Study: Gen Z is more religious than older groups, defying expectations

Study: Gen Z is more religious than older groups, defying expectations.

Key points

• This person grew up Christian, attended "Motion Night, " a faith-based event at Houston's Grace Church for adults aged 30 and under that included an afterparty with food trucks.
• "What was shocking was that 33% identified as religious, nearly double the amount of Boomers and the highest of any generation, " she remarked.
• "They are more religious than their predecessors, " remarked Bosio, who just marked her 25th year in youth ministry.
• The online survey of 2, 136 U.S.
• The portion of those describing themselves as agnostic, atheist, or "nothing in particular" – the so-called "nones" – rose to almost three in 10.

Study: Gen Z is more religious than older groups, defying expectations. Marc Ramirez USA TODAY. Democratic candidates are bringing their faith to the midterm campaign trail.

Democratic candidates are integrating their faiths on the campaign trail, hoping to create inroads in red states where faith is woven into politics. Maybe we've obtained these kids all wrong.

America has been in a steady religious decline, with each generation of adults less faithful than the one before it. Generation Z, it was thought, would continue that pattern, with one study labeling the age group "the least religious generation yet."

Meanwhile, a new Harris Poll survey suggests that may not be the case: The results show younger individuals are not only more religious than previously believed but more so than any of their elders. Gen Z adults – those aged 18 to 29 – aren't just embracing religion at higher rates, the survey discovered, but spiritual practices in general, including meditation, astrology and energy work such as reiki and tai chi.

"This idea that generations would be more secular in the future – this generation is really flipping the script on that, " remarked Libby Rodney, chief strategy officer for the Harris Poll, a national marketing and analytics firm.

For context, the firm had studied practices such as astrology and manifestation in the U.S. And figured Gen Z would express high interest in spirituality, Rodney remarked.

Meanwhile, the online survey of 2, 136 U.S. Adults included members of Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers.

While no one generation can claim to be brimming with spiritual fervor, fully a third of Gen Z respondents identified as religious, compared with just 19% of Millennials, 22% of Generation X and 18% of Boomers. The survey additionally identified that while individuals are more probable to pray on their own as they obtain older, Gen Z was the likeliest of all age groups to attend religious services or read scripture.

Those findings didn't surprise Angie Bosio, a youth ministry director at St. Stephen Catholic Community in suburban Nashville, Tennessee. This person while unconnected to the survey remarked today's youth strike her as "extremely curious, very positive and already very faith-filled by the time I see them in high school."

"They are more religious than their predecessors, " remarked Bosio, who just marked her 25th year in youth ministry. "In my experience, they're the most religious cohort I've seen."

Bosio believes that along with the backing of their Millennial parents, social media is playing a substantial role in this generation's upswing; today's youth have online access to faith leaders who support further their interest in scripture and answering life's sizeable questions.

"They're coming in with confidence and a little bit of knowledge, " she remarked. "We can talk at length about that, like, what does this mean to you."

While Millennials (32%) and Gen X (31%) survey respondents were more apt to describe themselves as spiritual rather than religious, almost nine in 10 Gen Z members (88%) noted regularly practicing at least one religious or spiritual activity, the highest share of any generation.

In practice, the past few decades have seen the country gradually pull away from organized religion: Fewer than two thirds of Americans are Christian, down from 90% in the early 1990s, according to the Pew Research Center.

Meanwhile, the portion of those describing themselves as agnostic, atheist, or "nothing in particular" – the so-called "nones" – rose to almost three in 10. But while some studies indicated the portion of "nones" significantly higher among Gen Z, other studies indicated young residents were increasingly pursuing spiritual fulfillment beyond traditional institutions or faith systems.

Rodney, of the Harris Poll, remarked the survey demonstrated how young residents are coping with growing economic and societal challenges while shaping a future defined by their own values and beliefs. The results, she remarked, show young residents are eager for human interaction.

Regarding six in 10 Gen Z and Millennial survey respondents noted belonging to more real-world, in-person communities – such as clubs, faith communities and hobby or volunteer groups – than they applied to, compared with 42% of Gen X respondents and just 32% of Boomers.

Anxious and lonely in a post-pandemic society unsettled by the threat of artificial intelligence and climate change, she remarked, young residents recognize the pitfalls and limitations of digital media and feel disillusioned with the promises of the American Dream. They've encountered a shrinking job market and a shortage of entry-level homes and are among the first to be let go when jobs are cut.

"It's a generational awakening, " Rodney remarked. "If everything around them feels like it's not working and disjointed, they're looking at what kind of life they're going to build."

In practice, the findings indicate both religion and spirituality will figure into their intends, she stated, describing their practices as a sort of "stacking" in which plenty of aren't just praying or reading scripture but incorporating energy work, astrology and meditation into their lives as well.

While concerning six in 10 had introduced a side hustle, restructured work obligations to fit the life they want or embarked on a new project or hobby, the survey discovered more than half of Gen Z respondents had pursued a spiritual practice or quest for meaning previously year. Almost seven in 10 had learned a new skill or sought new training or education.

"It's not just about being traditionally religious, " Rodney remarked. "This generation is facing all these crises where every day things are getting worse. They're basically gathering all the feasible tools and coping mechanisms to figure out how they move forward from here."

In terms of feeding their religious interests, she agreed social media is playing a major role, pointing to efforts like Pizza to Pews, a viral Sunday activity in which youths congregate at local pizzerias before attending Mass; or the Holy Girl Walk in New York City, in which young Catholic women pray the rosary while strolling through Central Park.

"They're searching for connection and commonality, and it's a direct result of feeling lonely post-pandemic, " Rodney remarked.

Young individuals, she went on, have additionally identified identity and community in global figures like Guilherme Peixoto, a Portuguese Catholic priest and DJ known as Padre Guilherme who blends religion and electronic dance in his sets and performed at World Youth Day in 2023.

This youngest American generation, she observed, is more multicultural and diverse than any previous generation; more than half are residents of color and likelier to identify as other than heterosexual. In that sense, she remarked, their interest in both religious and spiritual practices isn't so surprising.

"They're coming from different backgrounds and experiences, " Rodney remarked. For a generation containing a range of identities, "the idea of being inclusive of spirituality and religion is more organic."

That's been the case for Jordan Booker, a 2023 University of Houston graduate who founded Smoove Blendz, a pop-up "wellness + community" experience described as "the calmest party in Houston, " featuring meditation, yoga and matcha.

"Come reset, recharge, and enjoy the moment with us, " a recent event announcement read.

Earlier this month, Booker. This person grew up Christian, attended "Motion Night, " a faith-based event at Houston's Grace Church for adults aged 30 and under that included an afterparty with food trucks.

"It was amazing to see so many people worshipping the Lord and praising him, " Booker remarked. Such youth-focused events, he remarked, "make being religious and going to church cool." Share your feedback to assist improve our site!

Taken together, the developments around study: Gen Z is more religious than older groups, defying expectations point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.