Email libgpdData Pathfinders: Statistics on Religion
Religious Data:
Statistics for Researchers
It is the goal of this guide to provide a brief, introductory overview of sources, both print and electronic, for finding and accessing religious statistical information for research purposes. These sources go beyond the mere percentages of major religions of nations found in almancs and yearbooks to produce a more comprehensive view of religious data. As always, if you are unable to find the information you desire, please contact a reference service point in the IUB Wells Library, including the reference desk in Government Information, Maps and Microform Services (East Tower 2 or ET2) on the second floor.
Print Sources | Electronic Sources
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UNITED STATES DATA
· Census of Religious Bodies: o Religious Bodies, 1936 o Religious Bodies, 1926 o Religious Bodies, 1916 o Religious Bodies, 1906 These reports were compiled for the years 1890, 1906, 1916, 1926 and 1936. This data is also available in microfilm format at the IUN library and may be obtained via interlibrary loan or document delivery. This option may be preferable since, although classified, some reports (1890) have not yet been cataloged and may be difficult to locate. The call number for the material at IUN is BR515 .R43 1976 Reel 45-47. The introduction from the 1936 report states that "this report presents the results of the census of religious bodies for the year 1936. As its name implies, this is a census of the religious organizations in the United States rather than of individuals classified according to their religious affiliation." NOTE: The 1936 Census was the last to report on religious bodies. However, The Statistical Abstract of the United States (available in ET2) contains limited data of this nature for subsequent years. · Churches and Church Membership in the United States: o Churches and Church Membership in the United States 1990 o Churches and Church Membership in the United States 1980 o Churches and Church Membership in the United States 1971 The introduction to the 1982 edition provides information about the scope of these sources: "This report contains statistics for 111 Judaeo-Christian church bodies, providing information on the number of their churches and members for regions, states and counties of the United States." · Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches (latest edition) This source contains an extensive section of religious statistics for the United States and Canada, primarily covering church membership and seminary enrollment trends. Earlier editions are located in the Research Collections Stacks.Supplemental information is available online at http://www.electronicchurch.org/. · One Nation Under God This book provides U.S. religious statistical information--primarily collected from a 1990 national survey--interspersed throughout the text. In addition, there is an appendix devoted to religious statistics collection. There is no index of figures, tables and graphs. WORLD-WIDE DATA Finding information on religious statistics for countries other than the United States can sometimes be more difficult. A primary source for finding this information would be censuses. In addition, online searching may produce favorable results. To provide several sources of religious statistical data for ALL nations is beyond the scope of this guide. It is perhaps most beneficial to propose general search strategies with the aid of a specific example. One must also consider that the IU libraries may not hold such data for all countries. For additional assistance, see the Electronic Sources section of this guide. Finally, visit or contact a library reference service point for assistance. For example, the following terms were used with IUCAT to find religious data for India: India -- religion -- statistics For countries, or regions, other than India, insert that country into the position that India holds in this search string. More results may be produced by replacing "religion" with the term "church." The above search string produced some of the following items: Population Profile of Religion in India The preface of this work states that "the focus of the present publication is on the religious composition of India's population based on published and unpublished . . . data from the 1991 Census of India." The information includes "the distribution of population by religion for rural and urban areas separately for each district in each State and Union Territory of India."
Household Population by Religion of Head of Household, Orissa Household Population by Religion of Head of Household, Arunachal Pradesh Household Population by Religion of Head of Household, Tamil Nadu These reports contain information organized by six major religions (Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism), as well as other religions and persuasions, and religion not stated collected from the 1981 Census of India. Although broken down into ever smaller areas of governance (e.g. state, district, town), statistics for the Indian population as a whole are also given. These are just a few of the items returned. Please consult IUCAT to determine the other geographic regions covered by the 1981 census and the call numbers of the respective publications. The coverage of these sources is generally international, including statistics from both the United States and other nations. However, these sources are divided into three categories: Comprehensive (to indicate global coverage and general data), United States (to indicate coverage only of the U.S.), and International (for country-specific data).
· Adherents.com · Catholic Encyclopedia: Statistics of Religions · ATLA Religion Index · Seventh-Day Adventist Church Statistics UNITED STATES · ARDA (American Religion Data Archives) · General Social Surveys--Subject--Religion · Barna Research Online -- Research Archives · Social, Religious, and Census Data Sites · Denominational Faith Communities Today Reports |
