February 5, 2003
Contact: answers@westgroupresearch.com
One-third of Arizonans Attend Religious Service Weekly
PHOENIX – About half (49 percent) of Arizona adults say they regularly attend services at a church, synagogue, mosque or other religious organization, with Latter-day Saints (88 percent) , Catholics (62 percent) and non-denominational Christians (60 percent) having the highest attendance.
That is the finding of a just-released survey of 886 adults from throughout Arizona by
WestGroup Research of Phoenix. In addition, regular religious attendance is higher for:
- Women (55%) vs. men (43%)
- Income at least $55,000 (56%)
- Phoenix area (53%) vs. Tucson (44%)
The majority of regular attendees say they attend every or almost every week (66%); however, 29% of regular attendees skip services at least 12 out of 52 weeks. Those most likely to skip services were non-denominational Christians (30%), Catholics (28%)and Protestants (28%).
When people skip services, they have usually decided in advance – 67% decided the day before or earlier. Only 16% said they decided to skip just before services. For the most part, when people skip services they simply opt to do something else. Only 14% say they skip because of illness and 3% because their children are too little. Otherwise they are likely to go out of town, go on a family outing, catch up on work, or sleep in.
The survey was part of WestGroup’s ongoing monitor of current events for January 2003. The overall study with has a margin of error at a 95% confidence level of + 3%.
Detailed Survey Results:
Regular Attendance
About half (49%) of Arizona’s adults say they regularly attend services at a church, synagogue, mosque or other religious organization.
Regular attendance is higher for:
- Women (55%) vs. men (43%)
- Income at least $55,000 (56%)
- Phoenix area (53%) vs. Tucson (44%)
- Catholics (62%), Mormons (88%), Non-denominational Christians (60%)
Do you regularly attend services at a church, synagogue, mosque, or other religious organization?
Total sample n=886
Table 10
Attendance among Regular Attendees
Most regular attendees say they attend every or almost every week (66%).
However, 29% of regular attendees skip services at least 12 out of 52 weeks. While few Jewish and Mormon respondents reported skipping services, groups of regular attendees who were likely to skip services this often were:
- Non-denominational Christians (30%)
- Catholics (28%)
- Protestants (28%)
How many weeks out of a year do you attend any religious services?
Among regular attendees n=435
Decision
When people skip services, they have usually decided in advance – 67% decided the day before or earlier. Only 16% said they decided to skip just before services.
When do you decide to skip services?
Among those who attend less than every week n=191
Top Ten Alternatives to Religious Services
For the most part, when people skip services they simply opt to do something else. Only 14% say
they skip because of illness and 3% because their children are too little. Otherwise they are likely to
go out of town, go on a family outing, catch up on work, or sleep in.
Religious organizations are interested in finding out why people skip services and what they do
instead. What do you do instead?
Among those who attend less than every week n=191
Note: Totals more than 100% due to respondents giving more than one answer.
There are some interesting demographic differences.
- Those who earn more than $75k are most likely to go out of town (41%).
- Adults between the ages of 30 and 49 are more likely than others to skip services in order to catch up on job-related work (21%).
- Those who earn $55k to $75k are more likely than others to sleep in (29%).
Top Ten Reasons for Skipping Services
What makes you decide you need to or would rather do something else besides attending religious
services?
Among those who attend less than every week n=191
