A 25 Year Shift: Men Are Now More Engaged in Church Than Women
After a decades-long trend, men now outpace women in church attendance, according to a new survey by the Barna Group.
The survey, which utilized 25 years of survey data from online and telephone interviews with 132,020 adults, found that 43% of men and 36% of women reported attending church regularly (weekly) in their most recent survey wave, according to Church Leaders.
“In five of the last six years, men have outpaced women in this key measure of religious engagement, and the 2025 gap is the largest measured,” the Barna stated.
The survey also found an increase in church attendance among men and women, especially those from Gen Z.
“These shifts reveal new patterns of participation and disengagement among key groups that may reshape the fabric of church life in the years to come,” said Barna.
Barna also found several reasons for the shift in church attendance between men and women, including women managing their lives with careers, families, and side projects. Meanwhile, other women who are waiting to marry find it difficult to engage in church settings.
There is also a sense of disillusion or mistrust among women due to moral failures or abuse by male church leadership.
Regarding parents, married fathers are more likely to attend church, while single mothers are least likely.
“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.
Daniel Copeland, Barna’s Vice President of Research, noted that the survey shows both why male church attendance is increasing and why women are struggling.
“The question isn’t just whether men are showing up more—it’s also why women aren’t keeping pace,” Copeland said. “These trends prompt a deeper look into how women are experiencing church today, particularly younger women and single mothers.”
Originally published October 09, 2025.
