Church attendance has recovered from a Covid slump and is on an upward directory according to research from NCLS (National Church Life Survey).
“The results across five years show an increase in attendance from 18% in 2016 up to 22% in 2019,” the Australian Community Survey (ACS) conducted by NCLS reports. “In 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, attendance dropped to 16%. However, in 2021, around one in five Australians (21%) reported attending religious services frequently i.e., at least monthly. Among frequent attenders, 13% attended weekly or more often.”
The survey was conducted in November 2021 and will be followed up later this year. The increase in church attendance – certainly the trend of increasing numbers – is statistically significant. “The maximum margin of error on a random sample of 1,200 at a 95% level of confidence is 2.8%,” a NCLS spokesperson told Theothercheek. “That is, assuming a simple random sample, there is a 95% chance that a sample result falls within ±2.8% of the result for the population.”
NCLSIn 2021 a further 30% of Australians were infrequent attenders: this is made up of 12% who go once or a few times a year and 18% who attend less than yearly. Around half of all Australians (49%) reported that they never attend religious services.
The ACS also found that “in 2021 a further 30% of Australians were infrequent attenders: this is made up of 12% who go once or a few times a year and 18% who attend less than yearly. Around half of all Australians (49%) reported that they never attend religious services.”
Younger people are the most frequent attenders at church services, the ACS found. Almost one in three (32%) Australians aged 18 to 34 attend religious services at least once a month.
“When it comes to attending a religious service weekly, both the 18 to 34 year old age group and the 65+ age group have similar proportions attending. Both age groups have 17% claiming to attend weekly or more often.
“However, young adults, the survey revealed, are much more likely to attend one to three times a month, at a rate of 15%, compared with only 2% for the 65+ age group.”