The numbers do not tell the whole story of a congregation or a person. They can, however, help ministry leaders ask better questions, listen more carefully and serve real people with wisdom.
Key U.S. church attendance statistics
of U.S. adults identify as Christian.
Pew Research Center's 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study found that Christianity remains the largest religious tradition in the United States.
Pew Research Center, February 2025identify as atheist, agnostic or nothing in particular.
Pew calls this group religiously unaffiliated. It was 23% in the 2014 Religious Landscape Study and 16% in 2007.
Pew Research Center, February 2025say they pray at least once a day.
Pew reports that the daily-prayer figure has held between 44% and 46% since 2021.
Pew Research Center, February 2025attend religious services in person at least once a month.
This includes 25% who say they attend at least once a week. Pew cautions against direct comparison with its older telephone surveys because the newer study used mainly online and paper interviews.
Pew Research Center, February 2025attended religious services at least weekly in 2025.
PRRI's 2025 Census of American Religion reports this figure, compared with 31% in 2013. Its measure includes religious services and is reported as a long-term series.
PRRI, April 2026say they attend religious services seldom or never.
PRRI reports this as the 2025 figure, up from 42% in 2013 in its annual series.
PRRI, April 2026participate in religious services at least monthly, in person, online or both.
Pew's 2023-24 study combines in-person attendance with watching services online or on television for this broader measure.
Pew Research Center, February 2025watch religious services online or on television at least monthly.
The figure shows that a meaningful part of regular participation happens beyond the sanctuary, though it should not be treated as identical to in-person attendance.
Pew Research Center, February 2025of parents ages 25 to 34 attend services at least monthly.
Among people the same age who are not currently parenting a minor child, 20% say they attend at least monthly.
Pew Research Center, February 2025of adults raised in a very religious, weekly-attending home still identify with their childhood religion.
Pew reports that 15% of this group now identify with no religion and 10% identify with a different religion.
Pew Research Center, February 2025What these figures can and cannot tell us
Attendance is one helpful signal, not a measure of anyone’s faithfulness or spiritual hunger. The two major research projects on this page use different questions and methods, so their results should not be treated as interchangeable. Pew, for example, separates in-person and online participation in its 2023-24 study and notes that its newer survey format differs from earlier telephone studies.
For ministry leaders, the clearest invitation is not to make assumptions. It is to understand the people in front of you, make room for both in-person and online connection, and communicate the hope of the gospel with patience and clarity.
Explore pastor resourcesSources and methodology
Every statistic above links to the original publisher. The page includes only figures from national research organizations and preserves the study date, wording and context needed to interpret them responsibly.
- Pew Research Center, Religious Landscape Study 2023-24 survey of more than 35,000 U.S. adults, published February 26, 2025.
- Public Religion Research Institute, 2025 Census of American Religion Annual U.S. religious-attendance series through 2025, published April 2026.
Cite this page
Frederick Perry Sr. “U.S. Church Attendance Statistics: A 2026 Reference for Ministry Leaders.” Accessed October 20, 2026. https://frederickperrysr.com/church-attendance-statistics
When using a specific figure, please also cite the original research publisher linked with that statistic.