Giving to religion, 1968–2008 ($ in billions)

106. 89

98. 96

90. 15

82. 17

84. 57

78. 81

68. 83

68. 25

60. 60

52. 10

51.07

52. 89

45. 15

31. 84

18. 35

8. 42

10. 53

Current dollars Inflation-adjusted dollars

1968

1973

1978

1983

1988

1993

1998

2003

2008

 

Giving to religion in current dollars has increased steadily over 40 years. Adjusted for inflation, it has stagnated periodically with the last such period in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s.

Since 1995, giving to religion, adjusted for inflation, has shown nearly annual increases.

In 1988, the inflation-adjusted amount given to religion ($82.17 billion) divided by the number of American households ( 91. 12 million, using Current Population Survey data from the Census Bureau) results in an estimate of giving to religion of $901 (adjusted for inflation) per household.

In a similar calculation including giving from all donor types, by 1998, the number of households had grown to 102. 53 million and the per household average gift to religion fell to $879. For 2008, with estimated giving to religion of $106.89 billion and approximately 116. 78 million households, donations to religion averaged $915 per household.

The calculations “per household” include all households, even those that do not give to religion. They also include all giving to religion, including that from corporations, foundations, and through charitable bequests. This allows for comparison over time and across subsectors.