A new survey is showing a surprising shift in who attends church as men surpass women in church attendance for the first time in twenty-five years. The data comes through Barna’s State of the Church initiative, which has shown a growing resurgence of men attending church beginning in the 2020 pandemic. It’s a dramatic turn, as women began largely outpacing men in church attendance in the early 2000’s. However, the number of women attending church has steadily declined while the number of men had also stagnated until recent years, with 2025 showing a particularly high spike amongst men’s church attendance.

Forty-three percent of men reported attending church regularly, while only 36% of women did. In 2000, the number of women attending church regularly was 47%, while men were at 38%. Married fathers with children under 18 were the highest group to regularly attend church, while single moms were the lowest group at 24%. Younger men in particular are showing the highest levels of engagement, particularly amongst Gen Z and Millennial men.

While increase male attendance is encouraging, it does lead to questions as to why women are lagging behind. “The question isn’t just whether men are showing up more—it’s also why women aren’t keeping pace. These trends prompt a deeper look into how women are experiencing church today, particularly younger women and single mothers,” said Daniel Copeland, Barna’s VP of Research. Some possible reasons cited by the research could be the fact that more women are delaying motherhood while churches continue to cater more toward the family structure. It also suggested that mothers, in particular single mothers, might see church as just one more thing to add as they juggle careers and children.

Another reason could be the growing liberalism amongst women, particularly young women. “Some researchers suggest the decline in women’s church attendance may stem from a growing disconnect between traditional, hierarchical church structures and the values of younger women — many of whom now identify as liberal politically,” the research noted. Men have been trending more conservative, particularly young men, with young men and young women having a particularly wide gap.

The study comes at a time of religious revival after the assassination of conservative activist, Charlie Kirk. Kirk was particularly popular amongst young men, with his death possibly inspiring even more young men to re-engage in the church. Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, who has gained attention for publicly forgiving her husband’s alleged murderer, could also draw in more young women as she becomes the public face of Kirk’s TPUSA. “What Charlie meant to young men, Erika has the ability to mean to young women. You can see how much love they shared in her family and as a couple,” Turning Point spokesperson Andrew Kolvet told NBC News. “It’s a great example for young people to aspire to and something I hope can bring healing into what has been a fractious relationship between men and women.”