When it comes to giving, Protestants and Catholics may be more alike than one might expect.

Protestants overall appear more likely to report giving growth compared to Catholics, who show higher adoption of recurring giving, according to the 2026 Annual Church Giving Report and the companion Annual Parish Giving Report from Ministry Brands.

Developed in partnership with Parable Group, the reports analyzed billions of dollars in digital donations across tens of thousands of churches and parishes, along with survey responses from nearly 1,000 church and parish leaders. The reports, compiled before the Easter holiday, offer new insight into how generosity is evolving amid a surge in online and digital giving.

The survey found digital giving continued to lead the way for churches across the U.S. through 2025, with many churches and parishes reporting increases driven by digital methods. Among Protestant churches, 57% reported an increase in digital giving, which accounted for 41% of total donations among churches that offered the service.

“While generosity remains a core part of church life, the way people prefer to give is evolving,” said Anna Caragio, technical digital analyst at Parable Group. “Church giving continues to reflect both consistency and change. Digital access, generational preferences and community engagement all play a role, and this year’s data highlights meaningful distinctions between Catholic and Protestant communities, while reinforcing shared opportunities for ministry leaders across denominations.”

When comparing Protestant and Catholic giving patterns, Protestant churches were more likely to report year-over-year increases in giving, with 55% reporting growth in 2025. Catholic parishes, meanwhile, showed greater overall stability, with 55% reporting that giving either increased or remained the same, which researchers say reflects "a more consistent pattern rather than growth alone."

The data also found stronger ties between church attendance and giving for Catholic churches. Parishes with increased weekly attendance were 7.8 times more likely to report increased giving and almost 8.5 times more likely to report an increase in donors compared to those with stable or declining attendance.

Churches were “significantly more likely” to report increased giving when they used multichannel digital strategies such as recurring giving, digital wallets and livestream giving, the survey found.

Protestant churches were nearly twice as likely to report increased generosity among donors ages 18 to 29 when offering digital wallet giving options, while Catholic parishes offering digital wallets were 2.6 times more likely to see increased generosity from the same demographic, according to the survey.

The research marked the first time Ministry Brands, a provider of church software and online giving solutions, published separate reports on giving trends across Protestant churches and Catholic parishes.

While digital giving remained the primary driver of church generosity, another study released last July found that most Protestant churches still “pass the plate” during services to give churchgoers a more traditional way to give.

Th study found nearly three in four U.S. Protestant pastors say their churches collect physical offerings by passing something during the service, and close to half say they also provide giving options as people arrive or leave the building.

News Source : https://www.christianpost.com/news/protestants-see-greater-growth-catholics-report-more-stability.html