Church attendance

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are two days within the Christian penitential season of Lent that are popular days for churchgoing. The image on the left depicts a Lutheran Divine Service on Ash Wednesday while the image on the right depicts a Roman Catholic Good Friday service.[13]

The Gallup International, a self-reporting survey conducted via telephone, indicates that 37% of Americans report that they attend religious services weekly or near-weekly in 2013.[9] Self-reporting surveys conducted online indicate substantially lower weekly attendance rates,[14] and methods of measurement that don't rely on self-reporting estimate even lower rates; for instance, a 2005 study published in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion found that just 22% of Americans attend services weekly.[15]). This compares to other countries claims such as 15% of French citizens, 10% of British citizens,[16] 8.8% of Australian citizens and 5.6% of Dutch citizens.[17] In the U.K., in 2011, an average once-a-week attendance in Anglican churches went down by 0.3% compared with 2012, thus exhibiting a stabilizing trend.[18] Previously, starting from 2000, an average rate of weekly church attendance in Britain was dropping down 1% annually. In 2013, the Pew Research Center reported that 37% of all Americans attended church on a weekly basis.[19] In its turn, Gallup estimated the once-a-week church attendance of the Americans in 2013 as 39%.[20]

Based on 1990-1991 data, it was estimated that the country with the highest rate of church attendance in the world was Nigeria (89%) and with the lowest - the Soviet Union (2%).[21] Nigeria's data was notable, as Nigeria is very religiously diverse - the population is 50.1% Muslim and 48.2% Christian. The state authorities in the USSR, which dissolved in 1991, discouraged church construction; they had a hostile relationship with traditional organized religions and instead promoted Marxist-Leninist ideology, which espoused state atheism.[22][23] A survey commissioned by the Época Magazine in 2005 showed that 29% of Brazilians attend church weekly, and indicated that it is lesser than in the United States but higher than in Western Europe and Japan, indeed showing that contrary to the local popular belief, Brazilians of the time could indeed be regarded as a religious people even in practice (though it is ponderable that the growth of the population declaring to be solely irreligious in nationwide censuses grew about 100% between 2000 and 2010, and 200% between 2000 and 2013, from 4% to 12%, and general secularization also grew among the portion of the population that remained religious).[24]

In a 2006, Financial Times (FT)/Harris Poll conducted online surveyed 12,507 adults over 16 years old in the United States (2,010 U.S. adults were surveyed) and five European countries (France, Italy, Germany, Great Britain and Spain). The survey found that only 26% of those polled attended religious services "every week or more often", 9% went "once or twice a month", 21% went "a few times a year", 3% went "once a year", 22% went "less than once a year", and 18% never attend religious services. Harris Interactive stated that the magnitude of errors cannot be estimated due to sampling errors and non-response bias.[25] A previous nearly identical survey by Harris in 2003 found that only 26% of those surveyed attended religious services "every week or more often", 11% went "once or twice a month" 19% went "a few times a year", 4% went "once a year", 16% went "less than once a year", and 25% never attend religious services.

Calculating the church's average weekend attendance is important since it determines the size of a given church. For example, in the U.S., an average weekend attendance of more than 2,000 people separates a mega church from a large church, and an average weekend attendance between 51 and 300 people defines the large church; while a small church is the church with an attendance lower than 50 people.[26] (Alternative definitions, such as house church, simple church, intentional community, were proposed by the Barna Group, an American private consulting firm.[27]) A narrow definition of a regular church attendee can be viewed as a synonym for a Sunday service visitation, while a broad definition, names as a regular attendee a person who comes to church during three out of eight weekends.[28]

Attendance by country

The frequency at which Christians attend church services varies greatly around the world. In some countries weekly attendance at religious services is common among Christians, while in others weekly attendance is rare. The following attendance statistics are mostly based on self-reporting surveys and may not accurately reflect real attendance figures.

