Barna Asks Whether the Shift in Church Attendance Is the ‘Decline of Women or the Rise of Men’
Historically, there has been an ongoing decline in church attendance. Today’s statistics, however, show that church attendance among women is about the same as it has been, with perhaps a slight increase. There is not a significant decline as in decades past.
“The latest data suggests a complex but hopeful picture: more Americans are returning to church, and men are attending at higher rates than at any point in the last 25 years of Barna’s tracking,” the study found.
Church attendance is on the rise, with men outpacing women.
“The question isn’t just whether men are showing up more—it’s also why women aren’t keeping pace,” Barna’s VP of Research Daniel Copeland shared. “These trends prompt a deeper look into how women are experiencing church today, particularly younger women and single mothers.”
Churches are encouraged to take a closer look at their own attendance numbers—and more importantly, the causes behind any changes in attendance. Are churches noticing a slowing of engagement, especially in the case of women? Barna asks, “How do these dynamics reshape the community life, leadership pipelines, and discipleship rhythms of local congregations?”
