or spirit
  • 83% believe in God or a universal spirit
  • 79% believe in something spiritual beyond the natural world
  • 70% believe in an afterlife (heaven, hell, or both)
  • 92% hold at least one of these spiritual beliefs

Still, the PRC’s RLS warns that signs point to potential future declines in religious affiliation, especially among younger Americans. The study found that only 46% of adults aged 18–24 identify as Christian, compared to 80% of those aged 74 and older. Younger adults are also less likely to pray daily (27% vs. 58%), less likely to attend monthly religious services (25% vs. 49%), and more likely to be religiously unaffiliated (43% vs. 13%).

In the Pew Research study of 2015, it was found, as it hhas been for many years, that Rhode Island is far-and-away the most Catholic state in the country, with 42 percent of Rhode Islanders consider themselves Catholic. Three states are tied for second place at 34 percent: Massachusetts, New Jersey and New Mexico.

Religion and Age

Older Americans continue to form the majority of many Christian denominations:

  • 64% of mainline Protestants
  • 57% of Catholics
  • 54% of evangelicals
    are age 50 or older.

By contrast, Muslims are among the youngest religious groups in the U.S., with three-quarters under the age of 50, and one-third younger than 30.

Among the religiously unaffiliated, about 70% are under 50, compared to 44% among the religiously affiliated, says the RLS.

The median age of U.S. Christians has climbed from 46 in 2007 to 55 in 2024, a trend mirrored across nearly all Christian subgroups. In contrast, the median age of the religiously unaffiliated and those in non-Christian religions has remained relatively stable since 2007.

When respondents were asked how their personal religiousness had changed over their lifetime:

  • 44% reported no significant change,
  • 29% said they had become less religious,
  • 28% said they had become more religious.

The 2023–2024 RLS (The Religious Landscape Study) was conducted in English and Spanish from July 17, 2023, to March 4, 2024, among a nationally representative sample of 36,908 respondents. The survey has a margin of error of ±0.8 percentage points and a response rate of 20%.

This research was made possible through support from The Pew Charitable Trusts, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc., Templeton Religion Trust, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, and the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust.

To read the full report, visit: https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/02/PR_2025.02.26_religious-landscape-study_report.pdf.

Strengthening the Safety Net for Seniors Living in Poverty

Published in RINewsToday on July 15, 2023

A recently released U.S. Census Bureau report should send a message to Congress and spur the efforts of aging advocates to protect older Americans from financial hardship and poverty.  Some consider the “golden years” to be age 60, or 65, and over.  But it’s not so golden for millions of retirees.

According to a recently released U.S. Census Bureau’s report, “Profile of Older Adults by Poverty Status: 2021,” 8.3% of the nation’s population age 65 and over are living in poverty.    

The Census Report, released on June 25, 2024, uses data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), to draw a profile of the 4.7 million older adults who lived in poverty in 2021. This longitudinal survey provides comprehensive information on the dynamics of income, employment, household composition and government program participation.

Poverty in your later years

Here are a few data nuggets from the latest Census Report’s findings…

According to the report, two-thirds of older adults living in poverty in 2021 were women. Limited time in the workforce, raising children or serving as a caregiver, have decreased Social Security benefits, leading to income insecurity in their later years. Older adults living below the poverty line were more likely than those “non-poor” to have never married, says the report, noting that this limits the chance of these individuals to accumulate financial resources with a spouse or to obtain financial incentives (such as tax benefits) associated with being married.

And yes, living alone can be hazardous to your pocketbook, notes the Census report. In 2021, most older adults in poverty (62.9%) lived alone, compared to only 26.3% of those not in poverty.

In addition, among older adults in poverty who lived with at least one other person, 65.5% lived with a spouse, 29.9% lived with a child and 11.2 percent lived with a grandchild, noted the report’s findings.

A snapshot of poverty in Rhode Island

According to Maureen Maigret, Policy Advisor for the Senior Agenda Coalition of Rhode Island,” the Census Bureau released a “significant and must-read report.”  

“The data shows that almost five million older adults across the nation are living in poverty, and details how gender and social characteristics contribute to poverty status and wealth,” says Maigret. “Two-thirds of the nation’s older adults living in poverty are women, which is like the poverty profile of older adults in Rhode Island, as are the higher rates of poverty for older persons of color.

