Belief in the Real Presence Among American Catholics: Prevalence and Patterns

Pew's 2019 poll finding that only three‐in‐ten American Catholics affirm the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist sparked discussion and concern and was a key motivation for the 3‐year National Eucharistic Revival. Using data from a nationally representative 2025 sample of Catholic adults in the United States ( N = 1032) and a revised survey item measuring Eucharistic belief, this study provides an updated national estimate of belief in the Real Presence among Catholics. Our estimate is statistically indistinguishable from Pew's 2019 estimate. Moreover, we used logistic regression to identify which demographic, socioeconomic, political, and religious characteristics were most strongly associated with affirming the Real Presence. Frequency of religious service attendance and subjective importance of religious faith were the strongest predictors, whereas most demographic, socioeconomic, regional, and political characteristics mattered little. These findings reveal that belief in the Real Presence among Catholics remains at approximately three‐in‐ten despite significant catechetical efforts by the Church, and that variation in Eucharistic belief is associated primarily with differences in religious commitment rather than demographics or social location.