Churchgoing up, says poll, but experts have caveats

A Gallup Poll has found that Americans’ self-reported church attendance has increased slightly since 2008. But sociologists of religion are quick to caution churches about the reliability of such figures.

The Gallup data, released in late June, were primarily based on the question: “How often do you attend church, synagogue, or mosque?” Exactly 43.1 percent of Americans in 2010 said they attended a house of worship “at least once a week” or “almost every week.” That’s up from 42.8 percent in 2009 and 42.1 percent in 2008.

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