Maigret noted that a comprehensive 2014 report on RI Older Women she researched for The Women’s Fund of RI documented the high poverty rate of older women in the state – 9.7% for men and 11.3% for women. The Women’s Fund report also found about 20% of older RI adults living in poverty were more likely to be Hispanic or non-Hispanic Black. 

“Unfortunately, things have not improved,” she says, noting that the poverty rate for older Rhode Islanders has increased to 12.3% (US Census ACS 2022 estimates) which is higher than the 10.9% national poverty rate for older adults.

“Providing data on the poverty status of older adults is important for our state policymakers. It is also critical for them to understand the notable gender differences as women outnumber men in the state’s older population (56% vs 44%), have greater healthcare expenses, are more likely to live alone and need long term supports,” states the former Director of the state’s Department of Elderly Affairs (DEA), now referred to as the Office of Healthy Aging.  Older RI women also have lower Social Security benefits than men (about $5,000 less) and 37% less pension benefits, she says.

Maigret notes that most older Rhode Islanders are not wealthy with  many falling into what is termed the “forgotten middle.” A specifically, term used to describe those individuals with income not low-income enough to be on Medicaid but not enough to meet basic needs–estimated at $30,000/year for a single renter in good health (Elder Index). 

Twenty-seven percent of our older households have income below $25,000 (US Census) which is not sufficient to meet basic needs. This is why we must both improve some of the programs that can help them financially and better inform them of available benefits, she says. 

Tackling poverty in the Ocean State

According to Susan Sweet, founder of the Rhode Island Minority Elder Task Force (RIMETF) (riminorityeldertaskforce@gmail.com), a 501 © (3) nonprofit, established in 1992 after a survey found that elders from minority groups were not being serviced by aging network providers, “The survey revealed that Senior Centers, Adult Day Centers, and other state and local programs had almost no staff who were able to communicate with clients who had limited or no English language skills, and paid no attention to cultural differences in different populations,” she noted.

“While there has definitely been some improvement, most older Rhode Islanders of different cultures and/or languages must seek assistance from the few programs that are specifically directed to them,” says Sweet, a former state associate director of DEA, and advocate for seniors facing hardships and low-income difficulties.

“But they are not the majority of those who barely survive because of a lack of funds and support. Coming from all backgrounds, many poor elders are struggling to meet basic needs such as shelter, food, medicine, medical care, utilities and other necessities”, says Sweet.

“Older adult needs appear to be much worse than they were in the early 2000s. Inflation, Covid, lack of adequate housing options, as well as difficulty in accessing existing assistance programs are pushing these individuals to an existence that threatens their health and their life,” warns Sweet.

State programs that exist for the purpose of helping poor, older adults often have long application periods and stringent rules that create very little ability to respond to emergency situations,” according to Sweet.

Sweet says that RIMETF’s most extensive work is in direct assistance to poor elders for basic needs. “We provide mini-grants , generally in the range of $200 – $400, to low-income elders in dire circumstances by paying directly to providers of goods and services such as rental entities, utilities, fuel companies and gift cards for items such as food, clothing, medicine, and household goods. “Our members also assist to get people on payment plans, programs, services, and better situations that may prevent future emergencies and enable longer-term solutions,” she says.

RIMETF has no paid staff and its Board membership consists of a diverse group of health and social work representatives, program administrators, community members, Senior Center and Community Action staff members, housing specialists, and advocates from other aging programs. The older adults who need help are identified by the group’s membership and demographic information and records are kept by the organization.

The nonprofit group is funded by private foundations such as Nursing Placement Foundation, Rhode Island Foundation, Tufts, Harriet Boucher Foundation, Dexter Fund as well as municipalities including the Cities of Providence, East Providence and Pawtucket.

Both Maigret and Sweet call for more to be done by the Rhode Island lawmakers next session to strengthen the safety net for struggling older Rhode Islander’s to protect them from poverty.

“Yes, absolutely more work needs to be done,” says Maigret. ”Data from the national profile and corresponding state data provide strong evidence of the need to continue advocacy to fight for policies to ensure Rhode Islanders enjoy economic security in their older years.” 

“Policies are a necessary part of the work, but oversight and quality control of state and private programs and services is vital to ensure that actual help is available in a timely manner; currently, oversight is lacking,” says Sweet, calling for state programs and policies to be better monitored and evaluated by those who deal with poor older adults and know the hardships suffered by them.  

“The reality of increasing poverty among elders requires a grass roots understanding of the lack of support actually available to meet their needs,” says Sweet.

