Report: US Muslim Population Nearly Triples in Decade

Muslims and Mormons are on the rise in America.

The Muslim population in the US soared in the 10 years since 9/11, swelling from about 1 million to 2.6 million, a 66 percent increase, according to data this week from the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies.

Their numbers now eclipse US Jews.

Researchers say the rise has been fueled by immigration and conversions.

The latest census of faiths released this week further revealed that religious affiliations in the United States are changing, reflecting immigration patterns.

The number of Mormons, officially the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also grew from 4.2 million to 6.1 million in the last decade.

The 45 percent increase added up to the most new members of any religious group since 2000.

“Christians are the largest group in every state, but some of the things we found interesting was the growth of the Mormons, who reported the largest numerical gain in 26 states,” said Dale Jones, a researcher who worked on the study and presented the report to a conference in Chicago.

In the same period, Catholic churches reported a five percent decline in membership, while other mainline Christian denominations noted a 12.8 percent drop.

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