Age Demographics
The number of sisters and brothers who are past age 75 has remained relatively constant since the early 1980s when surveys of religious institutes began to document the need to address retirement issues. However, the number of religious who are actually engaged in compensated ministry has declined precipitously. In fact, based on data submitted to the National Religious Retirement Office, women and men religious under the age of 60 make up just 15 percent of the total number of religious in the United States. Thus, most religious communities struggle to fund adequate staff support for those who need assistance with the tasks of daily living or for those who require skilled nursing care.
Population of Religious by Age Group 1985-2009 
Projected Population of Religious by Age Group 2003-2023