Percentage of Christians who attend church at least once a week Country Percentage Nigeria (2009)[29]   89% Zambia (2009)[29]   85% Haiti (2008-2009)[29]   85% Tanzania (2008-2009)[29]   83% Central African Republic (2009)[29]   83% Chad (2009)[29]   83% Liberia (2009)[29]   82% Mozambique (2009)[29]   81% Uganda (2009)[29]   81% Kenya (2008)[29]   80% Ethiopia (2009)[29]   78% Cameroon (2009)[29]   76% Guatemala (2013-2014)[30]   74% Democratic Republic of the Congo (2009)[29]   72% Rwanda (2008)[29]   70% Guinea-Bissau (2009)[29]   66% Jamaica (2009)[29]   66% Honduras (2014)[30]   64% Botswana (2008-2009)[29]   62% El Salvador (2013)[30]   61% South Africa (2008)[29]   60% Philippines (2013)[note 1][31]   58% Nicaragua (2013)[30]   55% Costa Rica (2013)[30]   51% Colombia (2013-2014)[30]   50% Japan (2017)[32]   50% Dominican Republic (2013-2014)[30]   48% Panama (2013-2014)[30]   48% Puerto Rico (2013-2014)[30]   47% Brazil (2013-2014)[30]   45% Mexico (2013-2014)[30]   45% Bolivia (2013-2014)[30]   41% Poland (2017)[33]   41% United States (2018)[34]   41% Venezuela (2017)[33]   41% Ecuador (2013-2014)[30]   38% Israel (2014-2015)[35]   38% Lebanon (2013)[note 1][31]   37% Italy (2019) [36]   37% Malta (2017)[37]   36.1% Peru (2013)[30]   35% Ireland (2017)[33][38]   35% Armenia (2020)[39]   34% Paraguay (2013-2014)[30]   32% Czech Republic (2013)[note 1][31]   26% Slovakia (2013)[note 1][31]   26% Slovenia (2009)[41]   26% Australia (2013)[note 1][31]   25% Bosnia and Herzegovina (2017)[33]   24% Croatia (2017)[42]   24% Romania (2017)[33]   24% Cyprus (2013)[30]   22% Spain (2019)[43]   21.5% Portugal (2011)[44]   19% Ukraine (2017)[33]   19% Chile (2014) [30]   19% Argentina (2019)[45]   17.4% Greece (2017)[33]   17% Netherlands (2013)[46]   16% Canada (2013-2014)[47]   15% Germany (2011)[note 1][48]   13% Uruguay (2014) [30]   13% Lithuania (2011)[note 1][48]   12% Belgium (2005)[note 2][50]   11% France (2011)[note 1][48]   11% United Kingdom (2019)[51]   11% Iceland (2017)[33]   10% Hungary (2017)[33]   9% Bulgaria (2017)[33]   9% Latvia (2017)[33]   8% Austria (2017)[33]   7% Sweden (2016)[52]   5% Norway (2011)[53]   5% Cuba (2012)[54]   5% Denmark (2015)[55]   3% Estonia (2017)[33]   2%

The following attendance statistics are taken from the 2004 Gallup report, based on self-reporting telephone surveys. However, it is unclear whether the survey was solely of Christians in the respective country or the entire population (including non-Christians).

Country	Year	Attendance (%)
Austria	2004	18% [56]
Cyprus	2004	22% [56]
Denmark	2004	3% [56]
Czech Republic	2004	11% [56]
Estonia	2004	4% [56]
Finland	2004	5% [56]
Greece	2004	27% [56]
Hungary	2004	12% [56]
Ireland	2004	54%[56]
Italy	2004	31% [56]
Latvia	2004	7% [56]
Lithuania	2004	14% [56]
Malta	2004	74%[56]
Norway	2002	3% [57]
Poland	2004	63%[56]
Portugal	2004	29% [56]
Slovakia	2004	33% [56]
Slovenia	2004	18% [56]
Spain	2004	21% [56]
Sweden	2004	5% [56]

A study by the European Social Survey conducted in 2008 found these rates of respondents never attending religious service (excluding special occasions):[58]

Respondents never attending religious services

Percentage	Countries
<10%	Cyprus,  Greece,  Poland,  Bosnia-Herzegovina
10-20%	Croatia,  Italy,  Ukraine
20-30%	Turkey,  Portugal,  Russia
30-40%	Estonia,  Germany,  Sweden
40-50%	Israel,  Spain,  Netherlands
50-60%	Belgium,  United Kingdom,  France
>60%	Czech Republic

Attendance by U.S. state

The frequency by which adults attend church services also vary on a state-by-state basis in the United States of America.

Percentage of adults who attend church at least once a week (2014):[59] State Percentage  Alabama   55%  Utah   53%  Tennessee   51%  Mississippi   49%  South Carolina   47%  Puerto Rico   47%  West Virginia   46%  Louisiana   46%  Virginia   44%  Oklahoma   43% Georgia   42%  Texas   42%  Arkansas   41%  Nebraska   39%  Kentucky   39%  North Carolina   39%  Washington, D.C.   39%  Wyoming   38%  Ohio   38%  Indiana   37%  Kansas   37%  Missouri   37%  Rhode Island   36%  Iowa   36%  South Dakota   36%  New Mexico   36%  Idaho   35%  Florida   35%  New Jersey   35%  Delaware   34%  Pennsylvania   34%  Minnesota   34%  Arizona   34%  Illinois   34%  Michigan   33%  North Dakota   33%  Montana   31%  Maryland   31%  Nevada   31%  California   31%  Washington   30%  Alaska   30%  Colorado   30%  Oregon   29%  New York   29%  Hawaii   28%  Connecticut   28%  Wisconsin   27%  Massachusetts   23%  New Hampshire   22%  Maine   22%  Vermont   21%

