How churched teens describe their faith as young adults
Percent of U.S. adults who attended a Protestant church as teens, 2019 (in percent)
Key finding
Highest: Devout Christian with strong faith (39%). Lowest: Don't believe in God or any higher being (4%).
- Devout Christian with strong faith: 39%
- Christian, not particularly devout: 27%
- Believe in God, uncertain of Christianity: 14%
Source: Lifeway Research, Few Churched Teenagers Become Devout Young Adults · Lifeway Research surveyed more than 2,000 American adults ages 23 to 30 who attended a Protestant church twice a month or more for at least a year as a teenager. Article published 2019-01-31.
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Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Highest: Devout Christian with strong faith (39%). Lowest: Don't believe in God or any higher being (4%). Devout Christian with strong faith: 39%. Christian, not particularly devout: 27%. Believe in God, uncertain of Christianity: 14%.
Who published this data?
Lifeway Research, 2019. Source: Lifeway Research, Few Churched Teenagers Become Devout Young Adults (https://research.lifeway.com/2019/01/31/few-churched-teenagers-become-devout-young-adults/).
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- Pastors who say engagement among men ages 18 to 35 has increased Barna Group, 2026
- Change in engagement of children in 5th grade or younger during COVID-19 Barna Group, 2020
- Churches' children's ministry changes since COVID-19 began Barna Group, 2020
- Churches' youth ministry changes since COVID-19 began Barna Group, 2020
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.