Church attendance in August 2021 compared with pre-COVID levels
Percent of U.S. Protestant pastors, 2021 (in percent)
Key finding
Highest: 50% to 70% of pre-COVID attendance (35%). Lowest: More people than before COVID-19 (9%).
- 50% to 70% of pre-COVID attendance: 35%
- 70% to less than 90%: 30%
- Less than half: 13%
Source: Lifeway Research, Almost All Churches and Most Churchgoers Are Now Gathering in Person · Lifeway Research phone survey of 1,000 Protestant pastors; sampling error plus or minus 3.2%. Article published 2021-11-02.
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Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Highest: 50% to 70% of pre-COVID attendance (35%). Lowest: More people than before COVID-19 (9%). 50% to 70% of pre-COVID attendance: 35%. 70% to less than 90%: 30%. Less than half: 13%.
Who published this data?
Lifeway Research, 2021. Source: Lifeway Research, Almost All Churches and Most Churchgoers Are Now Gathering in Person (https://research.lifeway.com/2021/11/02/almost-all-churches-and-most-churchgoers-are-now-gathering-in-person/).
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More Attendance statistics
- Change in congregations' worship attendance over two years Lifeway Research, 2026
- Churchgoers' views on the amount of liturgical style in their church Lifeway Research, 2026
- Regular religious service attendance by age group Lifeway Research, 2026
- Americans who attend religious services at least monthly Lifeway Research, 2022
- Americans who attend religious services at least weekly Lifeway Research, 2022
- Americans who say they never attend religious services Lifeway Research, 2022
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.