How Americans who observe Lent take part
Percent of Americans who observe Lent, by practice, 2025 (in percent)
Key finding
Highest: Fast from a favorite food or beverage (50%). Lowest: Read Lenten Bible verses or devotions (22%).
- Fast from a favorite food or beverage: 50%
- Attend church services: 49%
- Fast from a bad habit: 37%
Source: Lifeway Research, Most Americans Skip Lent · Online survey of 1,200 Americans; 95% confidence, sampling error no more than plus or minus 3.3%. Article published 2025-03-04.
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Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Highest: Fast from a favorite food or beverage (50%). Lowest: Read Lenten Bible verses or devotions (22%). Fast from a favorite food or beverage: 50%. Attend church services: 49%. Fast from a bad habit: 37%.
Who published this data?
Lifeway Research, 2025. Source: Lifeway Research, Most Americans Skip Lent (https://research.lifeway.com/2025/03/04/most-americans-skip-lent/).
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More Bible & Discipleship statistics
- Americans in the Movable Middle, curious about the Bible American Bible Society, 2026
- Americans who have not read any of the Bible American Bible Society, 2026
- Churches with an intentional plan for discipling individuals Lifeway Research, 2026
- Churchgoers' agreement with statements about Bible engagement Lifeway Research, 2026
- Churchgoers who read the Bible at least a few times a week Lifeway Research, 2026
- Discipleship habits of Protestant churchgoers Lifeway Research, 2026
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.