According to recent Barna surveys, more men are now attending church in America than women, the Christian Post reports.

Traditionally, women have outnumbered men when it comes to church attendance.

This shift in attendance started shortly after Covid, but became more pronounced this past year. In its latest State of the Church survey, Barna found that on average 43% of men attended church weekly, compared to only 36% for women.

Gen Z and Millennial men led the way in this transformation.

Just as significantly, Barna surveys also revealed that Gen Z and Millennials are attending church more often than other age groups. Their attendance has nearly doubled over the past five years.

The report stated that women are lagging behind in weekly attendance in every age group. But the difference was most pronounced among Gen Z and Millennials.

When it came to the difference in attendance between men and women, single women with children were the least likely to attend church. Only 24% reported they attended weekly.

In contrast, married men under the age of 18 who were fathers reported the highest attendance.

“For decades, women have outnumbered men in church attendance and have often led the way in spiritual participation,” Barna researchers wrote.

“But a significant shift is occurring in American Christianity that demands attention: Women—particularly younger women—are attending church less frequently than men,” Barna continued. “This reversal isn’t just a numerical milestone; it signals a broader cultural and spiritual turning point.“

Barna offered several explanations for this drop in female attendance:

• Women are joining the workforce and this along with home responsibilities has increased their stress. This has resulted in them cutting church attendance, which is looked upon as an extra burden.
• Women are delaying marriage and single women are unable to find their place in churches that are often family focused.
• Young women in particular are having a disconnect with the traditional leadership structure of most churches. Many young women are also leaning liberal, which again contrasts with most churches with conservative leanings.
• According to Barna CEO, David Kinnaman, women are also reacting to the moral failure in Church leadership. “When women see repeated examples of moral failure, abuse, or hypocrisy in church leadership, it deepens their disillusionment,” said Kinnaman.

This trend is not limited to just the US. A 2024 Finish study noticed a similar pattern taking place in that country. More men in the 16 to 29 age group were now attending church, than women.