Church Online Statistics for 2021

Trying to find the perfect church online statistics for your blog or presentation can be time-consuming. That's why we went around the web and compiled a list of church online stats for you to use.

Until recently, many churches ignored the power of the church online.

Many people thought that having that option takes away from the physical sanctuary, but we've all come to experience church online.

If you are looking for online church statistics, this stat sheet will provide you all the latest stats from around the web.

Table of contents:

• Church Social Media Statistics
• Church online Statistics
• Church Video Streaming Statistics
• Church Giving Statistics
• Church Online Giving Statistics
• Church in America Statistics
• Charity Statistics

Church Social Media Stats

I don't know about you, but most of our readers looking for online church statistics usually want to know about social media. That's why church social media had to be our first stop.

1. Many church statistics focus mainly on Facebook for social media, but it's essential not to count out Instagram. Not only do 35% of adults use Instagram, but Pew also found that 71% of 18-24 year-olds use Instagram. If you're trying to reach out to a younger audience, it's worth expanding your social media strategy to include Instagram. (reachrightstudios.com)
2. As churches grow and adapt to the era of omnipresent Wi-Fi and smartphones, social media has become one of the most effective and necessary ways of reaching new members. (blog.capterra.com)
3. Some church leaders are reluctant to welcome technology (and all of its complications) into the sanctity of their church completely. Learning how to effectively and comfortably use church technology and software can be a long process. (blog.capterra.com)
4. It's more important than ever, though, for churches to utilize social media, but the percentage of those that do remains alarmingly low. (blog.capterra.com)
5. If your church is deciding on which social network to use, Facebook is still number one. In fact, the Pew Research Center found that 68% of adults are Facebook users. The only other network that came close was YouTube at 40%. However, using both doesn't hurt, primarily if your church focuses on video content. (reachrightstudios.com)

Church Online Statistics

When it comes to having church online, we used to have two groups. One group was 100% in favor of church online, while the other was 100% opposed.

The COVID-19 has created a third group we call the "hybrid group." This group now entertains the possibility of enjoying both.

After reading the following church online stats, you will discover that the hybrid group is growing and will probably be the larger group even post COVID-19.

Why would someone choose to stay home and consume the gospel online rather than going to church ( fellowship)?

1. That's a fair question, and one that has been asked before, But as generations change and churches look for ways to change with them, the allure of connecting online rather than face-to-face has become too prevalent for church leadership to ignore. More importantly, churches need a way to include people who are physically unable to attend traditional services due to illness, disability, or distance. (blog.capterra.com)
2. A 2016 Pew Research Center survey found that people who report going to church less now than they used to say the logistics of getting there are the most significant deterrent. (blog.capterra.com)
3. So while attending church online may not be ideal in the eyes of most church leaders, isn't it better than not attending church at all? (blog.capterra.com)
4. Currently, 57% of the world uses the Internet, and 45% of the population uses social media. 3.4 billion people are using social media regularly. That's too large of a number to ignore. In just a single year, social media users increased by over 288 million. In fact, 83% of North America uses social media. (reachrightstudios.com)
5. Outside of sermons, which people expect to be longer, almost 66% of people prefer videos that are one minute or less. Try uploading quick Bible study videos to engage visitors on your website and social media platforms. (reachrightstudios.com)

Church Video Streaming Stats

One of the reasons many people don't go to church is that church clashes with their schedule. It is for this reason that many people choose to consume on-demand gospel.

While live-streaming is an excellent tool for the church to reach people across the globe, it shouldn't be the only medium.

If you are interested in learning about other effective ways other than streaming, we have an article for you. Digital Summit For Church - A Complete How-To Guide.

Here are some church video streaming stats you need to know.

1. Worship and faith-based communities are one of the fastest-growing groups online. Livestreaming for houses of worship is changing the way congregations practice their faith. More homes of worship are looking to streaming video to reach their congregations around the world. (livestream.com)
2. Social media users spend 50% of their online time using social media and streaming video. Of course, it shouldn't surprise you that younger users prefer online content. This means if your church isn't online, they probably aren't going to engage with you at all. (reachrightstudios.com)
3. Even if you're fully engaging your members in the church, you still need a church website. Why? According to Grey Matter Research, 17 million Americans who don't regularly attend church visited a church website. While most are searching for church hours or programs, 26% are streaming video, and another 26% are streaming audio. So yes, a website is vital for reaching more people and increasing your members. (reachrightstudios.com)
4. Of course, Americans don't observe Sunday as a day of rest quite like they used to. Many have no choice but to work during regular services. This doesn't mean they don't want to attend church. Instead, they seek out churches that offer videos of their sermons and an active online community. (reachrightstudios.com)

Church Giving Statistics

We can not about church online statistics without talking about church giving.

These church giving stats will help you understand how today's Christians give.

