Where church income came from
Percent of combined income of churches in an ECFA report, 2020 (in percent)
Key finding
Highest: Cash giving (87%). Lowest: Noncash giving (1%).
- Cash giving: 87%
- Other income: 12%
- Noncash giving: 1%
Source: Lifeway Research, Churches Endure Financial Hardships in Pandemic Years, Optimistic for Future · Report based on ECFA member churches and ministries; this breakdown covers 260 churches' 2020 income. Article published 2021-12-15.
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Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Highest: Cash giving (87%). Lowest: Noncash giving (1%). Cash giving: 87%. Other income: 12%. Noncash giving: 1%.
Who published this data?
Lifeway Research, 2020. Source: Lifeway Research, Churches Endure Financial Hardships in Pandemic Years, Optimistic for Future (https://research.lifeway.com/2021/12/15/churches-endure-financial-hardships-in-pandemic-years-optimistic-for-future/).
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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
- 2021 offerings compared with the previous year Lifeway Research, 2021
- Adults who have given financially to charitable organizations, by generation Barna Group, 2021
- Americans who prefer digital forms of giving Barna Group, 2021
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.