Catholics Trail Protestants in Church Attendance

by George H. Gallup Jr.

Senior Staff Writer

After dipping to an all-time low in the wake of the recent sex abuse

scandals afflicting the Catholic Church, weekly church attendance among Catholics appears to be on the rebound. However, historical  Gallup Poll data show that Protestants have now clearly overtaken Catholics in church attendance, for the first time in Gallup polling history. Between March 2002, when the news of the scandals broke, and February 2003, weekly church attendance among Catholics fell nine percentage points to 35%, the lowest measurement since Gallup began asking the question in 1955. By November 2003*, however, the figure had climbed 10 percentage points to 45%. Protestants levels of church attendance, meanwhile, remained fairly stable during this same period.

While it is up from earlier this year, that 45% figure among Catholics is 29 percentage points lower than the 74% recorded when this question was first asked in 1955. Comparatively, Protestants church attendance is actually slightly higher in November 2003 (48%) than it was in 1955 (42%).

George Gallup Jr. is the Chairman of the George H. Gallup International Institute and is recognized internationally for his research and study on youth, health, religion, and urban problems.

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