How much people cut their church giving during the economic downturn
Percent of U.S. adults who decreased giving to churches and religious centers, 2008 (in percent)
Key finding
Highest: Stopped giving altogether (22%). Lowest: Reduced by 21% to 49% (5%).
- Stopped giving altogether: 22%
- Reduced by as much as 20%: 19%
- Reduced by half: 17%
Source: Barna Group, Churches Stand to Lose Several Billion Dollars in Lost Donations Due to Economic Downturn · Telephone survey of 1,203 U.S. adults, November 1-5, 2008; margin of error 2.9 points. Article published 2023-12-13.
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Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Highest: Stopped giving altogether (22%). Lowest: Reduced by 21% to 49% (5%). Stopped giving altogether: 22%. Reduced by as much as 20%: 19%. Reduced by half: 17%.
Who published this data?
Barna Group, 2008. Source: Barna Group, Churches Stand to Lose Several Billion Dollars in Lost Donations Due to Economic Downturn (https://www.barna.com/research/churches-stand-to-lose-several-billion-dollars-in-lost-donations-due-to-economic-downturn/).
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More Giving statistics
- Americans who donate to charity or church, by Bible engagement American Bible Society, 2025
- Church giving compared with last year Lifeway Research, 2025
- Congregations' income compared with expenses Lifeway Research, 2025
- Budget lost by churches with shrinking revenue, by church size Barna Group, 2009
- Budget lost by churches with shrinking revenue, by church size Barna Group, 2009
- Churches that cut spending to compensate for diminished revenue Barna Group, 2009
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.