1. Religious organizations still account for the most charitable donations among all nonprofits in America. This is excellent news for your church. This means Americans are always giving, but the ways they give are changing. Even though overall attendance has declined, many churches are discovering that online tithing from social media and website followers is helping to bridge that gap. (reachrightstudios.com)
2. 30% of annual giving occurs in December. (nonprofitssource.com)
3. 10% of annual giving occurs in the last three days of the year. (nonprofitssource.com)
4. 77% believe everyone can make a difference by supporting causes. (nonprofitssource.com)
5. 4.5 is the average number of charities each person supports. (nonprofitssource.com)

Church Online Giving Statistics

For many years, many churches hesitated to implement online giving, but that has changed now. In fact, During the COVID-19 pandemic, almost 100% of church giving was done online.

Here is what you need to know about online church giving.

1. Online giving grew 12.1% in 2017. (nonprofitssource.com)
2. Online giving has seen consistent year over year growth: (nonprofitssource.com)
3. 2012: $19.2 billion (nonprofitssource.com)
4. 2013: $21.2 billion (nonprofitssource.com)
5. The State of church giving is in transition. The Giving Institute said in a 2015 press release that while charitable giving is up in the United States, the percentage of that giving going to churches has dropped from 53 percent in 1987 to 32 percent in 2015. Churches everywhere are feeling this dramatic slide. (pushpay.com)
6. Nonprofit Source, 2018 Setting aside the argument about whether God intends Christians to tithe or not, the number of people who give at least ten percent of their income to the church is less than a quarter. This is further proof that the Pareto principle (or the 80/20 rule) is alive and well. (pushpay.com)
7. But we shouldn't assume that there's no way around it. Through intentional and strategic teaching as well as facilitating the giving experiences that people are most comfortable with, it's possible to increase the percentage of Christians. The latter view is giving as an essential expression of their faith. (pushpay.com)
8. The free ebook, 2019 Digital Giving Trends in The Church, is a great place to get even more excellent information about tithers in the church. (pushpay.com)
9. 8/10 people who give to churches have zero credit card debt
10. Nonprofit Source, 2018 When you look at the things that consistent givers have in common, this is one of the most obvious. There are a lot of people who want to give but feel like they're in a financial position that precludes it. (pushpay.com)
11. In a culture that is continually pushing people to purchase what they cannot afford, the church should make a concerted effort to educate and free people so they can live more productive and generous lives without the constant stress that comes from debt. (pushpay.com)
12. Religious giving is down about 50% since 1990
13. New York Times, 2016 If you feel like you're pulling teeth to get people in your congregation to give, you're not alone. In fewer than twenty years, religious giving has dropped by half. How can we account for that? A lot of that has to do with an increase of the Nones. (pushpay.com)
14. The same New York Times article that spawned this statistic also noted that between 2007 and 2016, the unchurched in America jumped from 16 percent to 23 percent. (pushpay.com)
15. The percentage of charitable giving going to churches has dropped from 53% in 1987 to 32% in 2015. (pushpay.com)
16. The Giving Institute said in a 2015 press release that while charitable giving is up in the United States, the percentage of that giving going to churches has dropped from 53 percent in 1987 to 32 percent in 2015. (pushpay.com)
17. Nonprofit Source, 2018 Setting aside the argument about whether God intends Christians to tithe or not, the number of people who give at least ten percent of their income to the church is less than a quarter. (pushpay.com)

Church in America Statistics

The church in America is changing faster than other parts of the world. We created a special section to talk about the church in America because other parts of the world don't experience that same issues as we do, or at least not yet.

When it comes to online church statistics, it's vital to talk about the ever-changing and evolving church in America, and here are some stats you need to know.

Will Americans Replace Traditional Church with Digital Faith?

1. As part of our latest study, the State of the Church 2020 project, we set out to learn how practicing Christians a group already notably committed to their faith and to attending churches describe the presence of technology in their faith formation, from weekly sermons to weekday drives. (barna.com)
2. According to a Gallup Poll study, 50% of Americans belong to a church. Even though that number has dropped 20% since 1999, you shouldn't be concerned. It is a decline, but you have to consider that some people who attend church regularly don't always attend the same church. (reachrightstudios.com)
3. Individuals and families who move around often may choose not to become a member. They simply attend services at a church that's close to them at the time. (reachrightstudios.com)
4. Of course, Americans don't observe the day or worship as a day of rest quite like they used to. Many have no choice but to work during regular services. This doesn't mean they don't want to attend church. Instead, they seek out churches that offer videos of their sermons and an active online community. (reachrightstudios.com)

One question everyone is asking is, “ Will People Return To Church After COVID-19?” we have an extensive article that addresses that question here.

