Q: How many Amish live in North America?
A: Approximately 342,100 adults and children. In most communities, over half of the population are children and unbaptized teens. Thus, the number of baptized adult church members is likely about 154,000.
Q: Where do they live?
A: They live in 31 states, the Canadian provinces of Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Prince Edward Island, and the South American countries of Argentina and Bolivia. Nearly two-thirds (62 percent) live in three states: Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana. See Amish Population 2019 for a complete listing. There are about 2,540 local congregations, which are called church districts. Each district typically includes between 20 and 40 families. A settlement is a geographical area that contains one or more districts. Large settlements have more than 100 districts. There are 568 different Amish settlements, but many of them have only one or a few districts.
Q: Are the Amish a cult?
A: No, they are a Christian church that accepts the basic tenets of Christian faith. Unlike a cult, they do not have one authoritarian leader who demands unquestioning obedience of all Amish people. They are free to join and leave the Amish community at their will. Members are expected to obey the teachings of the New Testament and the regulations established by the adult members of their local congregation.
Q: When did the Amish begin?
A: They trace their roots to the Anabaptist movement in Switzerland in 1525 at the time of the Protestant Reformation. The Anabaptists emphasized voluntary adult baptism and a church that was free from state control. Because most had been baptized as infants, they were nicknamed rebaptizers or Anabaptists. The Amish were part of this movement until 1693 when they formed their own group in Switzerland and the Alsatian region of present-day France. Their first leader was Jakob Ammann; hence, they became known as Amish. See Amish Origins for more information.
Q: Is the Amish population growing?
A: Yes. The population has doubled over the past 20 years due to sizable families (five or more children on average) and high retention rates (on average about 85 percent of Amish youth eventually join the church).
Q: When are Amish youth baptized?
A: Typically between the ages of 18 and 21. As Anabaptists, the Amish church emphasizes the importance of making a voluntary adult decision to become a Christian and join the church. See Religious Rituals for more information.
Q: What is Rumspringa?
A: Rumspringa means “running around” in the Pennsylvania German dialect. It is the time, beginning at about age 16, when youth socialize with their friends on weekends. Rumspringa ends with marriage. (For those who don’t marry, Rumspringa ends in their mid to late twenties.) This period is an important time when Amish youth need to decide if they will be baptized and join the church or leave the Amish community.
Q: Where do Amish youth go to school?
A: About 90 percent attend one- or two-room private