By Michaela Gordoni
In the past few decades, the number of religious young people has declined, until now.
Over half (56%) of 18- to 24-year-olds now identify with a religion, according to 2023-2024 Pew data, which is down from 74% in 2007. However, Gallup polls found worship attendance among those under 30 is up from 19% in 2020 to 25% in 2025.
Eric Doolittle, chaplain at American University, said all the religious and spiritual groups across campus have more activity.
“And those who are involved,” he told The Washington Post, “seem to be more heavily involved. Young adults are looking for deep connection points.”
Related: Americans Care About Faith & Freedom
“There’s nothing more rewarding than chasing God,” said University of Maryland sophomore Aidan Brant.
Rev. Conrad Murphy, the campus’ chaplain, says he hears students looking for a “desire for deeper meaning, more authentic community (especially as compared to the online communities they have been exposed to) and a desire for truth.”
On Thanksgiving, President Trump said more people are praying and attending church.
“People are looking for a place for refuge amid so much uncertainty, war and political instability,” said second-year Master’s student Dana Kang. “Because the Catholic Church is the church Jesus Christ started, the teachings stay consistent over thousands of years, and in this world where everything else changes so quickly that’s one aspect I like. It’s consistent so it feels more real.”
According to data from Barna Group, more Gen Z attend church. The average Gen Z churchgoer attends 1.9 weekends each month, and millennials average 1.8 times per month, which has gotten higher sine the pandemic.
“The fact that young people are showing up more frequently than before is not a typical trend,” Daniel Copeland, Barna’s vice president of research, explained. “It’s typically older adults who are the most loyal churchgoers. This data represents good news for church leaders and adds to the picture that spiritual renewal is shaping Gen Z and Millennials today.”
Another surprising shift relates to genders. Historically, more women would attend church than men, but men attendees are now surpassing women, Religion Unplugged reported.
According to data from this year, 43% of men and 36% of women report attending church on a weekly basis, and it’s mostly Gen Z and Millennial men. In 2025, 46% of Gen Z men and 55% of Millennial men have attended church in the past week, compared to 44% of Gen Z women and 38% of Millennial women.
These trends indicate that young people are looking for meaning. Hopefully, many will discover that through Christ.
Read Next: Americans’ Interest in Faith Grows, and This Stat Proves It
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