More than a million people regularly attend Church of England services, full annual statistics published today confirm, showing that congregations saw their fifth year of growth in 2025.
The worshipping community, made up of regular church attenders, grew 1.5 per cent in 2025, to 1.03 million, while all age average weekly attendance rose by 0.8 per cent or 6,000, to 707,000. The number of children attending church regularly rose by 8,000 over the period 2024/25.
Average Sunday attendance grew by 1.6 per cent, or 9,000, to 590,000, according to the Church of England’s Statistics for Mission 2025.
Easter, Advent and Christmas church attendance showed the strongest growth with the numbers attending Easter services rising by 7.6 per cent to 1.03 million, and Christmas attendance rising 5.2 per cent to 1.96 million.
Advent – the month before Christmas – drew the largest numbers of people into Church of England churches with 4.85 million attendances for congregation, community, civic and school services.
Although baptisms overall were down, the number of children and teenagers aged between five and 17 years old being baptised rose in 2025. Adult baptisms rose for the second year running by more than 1,000, with 9,900 baptisms of adults recorded last year.
It is the fifth year in a row in which attendance both on Sundays and across the week have risen – the first time this has been seen since current records have been kept.
Today’s full report confirms the trend seen in an early snapshot of 2025 attendance statistics published in May. Despite this growth, attendance and participation remain below pre-pandemic levels.
Commenting on the growth in attendance, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, said: “This is a such an encouraging sign of God at work in our church and in our congregations. Behind these numbers are individual people who are coming to our churches and experiencing the presence of the living, loving God.
“Whether at morning prayer, a Sunday service, Evensong, a youth hub, a parent and toddler group – or any of the countless ways that the Church of England serves our communities in every parish – it is clear that people are seeking meaning, connection and hope in a turbulent world.
“I have seen this growth on many visits to parishes and dioceses this year. I’m grateful for the tireless and often unseen work of clergy, lay ministers and volunteers who provide a warm welcome to all those attending church, whether that is every week, or for the first time.”
The Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham, Paul Williams, said: “I am pleased to see that attendance has risen across the Church of England for the fifth year running, and thankful to God for the hard work and faithfulness of our congregations and clergy in communicating the Good News of the Gospel in every community.
“There is nothing better you can do with your life than become a follower of Jesus Christ, and my prayer is that we will reach many more with the message of the Christian faith in the coming years. So many in our communities, particularly young people, are searching for meaning in their lives, and the transforming message that they are loved by God.”
- Read more about the Church of England’s social support for its communities in the Statistics for Mission 2025.