Adults Now Outnumber Children Among SBC Baptisms, Lifeway Finds
Adults aged 30 and older now make up the largest share of baptisms in Southern Baptist churches, according to new Lifeway Research data. The group accounted for 33 percent of the 263,075 baptisms recorded in 2025, while children 11 and younger fell to 22 percent. The shift marks a dramatic reversal from 1971, when children led all age groups.
Adults aged 30 and older are now the largest group being baptized in Southern Baptist churches, according to new data from Lifeway Research released in August 2026.
The analysis of the 2025 Annual Church Profile found that adults 30 and older accounted for 33 percent of the 263,075 total baptisms recorded last year. Children 11 and younger made up 22 percent, down sharply from 30 percent in 2022.
The numbers mark a dramatic reversal from 1971, when children under 12 led all age groups at 37 percent of baptisms. Adults 30 and older represented just 15 percent that year.
The full breakdown for 2025: adults 30 and older, 86,448 baptisms (33 percent); youth ages 12 to 17, 65,825 (25 percent); children 11 and younger, 59,187 (22 percent); young adults 18 to 29, 51,615 (20 percent).
Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, said the decline in child baptisms partly reflects demographic reality. The number of children under 12 in the United States has fallen to its lowest level in more than 15 years, while the adult population over 30 has grown by nearly 30 million.
Total SBC baptisms reached 263,075 in 2025, the highest figure since 2016 and the fifth consecutive year of growth. Overall membership fell 3 percent to about 12.33 million, but worship attendance rose to approximately 4.5 million, up from 4.3 million in 2024.
McConnell said the data shows a significant mission field for local churches across all age groups, not just among children.
