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Although the evidence is circumstantial and incomplete, many outlets have reported a rise in religious association from Gen Zers, especially young men. What’s causing the numbers to rise in both the UK and US and what could this mean for the future?
For the last several decades, religious association and church attendance has been on the decline.
As living standards increased and our priorities shifted further toward careers and independent success, the need for a Sunday service and local community engagement began to dwindle. In the US, only 30% say they regularly attend weekly religious services, with numbers low across the board for nearly all groups.
Meanwhile, in the UK, Christianity is no longer the majority preference. In 2022, less than half the population described themselves as Christian for the first time since records began, with a significant increase in those who view themselves as having no religious opinions at all.
The statistics have been so concerning that some have begun to question the privileges that churches have traditionally enjoyed as part of British society.
Yet, despite these downward trends, a surprising shift is seemingly underway with some Gen Zers. According to multiple studies and reports, young people are beginning to pivot back to church services, with Gen Z being the only generation who aren’t losing their religious affiliation as they reach adulthood. In fact, numbers in the US have begun to stabilise solely thanks to Gen Z Christians, who appear to retain their faith past adolescence.
Understanding exactly why this is happening is difficult, and nobody has a definitive answer as of yet. Still, like most generational studies, there are plenty of theories.
One prevailing narrative is that this is a response to the loneliness epidemic we’ve heard so much about over the past few years. As we’ve reported before, Gen Z in particular struggle with feelings of isolation and disconnect, which can fuel depression and social anxiety.
Experts note that an uptake in religious association seemed to begin around the start of the pandemic, when lockdowns and solitary confinement became the norm for several years.
Attending regular church sessions and being in touch with your local community can no doubt help to soften some of these feelings. Sunday services or weekly prayer bring people together, with many religious institutions offering additional activities and events outside of the usual timetable. It’s easy to make friends, build connections, and ultimately find a purpose and place within your town or village via religion.
A second explanation is that being religious has actually become a rebellious, countercultural activity.
Every young generation has a tendency to push back against the ideals and values set by their elders. We’re living in a post-Gen X world where religious ambiguity and agnostic values have become the standard. It’s now relatively unusual to meet somebody who is deeply religious and under forty years of age – making it more appealing to Gen Zers who want to challenge conventions and established norms.
This notion leans into the recent right-wing resurgence amongst Gen Z. Having grown up in a predominately left-leaning society that strives for diversity, appropriate representation and cultural sensitivity, the response from a significant chunk of young people has been to reject these ideas, especially men.
We’ve seen this in Trump’s newfound popularity with young adults, the ongoing transphobic rhetoric in the UK, and the growth of parties like Reform.
Religious association is largely tied to political conservatism, particularly in the US. The gender divide on these issues is stark, and Gen Z men are reportedly much more likely to attend religious services than women. This is an inverse of the usual statistics. In fact, more women than ever believe that most churches do not treat both genders equally, and that prejudices toward LGBTQ+ people put them off being a part of organised religion.
The boom and stabilisation of religion amongst young people is not guaranteed to last. As with political ideologies and world views, things may change over time as Gen Z continue to age and become further entrenched in other societal responsibilities. For now, religious uptake seems to be symptomatic of a widening gap between men and women, and has as much to do with conservativism as it does community.
It’ll be interesting to see what the numbers look like a decade from now. Is it a passing fad or the beginnings of a new, pro-religious age? Right now, it’s impossible to tell.
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