Young people lead resurgence in Christmas carol services across UK churches

Young people are driving a boost in attendance at Christmas carol services at churches across the UK, MPs have been told.

Speaking in Parliament representing the Church Commissioners, Marsha de Cordova said churches reported “fuller congregations for carol services” in December last year.

She added the increasing number of attendees at these services was in line with a rising number of worshippers.

"Whilst church attendance statistics for 2025 are still being collated, early indication suggests an increase in attendance at Advent and Christmas services," Ms de Cordova told MPs.

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“Indeed, churches have reported fuller congregations for carol services, especially for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services, and this is consistent with the upward seasonal patterns seen over the recent years.”

Ms de Cordova, Labour MP for Battersea, later said: “Anecdotal evidence does suggest that attendance is growing, especially in urban areas and among young people.”

According to the Church of England, attendance has risen four years in a row.

The overall number of regular worshippers across its congregations rose to 1.009 million in 2024, a rise of 0.6 per cent, the annual Statistics for Mission found.

Douglas McAllister, Labour MP for West Dunbartonshire, asked what the Church of England was doing “to attract new worshippers” ahead of Good Friday on April 3 and Easter Sunday on April 5.

Ms de Cordova explained the Church produced a “large number of resources for major festivals, in addition to their regular Everyday Faith app”.

She urged MPs to “consider visiting” churches in their constituencies during the Lent and Easter periods.

Figures released by YouGov last year showed that belief in God among 18 to 24-year-olds almost tripled in just three-and-a-half years, rising from 16 per cent in August 2021 to 45 per cent in January 2025.

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Among 25-49s, belief was shown to have risen more modestly, from 21 per cent to 33 per cent over the same period.

Church attendance figures have also increased, according to two YouGov polls in 2018 and 2024, which showed a 56 per cent growth in UK adults attending church at least once a month.

When comparing the data, which excludes weddings, baptisms and funerals, numbers rose from eight per cent in 2018 to 12 per cent in 2024.

This means the total population of monthly churchgoers rose from 3.7 million to 5.8 million people in just six years.

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