Closures as a share of starts, 2019 vs 2024
Estimated U.S. Protestant churches
Key finding
- Closures as a share of starts, 2019 vs 2024: 150% to 105%. Closures equaled 150% of new church starts in 2019 and 105% in 2024, so the gap has narrowed sharply.
This figure is a Leader Insights calculation from published sources, with the formula shown to members.
Source: Leader Insights calculation from Lifeway Research, Church Closures Eclipse Openings in the U.S. · Calculated by Leader Insights, not a survey result. Formula: closures / starts x 100 for each year. Inputs: 2019: 4,500 closures, 3,000 starts; 2024: 4,000 closures, 3,800 starts.
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Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Closures as a share of starts, 2019 vs 2024: 150% to 105%. Closures equaled 150% of new church starts in 2019 and 105% in 2024, so the gap has narrowed sharply.
Who published this data?
Leader Insights, 2024. Source: Leader Insights calculation from Lifeway Research, Church Closures Eclipse Openings in the U.S. (https://research.lifeway.com/2026/01/13/church-closures-eclipse-openings-in-the-u-s/).
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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.