Who parents say is primarily responsible for teaching their children about religious beliefs
Percent of U.S. parents of children under age 13, 2024 (in percent)
Key finding
Highest: Parents (85%). Lowest: Child's school (1%).
- Parents: 85%
- Their church: 11%
- Child's school: 1%
Source: Barna Group, Parents Accept Responsibility for Their Child’s Spiritual Development But Struggle With Effectiveness · Barna survey of parents of children under 13; margin of error 3.2 points at 95% confidence. Article published 2024-01-13.
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Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Highest: Parents (85%). Lowest: Child's school (1%). Parents: 85%. Their church: 11%. Child's school: 1%.
Who published this data?
Barna Group, 2024. Source: Barna Group, Parents Accept Responsibility for Their Child’s Spiritual Development But Struggle With Effectiveness (https://www.barna.com/research/parents-accept-responsibility-for-their-childs-spiritual-development-but-struggle-with-effectiveness/).
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More Families & Marriage statistics
- Churchgoing parents who feel supported by their church American Bible Society, 2026
- Other parenting challenges reported by American parents American Bible Society, 2026
- Parents who say their kids like going to church American Bible Society, 2026
- How much teens' families talk about religion at home Springtide Research Institute, 2025
- Living below the poverty line by family type Lifeway Research, 2025
- Marital status of pastors Lifeway Research, 2025
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.