Orthodox Christianity

Pew Research Center’s political typology sorts Americans into cohesive, like-minded groups based on their values, beliefs, and views about politics and the political system. Use this tool to compare the groups on some key topics and their demographics.

Ukraine is an overwhelmingly Orthodox Christian nation, and 46% of Orthodox Ukrainians look to the Ukrainian national church leaders as the highest Orthodoxy authority.

Central and Eastern Europeans of different ages are about equally likely to say that Christianity, birthplace and ancestry are important to national identity.

When it comes to public attitudes on religion, national identity and the place of religious minorities, Greeks, like their neighbors to the East, hold more nationalist and less accepting views than do Western Europeans.

While most adults in Poland say they are willing to accept Jews as fellow citizens, neighbors and family members, almost one-in-five take the opposite position.

Ethiopia has 36 million Orthodox Christians, the world’s second-largest Orthodox population after Russia. By many measures, Orthodox Ethiopians have much higher levels of religious commitment than do Orthodox Christians in the faith’s heartland of Central and Eastern Europe.

The U.S. has more foreign students enrolled in its colleges and universities than any other country in the world. Explore data about foreign students in the U.S. higher education system.

Read a Q&A with George Demacopolous, a professor of theology at Fordham University, to examine trends and issues in the Orthodox Christian world.

Today, there are approximately 260 million Orthodox Christians in the world, accounting for 12% of the global Christian population. Read key takeaways about Orthodox Christians.

Concentrated in Europe, Orthodox Christians have declined as share of the global Christian population, from 20% in 1910 to 12% today. But the Ethiopian community is highly observant and growing.