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Fascinating Facts brought to you by the
ELCA Department for Research and Evaluation
| Factoids about the ELCA | 1988 to 2007 Racial/Ethnic Baptized Membership of the ELCA |

1988 to 2007 Racial/Ethnic Membership of the ELCA

African American/ Black

American Indian/Native Alaskan

Arab/Middle Eastern**

Asian/Pacific Islander

Latino/
Spanish

Multi-
Ethnic**

Other

White

Not Reported*

Total Baptized

1988

48,261

5,418

 

19,985

22,766

 

1,736

4,788,834

364,534

5,251,534

0.92%

0.10%

 

0.38%

0.43%

 

0.03%

91.19%

6.94%

100.00%

1989

48,868

5,947

 

19,616

21,947

 

3,609

5,022,290

116,521

5,238,798

0.93%

0.11%

 

0.37%

0.42%

 

0.07%

95.87%

2.22%

100.00%

1990

50,336

5,833

 

20,547

23,299

 

3,700

5,066,867

70,157

5,240,739

0.96%

0.11%

 

0.39%

0.44%

 

0.07%

96.68%

1.34%

100.00%

1991

49,464

6,231

 

21,175

24,596

 

3,690

5,097,710

42,311

5,245,177

0.94%

0.12%

 

0.40%

0.47%

 

0.07%

97.19%

0.81%

100.00%

1992

51,818

6,418

 

20,964

25,023

 

2,987

5,087,697

39,661

5,234,568

0.99%

0.12%

 

0.40%

0.48%

 

0.06%

97.19%

0.76%

100.00%

1993

49,705

6,542

 

21,529

25,750

 

3,150

5,071,860

34,249

5,212,785

0.95%

0.13%

 

0.41%

0.49%

 

0.06%

97.30%

0.66%

100.00%

1994

49,156

6,685

 

21,870

27,661

 

3,716

5,066,789

23,171

5,199,048

0.95%

0.13%

 

0.42%

0.53%

 

0.07%

97.46%

0.45%

100.00%

1995

49,460

6,912

 

22,007

28,118

 

3,926

5,074,080

5,986

5,190,489

0.95%

0.13%

 

0.42%

0.54%

 

0.08%

97.76%

0.12%

100.00%

1996

49,707

7,005

 

21,898

29,424

 

4,805

5,060,489

7,582

5,180,910

0.96%

0.14%

 

0.42%

0.57%

 

0.09%

97.68%

0.15%

100.00%

1997

49,438

6,896

 

21,769

30,988

 

7,044

5,063,244

5,676

5,185,055

0.95%

0.13%

 

0.42%

0.60%

 

0.14%

97.65%

0.11%

100.00%

1998

50,635

7,134

 

22,467

32,295

 

8,696

5,039,631

17,367

5,178,225

0.98%

0.14%

 

0.43%

0.62%

 

0.17%

97.32%

0.34%

100.00%

1999

50,834

7,351

 

22,569

35,314

 

11,149

5,016,872

5,579

5,149,668

0.99%

0.14%

 

0.44%

0.69%

 

0.22%

97.42%

0.11%

100.00%

2000

52,558 7,440  

22,465

37,540   10,587

4,988,085

7,244

5,125,919

1.03%

0.15%  

0.44%

0.73%

 

0.21%

97.31% 0.14% 100.00%

2001

52,848

7,161

  22,994 38,706  

10,281

4,953,676

14,211

5,099,877
1.04%

0.14%

  0.45% 0.76%   0.20%

97.13%

0.28% 100.00%

2002

53,564

7,273

  22,898 39,614  

15,151

4,872,332

27,234

5,038,066
1.06%

0.14%

  0.45% 0.79%   0.30%

96.71%

0.54% 100.00%

2003

                 
53,258 7,265 1,381 22,030 39,949 5,692 13,019 4,840,323 2,008 4,984,925
1.07% 0.15% 0.03% 0.44% 0.80% 0.11% 0.26% 97.10% 0.04% 100.00%

2004

                 
54,241 6,780 1,638 22,395 38,255 11,036 12,440 4,781,579 2,065 4,930,429
1.10% 0.14% 0.03% 0.45% 0.78% 0.22% 0.25% 96.98% 0.04% 100.0%

2005

                 
54,354 7,095 1,779 21,950 39,157 12,261 11,096 4,700,513 2,571 4,850,776
1.12% 0.15% 0.04% 0.45% 0.81% 0.25% 0.23% 96.90% 0.05% 100.0%

2006

                 
53,288 7,007 1,944 22,545 39,563 13,613 10,802 4,624,249 1,192 4,774,203
1.12% 0.15% 0.04% 0.47% 0.83% 0.29% 0.23% 96.86% 0.02% 100.0%

2007

                 
52,896 6,866 2,136 22,202 39,760 15,417 11,397 4,558,059 1,223 4,709,956
1.12% 0.15% 0.05% 0.47% 0.84% 0.33% 0.24% 96.77% 0.03% 100.0%
                   
                   

*Please note that at the beginning of the ELCA almost 7% of the baptized members had no reported race or ethnic group. Increases in race or ethnic group categories in the early years was caused more by moving members from "not reported" to a specific category than by increases in actual new members.

**Arab/Middle Eastern and Multiethnic were new categories in 2003.

Data are from Congregational Report Forms. Prepared by ELCA Research and Evaluation.

2008 Congregational Data will likely be released by the Office of the Secretary on July 15, 2009.

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