Change in median congregation size since 2000
Median weekly attendance, U.S. congregations, 2000 to 2025
Key finding
- Change in median congregation size since 2000: -49%. The median congregation shrank from 137 to 70 people (a 49% drop), even with the first recent uptick (65 in 2020 to 70 in 2025).
This figure is a Leader Insights calculation from published sources, with the formula shown to members.
Source: Leader Insights calculation from Faith Communities Today (via Lifeway Research) and the 2025 congregation survey · Calculated by Leader Insights, not a survey result. Formula: (70 - 137) / 137 x 100. Inputs: 137 in 2000, 70 in 2025.
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Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Change in median congregation size since 2000: -49%. The median congregation shrank from 137 to 70 people (a 49% drop), even with the first recent uptick (65 in 2020 to 70 in 2025).
Who published this data?
Leader Insights, 2025. Source: Leader Insights calculation from Faith Communities Today (via Lifeway Research) and the 2025 congregation survey (https://research.lifeway.com/2021/10/20/small-churches-continue-growing-but-in-number-not-size/).
Where can I get the full data and a citation?
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About this data
Leader Insights collects statistics about U.S. churches from published research by organizations such as Lifeway Research, Barna Group, Springtide, the American Bible Society and PRRI. 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 the source for full methodology.