ArticleBlog | Numbers and trends – 21st century church statistics
Numbers and trends – 21st century church statistics
Author: Andy PeckPost Date: 16.06.21
Although the twenty-first century is only 20 years old, change is already the hallmark of the UK church scene. Prior to 2000, the overall assessment of the church was summarised in one word: ‘declining.’ While some would still use that word today, looking below the surface tells a different story. Over the last 50 years, the picture is readily summarised by the following graph, with the figure for 2025 a projection from existing trends:
The overall trend is plain. The Anglicans have seen all their basic measures drop, whether that is the Electoral Roll, its Usual Sunday Attendance or its Average Weekly Attendance. In 2012 a new measure was introduced, Worshipping Community, a count of all those associated with a particular church. While it increased between 2012 and 2015, it has slowly declined since, though it still embraces 1.1 million people, showing the church is actively in touch with 2% of the population.
The Roman Catholic Church has seen its Mass Attendance numbers drop, partly because of the abuse scandals, but also because of a shortage of priests, despite the requirement for them to continue until they are 75. The Presbyterian Church (largely the Church of Scotland) has seen the greatest rate of decline, partly because some churches have left, owing to its changing theology. There are many strains of Presbyterian independency seen north of the border, and not just over the last 50 years.