To get a copy of the Census Bureau’s report,  “Profile of Older Adults by Poverty Status: 2021,” go to https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2024/demo/p70-193.pdf

To read “Older Women in Rhode Island: A Portrait, Woman’s Fund Rhode Island 2014,” go to https://wfri.org/assets/older-woman-rhode-island.pdf

Senior Agenda Coalition of RI unveils legislative agenda to packed house of seniors

Published in RINewsToday on April 1, 2024

Last Wednesday, the main ballroom at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick was filled, to capacity. Hundreds came to the Senior Agenda Coalition of RI’s (SACRI)  2024 Legislative Leaders Forum to learn about the advocacy group’s issue priorities. House and Senate leadership, along with members of both caucuses came to listen, learn and to respond to SACRI’s four priority issues for 2024.

We’re back, and we are stronger than ever,” announced Maureen Maigret, SACRI’s Policy Advisor, to 275 attendees who came to this year’s annual legislative forum held on March 27, 2024.  Before she unveiled SACRI’s ambitious legislative priorities she painted a demographic picture of older Rhode Islanders.

The graying of Rhode Island’s population

“We know that 200,000 Rhode Islanders are age 65 and over, and this number is growing,” noted Maigret. According to the former state legislator and Director of the Department of Elderly Affairs, in just six years, 1 in 5 persons will be age 65 and over. Today, 20% of the population in 18 Rhode Island communities are in their mid-sixties and over.

Many seniors still work. They pay taxes, provide care to loved ones, volunteer to contribute to their communities, and religiously vote,” stated Maigret, who noted that they contribute over $3.28 billion to Rhode Island’s economy through Social Security benefits. 

Maigret pointed out that as the older population ages, the percentage of woman increases over men.  At age 65 and over , 56% of this age distribution are woman, 44% are men.  At age 85 and over, the percentage of women rapidly increase to 69% compared to 31% for men. And in nursing homes, 68% of residents are woman while 32% are men. 

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, many older Rhode Islanders have limited incomes. Twenty-seven percent of age 65+ households earn less than $25,000 a year, while 50% earn less than $50,000 a year.

With women leaving their jobs over the years to raise their family, it is no surprise to Maigret that women’s incomes are less than men, this ultimately resulting in a smaller Social Security benefit. The average Social Security benefits of women aged 65 and over ($20,333) is $5,000 less than their male counterparts ($25,204), she says.

Unveiling SACRI’s Legislative Agenda

“Keeping seniors strong” is the theme of this year’s legislative forum, Maigret told the hundreds of seniors and aging advocates in attendance before announcing the SACRI priorities. SACRI is pushing for legislative issues in the areas of:

·       Economic Security

·       Supports at Home

·       Community Connections

·       Housing Options

She called on the House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi (D-Dist. 23, Warwick), and Senate Majority Whip, Valarie Lawson (D-Dist. 14, East Providence), in attendance, to support House and Senate legislation, and state budget proposals to address these issues.

SACRI’s top legislative priority is to addressEconomic Security issues. Polls show that healthcare affordability is a major concern, and this impacts many seniors.  Maigret pointed out that Medicare premiums  and co-payment gaps have a major impact on low-income Rhode Islanders who struggle to pay for healthcare, food, rent and basic needs.”

According to Maigret, legislative proposals (S. 2399/H. 7333) would be a legislative fix to reduce high out-of-pocket costs for persons on Medicare. The bills would expand income eligibility for the Medicare Savings Program (MSP), helping an estimated 17,000 low-income seniors and disabled residents pay their $175/month Medicare Part B premium and covering co-pays and deductibles for those with very low-income.

Thousands of low-income seniors and persons with disabilities on Medicare, but not eligible to participate in the state’s Medicaid program, struggle each month to pay their Medicare Part B premiums and co-pay costs for services and prescription drugs causing many to forgo needed health care as they cannot afford to pay the co-payments.

And eligibility to join MSP qualifies those on Medicare to enroll in the federal Extra Help program that provides significant additional financial assistance to pay for

SACRI also calls on the state lawmakers to provide necessary funding in the 2025 Fiscal Year Budget to enhance programs to assist seniors to age in place in their communities. “It’s a very important legislative issue for seniors,” notes Maigret, stressing that most seniors want to stay at home when they need care.   

