Is Congress representative of the American people?
Congress is older, more educated, and made up of a higher share of men than the US population.
The United States Congress consists of up to 541 individuals elected to represent a population of 342 million.
The 119th Congress in US history convened on January 3, 2025. Here’s a look at how the demographics of this legislative body compare to those of the people it represents.
What is the average age of Congress members?
At the start of the 119th Congress, the average senator was 63.9 years old, and the average representative was 57.9.
The average age of someone in Congress rose throughout the early 1980s until the early 2020s. Average ages in both the Senate and the House were their highest around 2021 and have gotten slightly younger since.
Congress is no longer getting older.
Average age by Congressional body at the start of the session
Congress is always likely to have a higher average age than the general population since there are age-based eligibility restrictions; the Senate has a minimum age requirement of 30, and members of the House of Representatives must be 25 or older.
According to the latest estimates from the US Census Bureau, the average American was 39.4 years old in 2025, up 0.2 years from 2024. Among voting-age Americans (18 and older), the average age was about 48.5.
How many women are in Congress?
As of August 2025, there are 129 women in the House and 26 in the Senate. According to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the number of women serving in Congress is two more than at the beginning of the previous session, nearly 100 more than 30 years ago, and 130 more than 40 years ago.
Women make up 28.7% of Congress, compared to 50.9% of the American population, according to the US Census Bureau.
Women comprise 28.7% of Congress and 50.9% of the US population.
Women's share of Congress and of the US population adjusted to the size of Congress
Are there transgender or nonbinary members of Congress?
The first openly transgender member of Congress, Sarah McBride, was elected to represent Delaware in 2024. According to October 2024 data from the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, roughly 1% of the nation’s adult population identifies as trans or another term outside of male and female.
What are the racial and ethnic demographics of Congress?
As of August 2025, there are 66 Black or African American members of Congress, 24 Asian American or Pacific Islander members, and four Native American or American Indian members. There are also 56 Hispanic or Latino congresspeople, including 50 serving in the House of Representatives and six in the Senate.
Census data indicates that the share of the US population identifying as Black or African American was 15.4% in 2025, 3.2 percentage points higher than that group’s current 12.2% share of congressional seats. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders made up 9.0% of the population, 4.6 points higher than their 4.4% congressional representation. Native Americans comprised 4.1% of the population and 0.7% of Congress.
Meanwhile, 20.5% of the American population is Hispanic, compared to 10.4% of Congress.
American racial and ethnic minorities make up larger shares of the general public than of Congress.
Share of Congress (August 2025) and the general US population (2025) by race/ethnicity
How many congresspeople were born outside the US?
Thirty-two members of Congress were born outside of the US, making 6.0% of the current session foreign-born. According to the Census Bureau, this is less than half the foreign-born share of the general population, which it estimated at 14.8% in 2024.
Congress has a higher educational level than the public
Education level is one of the demographic areas in which Congress is most different from the general population. College graduates have long made up a majority of Congress — as far back as 1945, 75% of the Senate and 56% of Congress had bachelor’s degrees. In the current session, 99% of Senators and 96% of House members do.
Moreover, 78% of the Senate and 66% of the House have advanced degrees. More members of Congress have doctorates than don’t have bachelor’s degrees.
By comparison, 38.7% of the American population 25 and older had received a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2024, including 11.3% with a master’s degree and 2.2% with a doctorate.
Most members of Congress — and 38.7% of Americans — have bachelor's degrees.
Percentage of people with a bachelor's degree in Congress (August 2025) and the US population age 25+ (2025)
How many members of Congress are veterans?
When the 119th Congress convened, 18.1% of the body had served or was serving in the US military, a total of 98 people. In 2024, the Census estimated that 15.7 million veterans lived in the US, which was approximately 5.9% of the nation’s adult population. This would mean the rate of veterans in Congress is more than three times the national rate.
How many members of Congress are religious?
According to the CRS, 96% of Congress is affiliated with a specific religion. Some 55.1% of members are Protestant, 28.0% Catholic, 6.0% Jewish, and 1.7% Mormon.
There are also four Muslim members, four Hindu members, and three Buddhist members, each comprising less than 1%.
96% of Congress report affiliation with a specific religion.
Share of Congressional members (January 2025) by largest religious affiliations
The US government has limited data on the nation’s religious demographics, but what is available suggests that members of Congress are more affiliated with organized religion — particularly Christianity — than the public.
A 10-year-old Department of Justice report on religious discrimination, for example, cited that 22.8% of the country’s population was not religiously affiliated. Most of the country — 70.6% — was Christian, while 1.9% were Jewish, 0.9% were Muslim, and equal shares of 0.7% were Buddhist and Hindu.
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Keep exploring
- The number of Black Congresspeople has tripled since the 1980s - There are 66 Black members of the current Congress, equaling 12% of the legislative body.
- Who is Gen Z? Key insights in 4 charts - Members of Gen Z, born between 1997 and 2012, will turn 12–27 years old in 2024. What does the data reveal about this generation?
- In today's Congress, three seats can decide everything. - Unlike the large majorities of the past, today’s congressional control often hinges on only a few seats changing hands.
- How has the role of women changed over the last 50 years? - Women's representation in Congress and participation in the workforce has grown, but disparities still exist at home and elsewhere.
