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Initial US Mosque Survey Report Demonstrates Growth
Note: to view larger versions of the charts below, click on the images directly to access the full report.
A new report authored by Dr. Ihsan Bagby based on the findings of the US Mosque Survey 2020, which was conducted as part of our larger Faith Communities Today (FACT) 2020 Study, was released this week by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) in partnership with the Center on Muslim Philanthropy and the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). The US Mosque Survey 2020 is a comprehensive statistical study of mosques in the United States. This is the first of two reports that will comprise the complete US Mosque 2020 survey. The first report, described below, focuses on essential characteristics of mosques in the US, including data on mosque participation, mosque administrations, and much more. The second report will be available in July 2021.

Results are based on 470 phone interview responses (a 67% response rate from the 700 mosques randomly sampled) collected between early November 2019 and October 2020.
Summary of Key Findings
The Number of Mosques Continues to Grow

  • In 2020, the US Mosque Survey counted 2,769 mosques, which is a 31% increase from the 2010 count of 2,106 mosques.
  • Mosques are becoming more suburban, with the number of mosques in towns/small cities decreasing from 20% in 2010 to 6% in 2020. Likewise, in 2010, 17% of mosques were found in downtown areas, but in 2020 that figure is down to 6%.
The Number of Mosque Participants Continues to Grow

  • Jum'ah prayer (the weekly Muslim congregational prayer held on Friday) averaged 410 attendees in 2020, as compared to 353 in 2010, which equals a 16% increase.
  • The total number of mosque participants, which is measured by the number of Muslims who attend the high holiday Eid prayer after Ramadan, increased to 1,445, which is a 16% increase from the 2010 count of 1,248.
Conversions Decreased

  • The number of converts to Islam in mosques declined dramatically. Down from 15.3 converts per mosque in 2010, the average number of converts in 2020 was 11.3.
  • Another statistic of note is the continued increase in the number of Latinx converts. In 2000, only 6% of all converts were Latinx, but in 2020 that percentage is now 15%.
Proportion of African American Attendees Has Decreased

  • In 2010, 24% of all mosque attendees were African American Muslims, but in 2020 only 16% were African American, representing a 33% decrease.
  • Suspected causes include the decline in African American converts, an inability to attract and maintain African American young adults, and the overall aging of African American Muslims.
More Imams are Full-Time and Paid

  • Half of American mosques have a full-time paid imam as compared to 2010 when 43% of mosques had a full-time paid imam.
  • This percentage is well short of churches and synagogues that have full-time paid religious leaders. Nevertheless, it shows steady progress.
Mosque Income Continues to Grow

  • The average mosque budget in 2020 was $276,500 and the median budget was $80,000. This is a substantial increase from 2010's average budget of $167,600 and the median budget of $70,000.
  • Mosques with budgets over $100,000 have steadily increased over the decades. In 2020, almost half of mosques (47%) had a budget over $100,000; in 2000, that figure was 25%; and in 2010 it was 39%.
For a more comprehensive look at the findings of this study, please visit the link below.
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