Reasons young adults give for dropping out of church
Percent of young adults who attended a Protestant church as a teen and dropped out for a year, citing each reason, 2023 (in percent)
Key finding
Highest: Change in life situation (96%). Lowest: Student ministry (63%).
- Change in life situation: 96%
- Church or pastor: 73%
- Religious, ethical or political beliefs: 70%
Source: Lifeway Research, How to Help Students Stay in Church After High School · Article published 2023-05-16.
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Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Highest: Change in life situation (96%). Lowest: Student ministry (63%). Change in life situation: 96%. Church or pastor: 73%. Religious, ethical or political beliefs: 70%.
Who published this data?
Lifeway Research, 2023. Source: Lifeway Research, How to Help Students Stay in Church After High School (https://research.lifeway.com/2023/05/16/how-to-help-students-stay-in-church-after-high-school/).
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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
- Greatest spiritual concerns of Gen Z Christians Barna Group, 2024
- Outcomes churched teens say they experienced from childhood church ministry Barna Group, 2024
- Regularly attended a Christian church during childhood Barna Group, 2024
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.