The quiet revival - new study shows Gen Z leads rise in church attendance
Church attendance has risen by 50 per cent over the last six years, with 2 million more people attending church in England and Wales, according to a new survey commissioned by Bible Society
The findings come in The Quiet Revival report, which references two data sets commissioned by Bible Society and conducted by YouGov to track attitudes to the Bible and Christianity and related religious behaviours in the adult population of England and Wales. Both surveys were conducted large, nationally representative samples.
The 2018 survey found that 8 per cent of the adult population (3.7 million) attended church at least monthly. By 2024 this had risen to 12 per cent (5.8 million).
The most dramatic increase was seen among young adults, particularly young men.
In 2018, just 4 per cent of 18–24-year-olds said that they attended church at least monthly. Today, this has risen to 16 per cent, with young men increasing from 4 per cent to 21 per cent, and young women from 3 per cent to 12 per cent.
The report’s co-author Dr Rhiannon McAleer said, ‘These are striking findings that completely reverse the widely held assumption that the Church in England and Wales is in terminal decline.
'While some traditional denominations continue to face challenges, we’ve seen significant, broad-based growth among most expressions of Church – particularly in Roman Catholicism and Pentecostalism.
'There are now over 2 million more people attending church than there were six years ago.’
Some of the increase in churchgoing has been driven by an increase in the ethnic minority population across England and Wales – among whom churchgoing rates tend to be higher – resulting in greater ethnic diversity in the Church. Today, around one in five churchgoers (19 per cent) are from an ethnic minority. Among 18–54-year-olds that figure rises to one in three (32 per cent), pointing to a Church which is increasingly diverse, and more so than the general population. However, there has also been a significant increase in churchgoing among the white population.
Dr McAleer said: ‘The stereotype of churchgoers is that they are predominantly old, white and female. Increasingly, that is no longer the case. We’re seeing increasing ethnic diversity, but also large numbers of younger people from all ethnicities and many more men attending church.’
Alongside this significant demographic change within churches, the report highlights evidence of 'an active and vibrant Church', said Bible Society. Both Bible reading and confidence in the Bible have increased among churchgoers compared to 2018, 'indicating that new attenders are even more engaged in Christian belief and practice'.
Furthermore, the report identifies both a greater openness to faith and spirituality, and to churchgoing in general, even among non-churchgoers. Younger people are particularly warm to spirituality, with 40 per cent of 18–24-year-olds saying they pray at least monthly and 51 per cent saying they’ve undertaken a spiritual practice in the last six months – the highest of any age group.
Among non-churchgoing 18–24-year-olds curiosity about Christianity is also typically higher than average, with 34 per cent saying they would attend church if invited by a friend or family member and a quarter (25 per cent) saying they would be interested in discovering more about the Bible – again, the highest of any age group.
The report also shows how churchgoing affects both individual wellbeing and the local community.
The report’s co-author, Dr Rob Barward-Symmons, added: ‘With much of the population struggling with mental health, loneliness and a loss of meaning in life, in particular young people, church appears to be offering an answer. We found that churchgoers are more likely than non-churchgoers to report higher life satisfaction and a greater feeling of connection to their community than non-churchgoers. They are also less likely to report frequently feeling anxious or depressed – particularly young women.’
Communities are also impacted, as churchgoers are more likely to participate in activities that benefit their neighbourhoods than either other religious groups or the general population. The report found that churchgoers are more likely to volunteer, donate to foodbanks and give to charitable causes. For instance, 18–34-year-old churchgoers are almost twice as likely to donate to a food bank as their non-churchgoing peers.
Dr McAleer said: ‘Our report does not challenge the well-established fact that fewer people in England and Wales are choosing to identify as Christian.
'However, it is the first large-scale study to concentrate not on self-declared Christian identity but on actual Christian practice. By this measurement, the Church is in an exciting period of growth and change.
‘The findings of the report should change how we think about faith in England and Wales, and particularly about Christianity. It should encourage church leaders and decision-makers to plan for growth rather than decline, and it should challenge the media and civic society to engage with and represent this significant and growing section of the population.’
Bible Society’s chief executive Paul Williams said, ‘This is a highly significant report which should transform the perception of Christianity and churchgoing in England and Wales. Far from being on a slippery slope to extinction, the Church is alive and growing and making a positive difference to individuals and society.’
Baptist Times, 08/04/2025