Protestant church starts vs. closures
Estimated U.S. Protestant churches per year (number of churches)
Key finding
Closures narrowed to a net loss of 200 in 2024, down from 1,500 in 2019.
- 2014: 4,000
- 2019: 3,000
- 2024: 3,800
Source: Lifeway Research, Church Closures Eclipse Openings in the U.S. · Estimates from 35 denominations representing 58% of Protestant churches. Published Jan 13, 2026.
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Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Closures narrowed to a net loss of 200 in 2024, down from 1,500 in 2019. 2014: 4,000. 2019: 3,000. 2024: 3,800.
Who published this data?
Lifeway Research, 2025. Source: 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.