The National Church Institutions first started collecting attendance data centrally in the autumn of 2000; as a result, it is not possible to publish data for the period 1994-1999. A methodological change also took place between 2000 and 2003 which means statistics for those years are not directly comparable with the data now collected. The data displayed below shows the longest period of comparable figures available, from 2003-2022.<\/p>
<\/p><\/td> | Adult average weekly attendance<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Child average weekly attendance<\/strong><\/p><\/td> All age average weekly attendance<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Adult average Sunday attendance<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Child average Sunday attendance<\/strong><\/p><\/td> All age average Sunday attendance<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Adult average school service attendance<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Child average school service attendance<\/strong><\/p><\/td> All age average school service attendance<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2003<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 905,000<\/p><\/td> 218,000<\/p><\/td> 1,126,000<\/p><\/td> 802,000<\/p><\/td> 154,000<\/p><\/td> 959,000<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2004<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 896,000<\/p><\/td> 220,000<\/p><\/td> 1,119,000<\/p><\/td> 789,000<\/p><\/td> 151,000<\/p><\/td> 942,000<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2005<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 898,000<\/p><\/td> 218,000<\/p><\/td> 1,119,000<\/p><\/td> 791,000<\/p><\/td> 147,000<\/p><\/td> 941,000<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2006<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 894,000<\/p><\/td> 217,000<\/p><\/td> 1,115,000<\/p><\/td> 786,000<\/p><\/td> 145,000<\/p><\/td> 935,000<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2007<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 888,000<\/p><\/td> 205,000<\/p><\/td> 1,097,000<\/p><\/td> 779,000<\/p><\/td> 137,000<\/p><\/td> 919,000<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2008<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 877,000<\/p><\/td> 215,000<\/p><\/td> 1,094,000<\/p><\/td> 768,000<\/p><\/td> 139,000<\/p><\/td> 910,000<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2009<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 867,000<\/p><\/td> 211,000<\/p><\/td> 1,082,000<\/p><\/td> 758,000<\/p><\/td> 134,000<\/p><\/td> 895,000<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2010<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 851,000<\/p><\/td> 208,000<\/p><\/td> 1,062,000<\/p><\/td> 741,000<\/p><\/td> 130,000<\/p><\/td> 874,000<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2011<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 840,000<\/p><\/td> 207,000<\/p><\/td> 1,050,000<\/p><\/td> 728,000<\/p><\/td> 127,000<\/p><\/td> 858,000<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2012<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 843,000<\/p><\/td> 202,000<\/p><\/td> 1,049,000<\/p><\/td> 733,000<\/p><\/td> 128,000<\/p><\/td> 864,000<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2013<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 836,000<\/p><\/td> 157,000<\/p><\/td> 994,000<\/p><\/td> 721,000<\/p><\/td> 124,000<\/p><\/td> 845,000<\/p><\/td> 23,000<\/p><\/td> 103,000<\/p><\/td> 126,000<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2014<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 831,000<\/p><\/td> 144,000<\/p><\/td> 975,000<\/p><\/td> 711,000<\/p><\/td> 119,000<\/p><\/td> 830,000<\/p><\/td> 35,000<\/p><\/td> 113,000<\/p><\/td> 148,000<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2015<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 819,000<\/p><\/td> 140,000<\/p><\/td> 959,000<\/p><\/td> 698,000<\/p><\/td> 115,000<\/p><\/td> 813,000<\/p><\/td> 40,000<\/p><\/td> 131,000<\/p><\/td> 171,000<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2016<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 791,000<\/p><\/td> 132,000<\/p><\/td> 922,000<\/p><\/td> 671,000<\/p><\/td> 108,000<\/p><\/td> 780,000<\/p><\/td> 42,000<\/p><\/td> 139,000<\/p><\/td> 182,000<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2017<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 767,000<\/p><\/td> 127,000<\/p><\/td> 895,000<\/p><\/td> 653,000<\/p><\/td> 104,000<\/p><\/td> 757,000<\/p><\/td> 46,000<\/p><\/td> 152,000<\/p><\/td> 198,000<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2018<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 752,000<\/p><\/td> 120,000<\/p><\/td> 872,000<\/p><\/td> 635,000<\/p><\/td> 96,000<\/p><\/td> 730,000<\/p><\/td> 40,000<\/p><\/td> 137,000<\/p><\/td> 177,000<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2019<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 734,000<\/p><\/td> 120,000<\/p><\/td> 854,000<\/p><\/td> 613,000<\/p><\/td> 94,000<\/p><\/td> 707,000<\/p><\/td> 41,000<\/p><\/td> 141,000<\/p><\/td> 182,000<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2020<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 317,000<\/p><\/td> 28,000<\/p><\/td> 345,000<\/p><\/td> 273,000<\/p><\/td> 24,000<\/p><\/td> 298,000<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td> n/a<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2021<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 531,000<\/p><\/td> 75,000<\/p><\/td> 605,000<\/p><\/td> 447,000<\/p><\/td> 62,000<\/p><\/td> 509,000<\/p><\/td> 18,000<\/p><\/td> 71,000<\/p><\/td> 89,000<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2022<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 567,000<\/p><\/td> 87,000<\/p><\/td> 654,000<\/p><\/td> 477,000<\/p><\/td> 70,000<\/p><\/td> 547,000<\/p><\/td> 36,000<\/p><\/td> 128,000<\/p><\/td> 164,000<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> <\/p> Attendance figures are collected from churches for the first 4 Sundays of October and in the following Monday-Saturday midweek periods - this exercise is referred to as the "October count\u201d. Figures include attendance at baptisms, as these usually take place in service, but not attendance at weddings and funerals. Attendance at services for schools is NOT included in the average weekly and average Sunday attendance figures but is reported separately.<\/p> In 2013, the question was changed to specifically ask about attendance at school services. Prior to 2013, it was apparent that some churches included such attendance in their reported figures while others did not. The change in question during this year resulted in a large change in the average weekly attendance from 2012 to 2013 and a more consistent practice across the church as a whole.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1453", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrew Selous"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South West Bedfordshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Andrew Selous"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-04-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-04-12T13:23:00.667Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "9"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Church Commissioners"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Church Commissioners"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2024-03-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Church Services: Attendance"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what average weekly attendance was in each year since 1994.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4679", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Neil O'Brien"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Harborough"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Neil O'Brien"}
], "uin" : "19961"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1196249", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Church Commissioners"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1196249/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The most recent survey of church attendance was published in 2018, and the table below contains figures aggregated from 2014-18 using average weekly attendance figures at all age services. These figures are collected each year during four weeks in October.<\/p> The figures in the table below include adult and child attendance at Sunday and midweek church services and fresh expressions, but not attendance at services for schools. Special local services such as memorials to commemorate flooding \u2013 can lead to fluctuations in the figures.<\/p> <\/p><\/td> 2014<\/p><\/td> 2015<\/p><\/td> 2016<\/p><\/td> 2017<\/p><\/td> 2018<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Rother Valley*<\/p><\/td> 1,450<\/p><\/td> 1,260<\/p><\/td> 1,170<\/p><\/td> 1,130<\/p><\/td> 980<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Yorkshire*<\/p><\/td> 82,600<\/p><\/td> 82,800<\/p><\/td> 77,600<\/p><\/td> 75,500<\/p><\/td> 75,200<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Church of England<\/p><\/td> 975,300<\/p><\/td> 959,900<\/p><\/td> 921,700<\/p><\/td> 893,900<\/p><\/td> 870,900<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> <\/p> |