Leader Insights

Church Statistics 2027: Latest 2026 Data and What to Watch

The latest sourced church statistics for the United States, from Lifeway Research, Barna Group, PRRI, the American Bible Society and other publishers. Every figure links to its original study. The full library holds 1,870 statistics. Updated October 2026.

Church statistics at a glance

StatisticFigureYearSource
Americans who attend church weekly26%2025Public Religion Research Institute
Americans who seldom or never attend religious services53%2025Public Religion Research Institute
Median U.S. congregation size (weekly attendance)70 people2025Lifeway Research
Congregations whose attendance grew at least 4% over two years52%2026Lifeway Research
Share of Protestant churchgoers who attend megachurches17%2026Lifeway Research
Protestant churches closing each week77 a week2024Leader Insights
Net change in Protestant churches (starts minus closures)-3.8 a week2024Leader Insights
Drop in median congregation size since 2000 (137 to 70)-49%2025Leader Insights
All U.S. religious charitable giving$151.6B2026Giving USA 2026
Church giving compared with last year37% up, 20% down2025Lifeway Research
Churches that do not use online giving at all31%2025Lifeway Research
Pastors who seriously considered leaving full-time ministry24%2026Barna Group
Drop in pastors considering quitting since the 2022 peak-43%2026Leader Insights
Young adults who dropped out of church for at least a year66%2026Lifeway Research
Churchgoers who read the Bible a few times a week or more61%2026Lifeway Research
Americans who have not read any of the Bible10%2026American Bible Society
Pastors concerned about AI misinterpreting scripture94%2026Barna Group

Church attendance statistics

Church closures and growth statistics

Church giving statistics

Pastor burnout and ministry statistics

Young adults and the next generation

Bible reading and engagement statistics

Church technology and AI statistics

Looking ahead to 2027: what the latest data points to

No 2027 statistics have been published yet. Here is what the newest readings suggest heading into 2027. We update this page as new research arrives.

Church statistics by topic

Church statistics: common questions

What will church statistics look like in 2027?

No 2027 church statistics have been published yet. The latest readings point to easing pastor burnout (24% considered leaving ministry in January 2026, down from 42% in March 2022, Barna Group), recovering attendance (median congregation of 70 in 2025, up from 65 in 2020, Lifeway Research) and a narrowing gap between church closures and starts (about 150% of starts in 2019, about 105% in 2024). We update this page when new research is published.

What are the latest church attendance statistics for the U.S.?

In 2025, 26% of Americans said they attend church weekly and 53% said they seldom or never attend religious services (PRRI). The median U.S. congregation welcomed 70 attendees in 2025, up from 65 in 2020, and 52% of congregations grew worship attendance by at least 4% over two years (Lifeway Research, 2026).

Are churches growing or declining?

Both. About 77 Protestant churches closed every week in 2024 against about 73 starting, a net loss of about 3.8 congregations a week (Leader Insights calculation from Lifeway Research data). At the same time, 52% of congregations reported attendance growth of at least 4% over two years (Lifeway Research, 2026).

How many pastors are thinking about quitting?

24% of U.S. senior Protestant pastors said in January 2026 that they had seriously considered leaving full-time ministry in the past year, down from a peak of 42% in March 2022 (Barna Group).

How much do Americans give to churches?

Giving to religious organizations reached $151.6 billion in 2025, about 24.6% of all U.S. charitable giving. It rose 2.4% in current dollars and was flat after inflation, down 0.2% (Giving USA 2026).

How many Americans read the Bible?

10% of Americans say they have not read any of the Bible, and 28% are in the "Movable Middle," curious about the Bible but not deeply engaged (American Bible Society, 2026). Among Protestant churchgoers, 61% read the Bible at least a few times a week (Lifeway Research, 2026).

Where do these church statistics come from?

Every figure is taken from published research by Lifeway Research, Barna Group, PRRI, the American Bible Society, Giving USA and other named publishers. Each statistic links to its original study and is checked against the source wording before it is published. Figures marked Leader Insights are our own calculations from published data, with the formula shown to members.

How often is this page updated?

This page is refreshed whenever new research is added to the Leader Insights library. Last updated October 2026.

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About this data

Leader Insights collects statistics about U.S. churches from published research. Every number is checked against the wording of the original source before it is published, and each statistic links back to the study it came from. Figures are reproduced from the publishers named above; see each source for full methodology.