![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/church-doors-iStock-1024x683.jpg\")
Picture: iStock<\/p>\nPicture: iStock<\/p>\n
Hannah Felsbourg<\/p>\n
9 August 2025<\/p>\n
Anglicans have the highest number of local churches in Australia despite experiencing steeper decline than some other denominations in the post-COVID recovery period, a new report shows.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The National Church Life Survey Church Pulse Check 2021 to 2024 shows the Anglican Church had 2527 local churches across the country in 2021, more than any other denomination.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With 118,000 weekly attenders in 2024, the Anglican Church dropped from second to fourth place among Australia\u2019s largest denominations over the past two decades.\u00a0<\/p>\n
NCLS Research executive director Ruth Powell said there was strength in the diversity of geography and approach of the Anglican Church across Australia.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Anglican Church was the most embedded in local communities of any denomination, Dr Powell said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She said this widespread presence was something the Anglican Church could harness and work with while facing challenges.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Read more: Why Australians are walking away from church<\/a><\/p>\n Those challenges include decreased weekly church attendance and particular vulnerability during the pandemic recovery period.\u00a0<\/p>\n Dr Powell said the Anglican Church\u2019s struggles were partly due to its heavy presence in regional areas affected by rural population decline.\u00a0<\/p>\n She said changing migration patterns that historically benefited the Church through British migration were also a factor.\u00a0<\/p>\n By 2024, Catholic attendance had recovered to 75 per cent of 2001 levels.\u00a0<\/p>\n Meanwhile Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian and Uniting churches had recovered to 62 per cent.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, some denominations experienced strong growth. The report found Pentecostal churches had the strongest growth since 1991, with attendance reaching 252 per cent of 1991 levels by 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n Pentecostal denomination Australian Christian Churches became the second-largest by weekly attendance, a position it has held since 2016.\u00a0<\/p>\n The findings come from a report based on data collected from denominational leaders and the 2021-22 National Church Life Survey covering 21 denominations.\u00a0<\/p>\n Read more: Hidden undercurrent of Australians turn to Christianity<\/a><\/p>\n The report counted Protestant congregations as separate local churches, while Catholic parishes were counted as single units even when they included multiple mass centres. \u00a0<\/p>\n Dr Powell said this difference reflected how each denomination organised its church structure.\u00a0<\/p>\n She said the research provided a crucial reality check for church leaders in the post-COVID period.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cLooking away doesn\u2019t change reality,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Dr Powell said the evidence showed that people who were part of faith communities had higher levels of belonging, purpose and personal wellbeing than average.\u00a0<\/p>\n They were also more likely to be civically engaged, to volunteer and to offer informal help to people, she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cEven struggling churches are worth investing in because society benefits when people bring a faith perspective to life,\u201d Dr Powell said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The full Church Pulse Check report is available through NCLS Research\u2019s website<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n For more faith news, follow\u00a0The Melbourne Anglican\u00a0on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0Instagram<\/a>,\u00a0X<\/a>, or\u00a0subscribe to our weekly emails<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t