In large part due to the existing home care staffing shortage, 75% of those referred for state-subsidized home care wait two months or more for these services. A state study recommended home care rate increases to improve access to home health care services which would help to address the worker shortage and provide livable wages for home care workers.  Maigret urged Shekarchi and Lawson to put funding in this year’s budget to implement the study’s recommendations.

Meanwhile, SACRI supports increased funding for local Senior Centers to enable them to continue to provide “community connections” to seniors. “They do amazing work by offering meal programs, technology assistance and training and all kinds of social, health and recreations programs, says Maigret.

Seniors benefit from, and enjoy going to Senior Centers, adds Maigret, reflecting on a comment told to her by a senior attending Warwick’s Pilgrim Senior Center. “It’s my home away from home,” she says.

Governor Dan McKee’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget would distribute $1.4 million (about $7 per person aged 65 and over in each community) to the local communities for Senior Centers and programs. SACRI calls on the General Assembly to increase this budget allocation by about $660,000 (making the funding tied to $10 per person aged 65 and over. “It’s a small funding request,” says Maigret.

Finally, SACRI urges the General Assembly to continue to address the lack of options and affordability of housing for seniors. Maigret notes that this problem is the result of the state’s growing older population with fixed incomes, combined with low housing production, skyrocketing rent increases, and high property taxes, 

There are many legislative remedies to address the state’s housing crisis, says SACRI, calling on the General Assembly to use a portion of the proposed Housing Bonds to support affordable housing options for older Rhode Islanders. She also suggested that lawmaker’s continue funding the Home Modification Program, expanding the Property Tax Relief Program and finally promoting  accessibility features in new housing developments.

Like previous years, SACRI worked hard to drive home the point of putting a spotlight to its legislative agenda by having “storytellers” translated the priorities into personal stories.  

House Speaker talks turkey at Legislative Forum

Aging is a very important and personal issue to House Speaker Shekarchi, who is taking care of his 98-year-old father, who remains at home. “That is where he wants to be, he says. “I know that not everyone is fortunate – not everyone has the same support system,” says Shekarchi. “But it’s important that seniors have options so they can choose what’s best for them,” he says

“We need to provide support for seniors to age in place and to remain in their homes, living independently,” states Shekarchi. A great option – which is also the top legislative priority for AARP Rhode Island this year – is creating Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). They enable seniors – even young college graduates – to live independently while remaining near family and others, he adds.

“As for seniors who live in assisted living facilities and nursing homes, we need to ensure those facilities are adequately staffed, and that caregivers are paid a sustainable wage,” says Shekarchi. 

“We expect this to be a very challenging budget year, with many worthwhile, but competing, priorities,” says Shekarchi.

“I know the Senior Agenda has legislative priorities in 2024 that I promise we will consider very carefully. And I have a request for all of you. Please stay involved, make your voices heard at the State House,” Shekarchi suggests, “give us feedback. You can testify in person at the State House, or in writing by letter or email.

Valarie Lawson, Senate Majority Whip, took the opportunity to discuss the Rhode Island HEALTH Initiative… a Senate legislative package designed to address affordability and accessibility of health care in the state.

According to Lawson, the HEALTH Initiative seeks to ensure the strength of the state’s community hospitals, attract, and retain primary care doctors and makes sure Rhode Islanders can access quality, affordable care. The legislation includes a bill by Sen. Alana DiMario to create a drug affordability commission in Rhode Island … which is a critical step to make the state’s prescription drug system less complicated and less costly. And Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski’s legislation to transform and mandate a continuous Medicaid reimbursement rate review process by the Office of the Health Insurance Commission.

Lawson noted the Senate was working on the SACRI MSP priority legislation and that she is a co-sponsor of the bill. She said that the Senate shares the Senior Agenda’s  priority of making Rhode Island a place where residents can age with comfort and security. “At the State House… we rely on your voices to help guide us,” she said.

Call to Action

Diane Santos, SACRI Board Chair, ended the forum with a Call to Action for attendees to let their voices be heard by contacting their local legislators to express their concerns and to support programs to help keep seniors strong.

SACRI Legislative Leaders Forum organizational partners included: Cranston Enrichment Center, Edward King House, Leon Mathieu Senior Center, Meals on Wheels RI, Pilgrim Senior Center, Ocean State Center for Independent Living, St. Martin de Porres Center, The RI Organizing Project and The Village Common of RI.

To watch the 2024 Senior Agenda Coalition Leaders Forum Conference, go to: https://capitoltvri.cablecast.tv/show/9023