Americans Claiming No Religious Affiliation

1. One of the more odd church statistics comes from the same Gallup Poll. Currently, 19% of Americans don't have a religious preference. This is up from the 2000 survey, where only 8% stated that they didn't have a religious preference. (reachrightstudios.com)
2. That doesn't mean those Americans aren't religious. Some still attend a church and may even be a member of a church. However, most of these Americans don't attend church at all. (reachrightstudios.com)
3. The reasons vary greatly, but it's a good idea to poll people at community events your church hosts to understand better why they don't have a preference and what would help them be more likely to attend church. (reachrightstudios.com)
4. Odds are, this probably doesn't come as a surprise to you. Most of the decline you see in church growth and attendance comes as a direct result of millennials reaching adulthood and starting families. Since fewer of this generation attend church, churches are noticing less regular attendance and members. (reachrightstudios.com)

Millennials and Church

1. The Gallup Poll shows that only 42% of millennials attend church. This is the lowest generational percentage. Traditionalists come in at 68%, which is down from 77% in 2000. Even more generation X individuals attend church, though their rate has declined to 54% from 62%. (reachrightstudios.com)
2. One way to reach more millennials is by engaging them more. While some do prefer a more traditional church, many want to be more involved and become active participants in helping others and the local community. Churches who want to reach this demographic may also need to invest in newer technology and online strategies. (reachrightstudios.com)
3. It's easy to see a trend in the decline of religious preference as each generation has grown into adulthood. Traditionalists, which are the oldest generation polled, came in with the highest religious preference of 89%. This means most traditionalists had a set religion. Of course, organized religion was far more prevalent with this generation. (reachrightstudios.com)
4. These numbers start to drop slightly with the baby boomer generation. While 84% of them had a religious preference, it's still a decline. Generation X drops slightly more to 79%, with millennials dropping to just 68%. (reachrightstudios.com)
5. The wider availability of denominations and non-denominational churches are likely part of the reason. Plus, younger generations don't always engage in the same way as their older counterparts. Offering something for all ages helps to prevent generational gaps in religion. (reachrightstudios.com)

Church Online in America

1. According to a Gallup Poll study, 50% of Americans belong to a church. (reachrightstudios.com)
2. When it comes to digital ads, 63% of millennials are more likely to engage with a personalized ad. (reachrightstudios.com)
3. As one last insight about growing your church through social media, 51% of users are more likely to engage with a brand that shares real users' content. (reachrightstudios.com)
4. It shouldn't come as a surprise that seniors (93%) and Baby Boomers (90%) are more likely to own a Bible than millennials (82%). (reachrightstudios.com)
5. According to Barna, this includes people who engage with the Bible on their own at least 3-4 times a year. (reachrightstudios.com)
6. According to Grey Matter Research, 17 million Americans who don't regularly attend church visited a church website. (reachrightstudios.com)
7. Recent Barna data show that only 29 percent of U.S. Protestant pastors say their church is actively involved in addressing racism or racial inequality. (barna.com)
8. Numbers from actual counts of people in Orthodox Christian churches (Catholic, mainline and evangelical) show that in 2004, 17.7 percent of the population attended a Christian church on any given weekend. (churchleaders.com)
9. Their report reveals that the actual number of people worshiping each week is closer to Olson's 17.7 percent figure 52 million people instead of the pollster-reported 132 million (40 percent). (churchleaders.com)
10. The Top 20 fundraising institutions together raised $11.12 billion, 27.1 percent of the 2016 total. (nonprofitssource.com)
11. But 38 percent of churched adults and 27 percent of practicing Christians are occasionally attending other churches. (www1.cbn.com)
12. Majority of Churchgoers Value Church Attendance, More than 60 percent of churched adults, say they enjoy attending church, and the same is true for 82 percent of practicing Christians. (www1.cbn.com)
13. But practicing Christians showed a stronger commitment with 71 percent asserting membership. (www1.cbn.com)

Church Giving in America

1. The Giving Institute said in a 2015 press release that while charitable giving is up in the United States, the percentage of that giving going to churches has dropped from 53 percent in 1987 to 32 percent in 2015. (pushpay.com)
2. Nonprofit Source, 2018 Setting aside the argument about whether God intends Christians to tithe or not, the number of people who give at least ten percent of their income to the church is less than a quarter. (pushpay.com)

Charity Statistics

31% of donors worldwide give to NGOs, NPOs & charities located outside of their country of residence. (nonprofitssource.com)

41% give in response to natural disasters. (nonprofitssource.com)

Education giving saw relatively slower growth (3.6 percent) compared to the strong growth rates experienced in most post-recession years. In each of the years 2014 and 2015, education giving grew by more than 8 percent. (nonprofitssource.com)

Giving to international affairs, human services, and public-society benefit organizations all grew. This growth is despite relatively few widely publicized natural disasters, which often increase contributions to these types of organizations. (nonprofitssource.com)

Conclusion

I hope this church online statistics were helpful to your research. I created this list because it takes me a long time to find useful stats about the church online.

I created this list for myself but figured someone else might also benefit and I hope you did.

Did I leave out anything?

Please leave a comment or send me an email and I will be glad to include it.