American Bible Society today released the fifth chapter of its 16th annual State of the Bible report, which focuses on three broad areas related to church health: attendance, spiritual vitality, and impact of church leadership. The data delineates findings across demographics, levels of Scripture engagement, and more. The fifth chapter of State of the Bible: USA 2026 is now available to download at StateoftheBible.org.

“It’s encouraging to see that a majority of churchgoers in America are satisfied with how their church is serving and equipping them for their daily walks of faith. We also see a consistent pattern that healthy churches keep the Bible at their core,” said Dr. John Farquhar Plake, American Bible Society’s Chief Innovation Officer and editor-in-chief of the State of the Bible series. “But the data also reveals opportunities for church leaders to reach out to specific people—especially young men—and guide them toward a richer, deeper relationship with God and their church through regular engagement with Scripture.”

State of the Bible findings come from a nationally representative survey designed by American Bible Society and fielded by NORC at the University of Chicago, using their AmeriSpeak panel. Responses came from 2,649 online and phone interviews with American adults in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Data were collected from January 8–27, 2026.

Key findings analyzed in Chapter 5: Church Health

  • The number of Americans who never or seldom attend a Christian church service has gone down by 4% since 2024, representing about 8 million more Americans that attended church about twice a year in 2025 (page 3).
  • Both Gen X and Millennials have seen an increase in church attendance in the last two years (Gen X from 49% to 54%, Millennials from 39% to 42%). Gen Z is the only generation that has seen a decrease (46% to 42%) (page 5).
  • More than half of Christian men don’t attend church on a monthly basis, with 1 in 5 reporting they never attend church. However, men are more likely than women to attend church in person (20% worship remotely, compared to 30% of women) (page 4).
  • A large majority of churchgoers—those who say they attend church at least once every six months—are satisfied with the way their church ministers to them (pages 7–8).
    • Across generations, women report the highest levels of satisfaction, and Gen Z men report the lowest levels (page 11).
    • Among those who are very satisfied with their churches, over 80 percent also agree or strongly agree that church leaders are helping them connect with the Bible (page 14).

Continuing monthly through November 2026, three distinct chapters in this year’s State of the Bible series will be released. Upcoming chapter highlights include findings on forgiveness, the supernatural, and contributory love and generosity.

To download the fifth chapter of State of the Bible 2026, visit StateoftheBible.org.

*State of the Bible includes definitions of Scripture Engagement, Bible Use (active and occasional users), Movable Middle, Nones, and other key terms on their website.