Reasons young adults gave for leaving church between ages 18 and 22
Percent of church dropouts ages 23-30, 2007 (in percent)
Key finding
Highest: I simply wanted a break from church (27%). Lowest: Chose to spend more time with friends outside the church (17%).
- I simply wanted a break from church: 27%
- I moved to college and stopped attending: 25%
- Work responsibilities prevented me from attending: 23%
Source: Lifeway Research, Reasons 18- to 22-Year-Olds Drop Out of Church · Lifeway Research survey in April and May 2007 of more than 1,000 adults ages 18-30. Article published 2007-08-07.
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Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Highest: I simply wanted a break from church (27%). Lowest: Chose to spend more time with friends outside the church (17%). I simply wanted a break from church: 27%. I moved to college and stopped attending: 25%. Work responsibilities prevented me from attending: 23%.
Who published this data?
Lifeway Research, 2007. Source: Lifeway Research, Reasons 18- to 22-Year-Olds Drop Out of Church (https://research.lifeway.com/2007/08/07/reasons-18-to-22-year-olds-drop-out-of-church/).
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More Next Generation statistics
- Childhood faith experiences of those who stayed Protestant vs. left Lifeway Research, 2026
- Churchgoers who say their church is multigenerational Lifeway Research, 2026
- Pastors who say engagement among men ages 18 to 35 has increased Barna Group, 2026
- Young adults who stopped attending church regularly for at least a year between ages 18 and 22 Lifeway Research, 2007
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.