The latest figures for 1997 confirm a decline in Sunday church-going from 1.6 million in 1968 to 1.04 million in 1995, the last time figures were published.

The Cof E report revealed that only 816,500 adults attend 16,000 churches on Sundays, an average loss of 2% a year since the 60s.

A second study said people now worship differently

But a Church of England spokesman was quick to point out that the figures, showing "usual Sunday attendance", masked changing patterns of people going midweek or just once a month.

The Rev William Beaver said an alternative study, published by Church House, is the result of an experiment in new ways of counting congregations.

Conducted during October 1997 in 19 dioceses, it counted adults at all services, including midweek ones, and children in church and in Sunday schools.

The result was a 27% boost in attendance compared with the official report.

Rev Beaver said the old method of counting did not "take into account different patterns of worshipping".

And head-counts across 19 out of 43 dioceses showed adult attendance at Sunday services varied by as much as 50% in any one month.