Pew Research: Latter-day Saints Growing More Diverse as Retention Rate Falls to 54 Percent
A major Pew Research Center study released September 22, 2026, finds that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is becoming more racially diverse, but fewer members raised in the faith are staying. The retention rate dropped from 70% in 2007 to 54% in 2023-24.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is more diverse than it was two decades ago, but it is also losing more members, according to a major new study from the Pew Research Center released September 22, 2026.
The study found that the share of Americans raised as Latter-day Saints who still identify with the church in adulthood fell from 70% in 2007 to 54% in 2023-24. About 28% of those raised in the faith now identify as religiously unaffiliated.
At the same time, the church has grown more racially diverse. The percentage of White members dropped from 85% in 2007 to 72% in 2023-24. Hispanic membership doubled from 6% to 12%, and Black membership grew from 2% to 6%.
Educational attainment has also risen. Thirty-six percent of members now hold at least a bachelor's degree. Women drove much of that increase, with their degree attainment rising from 25% in 2007 to 40% in 2023-24.
Members remain among the most religiously active Americans. About seven in ten say religion is very important in their lives, a rate comparable to evangelical Protestants. The community also remains heavily Republican, with roughly three-quarters identifying with or leaning toward the Republican Party.
Social views are shifting, though. Support for society accepting homosexuality rose from 24% in 2007 to 46% in 2023-24. The share of members who view more women in the workforce as a positive change grew from 49% in 2014 to 61%.
About half of all U.S. Latter-day Saints live in the eight-state Mountain region, with 31% of the total U.S. membership in Utah.
