How Arkansas stacked up

The results of the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey show that the religious makeup of Arkansas differs slightly from that of the country at large, most notably in the percentage of Christians. Nationwide, Christians make up 70.6 percent of the population but in Arkansas 79 percent identify themselves as Christians.

The largest Christian group in the state is evangelical Protestants, which includes Southern Baptists, the Assemblies of God and Churches of Christ. The percentage of evangelical Protestants in the state is 46 percent, almost double the national percentage of 25.4 percent, but a drop from 53 percent in 2007.

Mainline Protestants, including United Methodists, Episcopalians and members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), remained steady at 16 percent of the population, followed by members of historically black Protestant churches and Catholics, both with 8 percent.

Mormons make up roughly 1 percent of the population and Orthodox Christians, Jehovah's Witnesses and other Christian groups each make up less than 1 percent of Arkansans.

Members of non-Christian faiths, including Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and adherents of other world religions and faiths, comprise a much smaller portion of the population, at 3 percent total, compared to a national percentage of 5.9.

The population of "nones" in Arkansas rose from 13 percent to 18 percent, compared to 22.8 percent nationwide, with the largest group of "nones" describing their religious affiliation as "nothing in particular."

Religion on 05/16/2015

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