A Swedish Christian girl leads a church procession on Saint Lucy's Day

Church attendance remains stronger among older demographics, and more common for women.[60][61][62] There is evidence that links church attendance with health benefits. The Pew Research Center, which conducts the extensive research and information program Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, has linked regular church attendance with happiness.[63] Several studies associated church attendance with decreased risk of Alzheimer's disease.[64] Research by Rita W. Law and David A. Sbarra demonstrated that "church attendance was found to have a protective effect against the emergence of mood problems among older adults."[65] Graham et al. discovered that "consistent pattern of lower systolic and diastolic blood pressures among frequent church attenders was found compared to that of infrequent attenders which was not due to the effects of age, obesity, cigarette smoking, or socioeconomic status."[66] Oman D et al. found that "infrequent (never or less than weekly) attenders had significantly higher rates of circulatory, cancer, digestive, and respiratory mortality (p < 0.05), but not mortality due to external causes."[67] With respect to students, Glanville et al. found "that religious attendance promotes higher intergenerational closure, friendship networks with higher educational resources and norms, and extracurricular participation."[68] Research conducted at the Harvard School of Public Health found "that regularly attending church services together reduces a couple’s risk of divorce by a remarkable 47 percent".[69]

A 2018 sociological survey found that in the United States, "Donald Trump voters who attend church regularly are more likely than nonreligious Trump voters to have warmer feelings toward racial and religious minorities, to be more supportive of immigration and trade, and to be more concerned about poverty."[70][71] A 2005 European Union survey found that religious belief increased with age and was higher among women, those who were leaning towards right-wing politics, and those reflecting more upon philosophical and ethical issues.[72] In particular, the Iona Institute documented increasing church attendance in Ireland, despite sex-abuse scandals that plagued the Catholic Church.[73] Some suggest the rise is due to the effects of the economic recession.

Research shows that there is a correlation between church attendance and the level of education. For instance, in a Pew Research study from 1996, approximately 34% of high school dropouts went to church on a typical Sunday, while 44% of those with a college degree or higher did.[74] 48% of married individuals attended church on a typical Sunday, compared with 29% of divorced and 31% of never-married individuals. While it is likely that the well-educated and married might over-report their church attendance more often, these findings nevertheless demonstrate that they have maintained a stronger church-going identity than other Americans. In the United Kingdom, research in 2018 demonstrated that "Students at Oxford, Cambridge and Durham are twice as likely to worship on a Sunday as the general population"—colleges at these universities maintain approximately fifty-six chapels for worship.[75]

The Christian season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, most notably by the public imposition of ashes. In this photograph, a woman receives a cross of ashes on Ash Wednesday at an Episcopal Christian church.

Church attendance in advanced industrial societies is in gradual general decline with people shifting from weekly to monthly or holiday attendance. Sociologists have attributed this trend to a number of reasons, starting from a simple boredom during services and lack of motivation, to generational incompatibility of belief systems and social changes attributed to modernity.[82] Research across 65 different nations showed that out of 20 advanced industrial countries - 16 demonstrated a declining rate of monthly church attendance.[83]

An article published in the Christianity Today Magazine in 2007 suggested that in America, church attendance since the 1990s had remained stable.[84] According to the Handbook of the Sociology of Religion, 50% of Americans replied that God is very important in their lives, comparing with 40% of Irish, 28% of Canadians, 26% of Spaniards, 21% of Australians, and 10% of the French.[85]

The percent of Americans who regularly attend religious services has fluctuated over time, but presently is at a low point.[86] In Gallup Poll surveys, the yearly aggregate of those who answer "yes" to the question "Did you, yourself, happen to attend church or synagogue in the last seven days, or not?" was 36% in 2014, 2015, and 2016.[87] This is a very long-running Gallup question: "In 1939, when Gallup first asked this question, 41% said 'yes.' That percentage dropped to 37% in 1940 and rose to 39% in 1950. It continued to climb, reaching as high as 49% at multiple points in the 1950s. Attendance then settled down to figures around 40% for decades, before dropping to 36%" beginning in 2014.[86]

The decline in church attendance is more pronounced in developed European countries, where it is suggested that the secular culture overrides interest in religion. In Poland Church attendance has declined from more than 50% in 1979 to 40% in 2012.[88]

In the early 1990s, American sociologists Kirk Hadaway, Penny Marler, and Mark Chaves found that weekly attendance at Protestant and Catholic churches in one rural county in Ohio was only about 20%, whereas self-reported church attendance was 36%.[89] The following studies confirmed a long-suspected gap between actual and self-reporting church attendance.[90][91] The researchers have been wary of accusing over-reporters of dishonesty, as they found in the study that those who over-report do so mainly to maintain perceptions of themselves as "churched" Americans, not because they are afraid to reveal to the interviewer that they are "bad Christians."[92] The findings point to a bigger issue as many people in the world may be over-reporting church attendance because of their self-perception and identity as churchgoing people, indicating a certain psychological aspect to the over-reporting of church attendance. Although surveys of church attendance are aimed to study religious behavior, many respondents view them as questions about their identity. This is especially true among Americans who consider themselves "regular churchgoers."[93][94]

• Christian Church
• Christian denomination
• Church service
• Service of worship
• Jumu'ah (Muslim weekly congregation for prayer)
• Shabbat (Jewish weekly day of rest)