December 2016 – A study published in September in the Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion details the $1.2 trillion contribution that religion makes to the U.S. annual economy. In areas from health care to education to philanthropy, the benefit of religion for the American economy is greater than the top ten tech companies combined, including Google, Apple, and Microsoft.
Interestingly, the impact of church congregations is the second greatest player in the economics of religion, constituting 36.1% of the total $1.2 trillion. Businesses with religious backgrounds are number one, making 37.8% of the contribution. Charitable institutions generate 26.1%.
The impact is not only monetary. Highly religious individuals are more likely to donate money and goods and time to volunteer, according to Pew Research polling that asked adults about their activities in the prior week. Congregations coordinate 7.5 million volunteers in 1.5 million social programs, and religious organizations have tripled the amount of money they spend on social programs in the last 15 years.
