Gen Z and Millennials Lead Church Attendance Growth in 2023

For the longest time, the group with the highest church attendance has been the older generations, while young people have been much less likely to attend church consistently. However, recent data from Barna Group has found that the roles have seemed to switch. Gen Z has risen to 1.9 services per month, or 23 visits a year. And millennials at 1.8 times per month, or 22 times a year.

This is the highest percentage across all years Barna has tracked attendance.

Now, older generations, baby boomers, are now averaging 1.4 times per month, which is around 17 attendances a year, which has had a major decline from the 2000s, when elder church attendance was 2.3 times a month, or about 28 a year.

And since 2020, millennials and Gen Z have almost doubled their attendance, from about once a month to two times a month.

It might not seem like much on the surface, but this is a huge step toward bringing people back to church. And it shows just how hungry people are for the truth.

The majority of the people who make up these statistics for a growth in church attendance are young white men.

Graph illustrating church attendance trends among different generations from 2010 to 2025, highlighting the rise in attendance for Gen Z and Millennial men and women.

Before this time, women had surpassed men in most categories of church attendance. The Survey Center on American Life project found that last year, more young women than young men claimed to be disaffiliated from religion. It is a surprise that the roles are being switched.

The question is why young men are turning towards Christianity. According to a Gallup Poll, one in four men under the age of 35 reported feeling lonely the prior day. The same poll found that U.S. men under 35 were among the loneliest in the West. Young men view this as rebellious and very counter-cultural. These men crave the sense of community that comes with being a part of a church.

John Simmons, a writer for Religion Unplugged, said he observed more men searching for a purpose and community in their lives, especially from the isolation of COVID-19.

I think that people are looking for something real, looking for truth in the world. In 2023, there was a 20% jump in Bible sales, and in 2024, a 14% increase.

This is a testament to the fact that people are tired of throwing themselves at things in search of fulfillment and not finding it. Let’s hope and pray this unexpected and amazing growth doesn’t end here.