Amish Population Profile 2026

Population. The estimated population of the Amish of North America (adults and children) as of June 2026 is 421,200. This is an increase of approximately 10,245 since 2025.

States and Provinces. North American Amish communities are located in 33 states and three Canadian provinces. Almost 60 percent of the North American population lives in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana.

Latin America. In the fall of 2015, horse-and-buggy-driving New Order Amish from the Midwest organized two settlements in South America—one in Bolivia and one in Argentina. Most of the members came from Old Colony Mennonite background. The Argentina community eventually dispersed, with some of the families moving to New Order settlements elsewhere. In 2025 a church under New Order Amish auspices formed in Campeche, Mexico.

Settlements. During the past year, 43 new settlements (geographical communities) were established in North America and no existing settlements dissolved. New settlements are typically small, with only a few families in a single church district (congregation).

Fifty-four percent of all Amish settlements in North America contain only a single church district. Older settlements such as those in the Holmes County, Ohio, and Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, areas contain more than 300 districts. (See Twelve Largest Settlements.) Larger settlements may have several different subgroups whereas smaller ones typically have just one subgroup.

Districts. In North America, the number of districts (congregations), each of which generally consists of 20 to 40 households, grew from 3,114 in 2025 to 3,285 in 2026, an increase of 171 in the twelve-month period.

Growth Trends, 2017-2026. The North American Amish population grew by an estimated 102,810 since 2017, increasing from approximately 318,390 in 2017 to 421,200 in 2026, an increase of 32 percent. The Amish population doubles about every 20 years. Since 2017, the number of districts has grown from 2,363 to 3,285, an increase of 922 districts. The same period saw a net gain of 197 settlements, including settlements in two new states (Alabama and New Mexico).

Reasons for Population Growth. The primary forces driving the growth are sizable nuclear families (five or more children on average) and an average retention rate (Amish children who join the church as young adults) of 85 percent or more. A few outsiders have joined the Amish, but the growth is almost entirely from within the Amish community.

Reasons for Creating New Settlements. The Amish establish new settlements for a variety of reasons, including a desire for: (1) fertile farmland at reasonable prices, (2) nonfarm work in specialized occupations, (3) rural isolation that supports their traditional, family-based lifestyle, (4) social and physical environments (climate, governments, services, economy) conducive to their way of life, (5) proximity to family or other similar Amish church groups, and (6) a way to resolve church or leadership conflicts.

Note: Population estimates for 2026 were calculated using a variety of sources including Raber’s New American Almanac, reports by correspondents in Die Botschaft, The Budget, and The Diary, settlement directories, regional newsletters, and settlement informants. The data includes all Amish groups that use horse-and-buggy transportation, but excludes car-driving groups such as the Beachy Amish and Amish-Mennonites.

To cite this page: “Amish Population Profile, 2026.” Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies, Elizabethtown College. https://groups.etown.edu/amishstudies/statistics/amish-population-profile-2026.