In short
In 2024 the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland had 3.5 million members, or 62.2% of the population, making it the national church by a wide margin. But formal membership says little about practice: only about 16% of members attend a service at least once a month. More than 50,000 people left the church in 2024, most of them aged 20 to 29, though resignations have fallen since the 2022 peak. In the same year 25,000 people joined and more than 26,000 children were baptized.
- In 2024 the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland had 3.5 million members, 62.2% of the population (EVL).
- Only about 16% of members attend a service at least once a month (EVL).
- More than 50,000 people left the church in 2024, mostly aged 20 to 29, though resignations have fallen since 2022 (EVL).
- In 2024, 25,000 people joined and more than 26,000 children were baptized (EVL).
Finland is still, on paper, a strongly Lutheran country. In 2024 the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland counted 3.5 million members, or 62.2% of the population, which makes it the national church by a wide margin. These are registered membership records, not survey estimates. Yet formal membership tells you little about weekly life: only about 16% of members attend a service at least once a month. Each year the church loses tens of thousands of members to resignations, most of them young adults, while it also gains new members and baptizes new children. The figures below draw on the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, the most authoritative source on church attendance in Finland.
members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (2024)
Key findings at a glance
| Metric | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church | 3.5 million | 2024 | Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland |
| Share of the population in the church | 62.2% | 2024 | Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland |
| Members attending a service monthly | about 16% | 2024 | Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland |
| People who left the church | over 50,000 | 2024 | Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland |
| New members who joined | 25,000 | 2024 | Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland |
| Children baptized | over 26,000 | 2024 | Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland |
A national church, loosely attended
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland is the country's national church, and its membership numbers are unusually reliable because membership is a registered status rather than something inferred from a survey. But belonging on paper is very different from attending in person: a large majority of members rarely set foot in a service.
In 2024 the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland had 3.5 million members, 62.2% of the population, according to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.
About 16% of members attend a service at least once a month, according to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Church members | 3.5 million | 2024 | Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland |
| Share of the population in the church | 62.2% | 2024 | Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland |
| Members attending a service monthly | about 16% | 2024 | Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland |
Build a daily prayer habit
Pray Focus helps you pray every day by gently locking distracting apps during your prayer time.
Who is leaving
Every year tens of thousands of people formally resign from the church. The losses are concentrated among young adults, though the pace of resignations has eased since the 2022 peak.
More than 50,000 people left the church in 2024, most of them aged 20 to 29, though resignations have fallen since 2022, according to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| People who left the church | over 50,000 | 2024 | Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland |
| Most common age of those leaving | 20 to 29 | 2024 | Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland |
| Trend in resignations since 2022 | falling | 2024 | Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland |
New members and baptisms
The flow runs both ways. Alongside resignations, the church also gains new members who join and welcomes new children through baptism each year.
In 2024, 25,000 people joined the church, according to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.
In 2024, more than 26,000 children were baptized, according to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| New members who joined | 25,000 | 2024 | Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland |
| Children baptized | over 26,000 | 2024 | Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland |
How we compiled these statistics
Every number on this page is traceable to a primary source and dated to the year the data were collected. Membership, attendance, resignations, and baptism figures come from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, the country's national church, which keeps registered membership records rather than survey estimates. Where a figure is reported as an approximate share or a rounded count, we label it as such.
Want to slow down and pray instead of scrolling through social media? Pray Focus pairs distraction-free prayer time with a free library of Scripture-based and traditional prayers by theme, Lutheran, Catholic, Protestant, and beyond.
Learn to pray.Make it a daily habit.
One email at a time, at your pace
Join our free email course and learn simple, time-tested ways to pray, with one small thing to try each time, so prayer slowly becomes part of your day.
- 8 short lessons: the Daily Examen, Lectio Divina, ACTS and more
- One tiny exercise each time, so praying becomes a habit
- Gentle and practical, never preachy. Free, forever.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
Related articles
Church Statistics
Church Attendance Statistics: Weekly Attendance Now vs Two Decades Ago (2025)
Weekly church attendance in the US has fallen from about 42% two decades ago to roughly 30% today. Here is what Gallup, Pew, PRRI, and the Hartford Institute actually found, including a first rise in congregation attendance in 25 years.
Church Statistics
Christianity in America: Statistics and Trends (2025)
About 62% of US adults identify as Christian, down from 78% in 2007 but broadly stable since 2019. Here is what Pew, PRRI, and Gallup actually found on belief, prayer, attendance, and the decline that appears to have leveled off.
Church Statistics
Global Christianity Statistics: How Many Christians (2025)
About 2.65 billion Christians worldwide in 2025, still the largest faith, with 68.9% now in the Global South. Here is what Gordon-Conwell, Pew, and the Vatican actually found on the size and shape of world Christianity.