Overview and Total Members in History
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Congress is composed of 541 individuals from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico.
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Since 1789, 12,512 individuals have served as either Representatives (11,192 individuals) or Senators (2,003 individuals). Of these, 683 have served in both chambers.
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An additional 179 individuals have served in the House in the role of territorial Delegate or Resident Commissioner.
Party Breakdown
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In the 118th Congress, as of May 10, 2024:- House of Representatives: 217 Republicans (plus 2 Delegates and the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico), 213 Democrats (plus 3 Delegates), and 5 vacant seats.- Senate: 49 Republicans, 48 Democrats, and 3 Independents, who all caucus with the Democrats.
Age
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The average age at the beginning of the 118th Congress was 57.9 years for Representatives and 64.0 years for Senators.
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The youngest Representative is Maxwell Frost (D-FL), born in 1997, who was 25 at the beginning of the 118th Congress.
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The oldest Representative is Grace Napolitano (D-CA), born in 1936, who was 86.
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The youngest Senator is Jon Ossoff (D-GA), born in 1987, who was 35 at the beginning of the Congress.
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The oldest Senator is Chuck Grassley (R-IA), born in 1933, who was 89.
Occupations
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The most common professions are law, business, and public service/politics.
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30% of House Members and 51% of Senators have law degrees.
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80% of the House and 82% of the Senate have served as public servants or elected officials at the local, state, or federal level.
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31% of the House and 26% of the Senate have been owners, founders, or executives of businesses or companies.
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Other occupations represented include education, medicine, ministry, law enforcement, engineering, consulting, farming, and more.
Education
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93.8% of House Members and 99% of Senators have at least a bachelor’s degree.
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64% of House Members and 79% of Senators hold educational degrees beyond a bachelor’s.
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132 House Members (30.5%) and 51 Senators (51%) hold law degrees.
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22 Representatives and 4 Senators have doctoral degrees.
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21 House Members and 5 Senators have medical degrees.
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Several Members are graduates of U.S. military academies or have prestigious academic fellowships.
Congressional Service
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The average length of service is 8.5 years (4.3 terms) for Representatives and 11.2 years (1.9 terms) for Senators.
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74 House Members (16.8%) and 7 Senators (7%) were newly elected in November 2022.
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137 House Members (31.1%) and 16 Senators (16%) have no more than two years of experience in their respective chambers.
Religion
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96% of Members report an affiliation with a specific religion.
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56.7% are Protestant, 27.7% are Catholic, 6.2% are Jewish, and smaller percentages belong to other faiths.
Gender and Ethnicity
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155 women serve in the 118th Congress (28.65%), including 130 in the House and 25 in the Senate.
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64 African American Members serve (11.8%), including 60 in the House and 4 in the Senate.
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61 Hispanic or Latino Members serve (11.27%), including 55 in the House and 6 in the Senate.
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21 Asian, South Asian, or Pacific Islander American Members serve (3.9%), including 19 in the House and 2 in the Senate.
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5 Native American Members serve (0.92%), including 4 in the House and 1 in the Senate.
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27 Representatives and 5 Senators (5.9%) were born outside the United States.
Military Service
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98 Members (18.1%) have served or are serving in the military, including 82 in the House and 16 in the Senate.
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5 House Members and 1 Senator are still serving in the reserves, and 5 House Members are still serving in the National Guard.
Read the Whole Report: https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R47470/16
