Top reasons young adults who stayed in church gave for not dropping out
Percent of young adults who stayed in church, 2021 (in percent)
Key finding
Highest: Saw church as a vital part of their relationship with God (56%). Lowest: Wanted to follow a parent or family member's example (43%).
- Saw church as a vital part of their relationship with God: 56%
- Wanted church to help guide decisions in everyday life: 54%
- Wanted to follow a parent or family member's example: 43%
Source: Lifeway Research, The Most Pivotal Age to Keep Young Adults in Church · Article published 2021-07-01.
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Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Highest: Saw church as a vital part of their relationship with God (56%). Lowest: Wanted to follow a parent or family member's example (43%). Saw church as a vital part of their relationship with God: 56%. Wanted church to help guide decisions in everyday life: 54%. Wanted to follow a parent or family member's example: 43%.
Who published this data?
Lifeway Research, 2021. Source: Lifeway Research, The Most Pivotal Age to Keep Young Adults in Church (https://research.lifeway.com/2021/07/01/the-most-pivotal-age-to-keep-young-adults-in-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
- Church dropouts who say leaving was not an intentional decision Lifeway Research, 2022
- Churchgoing teenagers who drop out for at least a year between ages 18 and 22 Lifeway Research, 2022
- Churchgoing teenagers who stopped attending for at least a year as young adults Lifeway Research, 2022
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.