ARE GEN ZERS BECOMING MORE RELIGIOUS?

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New data shows rising numbers of young adults are identifying as religious—a turn that runs counter to decades of declining belief across Western societies.

Nearly half of young adults in England and Wales now say they believe in God or a higher power according to new figures—a striking turn that runs counter to decades of declining belief across Western societies.

Data from the U.S. reveals a similar trend, with the percentage of young adults engaging with the bible and committing to Christianity on the rise too. Findings from the American Bible Society spotted the first increase in "bible use and scripture engagement" among younger adults since 2021.

The new U.K. findings from YouGov and Bible Society show that 48 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds in England and Wales now say they "definitely or probably" believe in a God, gods or "some higher power"—up from just 29 percent when an even larger sample size was polled in 2018.

This group has seen a marked increase in Christian identification, rising from 19 percent in October 2018 to an even greater majority among religious Gen Zers in December 2024. During the same period, the share of this age group identifying as "not religious" dropped from 67 percent to 51 percent.

Indeed, this growing openness to faith is reshaping perceptions of the so-called "secular generation" and is reflected in the stories of young believers like Giavanna Desantis, a 27-year-old based in Los Angeles, California.

Desantis, who was once immersed in New Age spirituality, has since embraced Christianity and now shares her faith journey with a large audience on social media.

"I was a New Age spiritual follower of a Shaman for 7 years before I found Jesus," Desantis, known online as @giagabriellaa, told Newsweek. "Now, all I want is for people to know Jesus, and that's why I speak about Him."

Through her faith-based business, Sunday Mornings, and a widely shared TikTok video detailing how she "built a relationship with God," Desantis says she has helped others find faith as well by being open and personable about her journey online.

Gen Z and Religion

The recent YouGov survey, conducted with 13,146 adults between November 4 and December 2 2024 for Bible Society, shows that younger generations in England and Wales are increasingly moving toward belief systems—especially Christianity.

In the U.S., rising numbers of young people have also been turning to Christianity. A recent study by Barna also found that "rates of belief in Jesus" have increased, with much of this increase being down to a newfound interest in Christianity among Gen Z.

Barna's latest data showed that 66 percent of all U.S. adults surveyed have "made a personal commitment to Jesus." That marks a 12 percent increase since commitment levels were polled in 2021. Pew Research Center also released a report in February showing that the declining rates of Christians that had been tracked for years have begun to taper off and stabilize.

Giavanna Desantis poses for a selfie. Credit: @GIAGABRIELLAA

Gen Z celebrities such as Kylie and Kendall Jenner, plus Hailey Bieber alongside husband Justin, have all previously been spotted at a number of church services. The three had all once been a part of Hillsong, the controversial megachurch that has attracted an array of famous faces from Selena Gomez to Chris Pratt since its U.S. launch in 2010.

The data showing a shift towards faith, and the glamorization of observing a faith through prominent celebrities, is prompting discussion among researchers.

Nick Garcia, assistant professor of sociology at Washington College, told Newsweek the findings deserve scrutiny, especially when comparing historical affiliations and denominational shifts.

"Does a rise in Catholic interest among youth indicate a distinct change from non-religious to Catholic, or a shift from another Christian denomination to Catholic?" Garcia told Newsweek. "And are there accompanying changes in belief or practice from what was previously held?"

Garcia said his college students often perceive their generation as becoming less religious, not more.

"No student from 2021–2025 has described a rise in religiosity among their generation," he said. "Students typically offer a confluence of factors contributing to youth secularization.

"Some refer to the declining status of religious institutions, citing abuse and coverup, the politicization of organizations making them less sacred, and the inability of some religions to be accountable to scientific developments."

Still, Garcia noted that his students are aware of rising interest in specific traditions among their peers, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Orthodox Christianity, even as they interpret these as fragmented trends rather than signs of a broader religious revival.

The question of what motivates the turn toward faith documented in the latest data remains open. Some researchers have pointed to global instability, the isolating effects of digital life and the yearning for meaning in a post-pandemic world as possible drivers.

Others credit the accessibility of religious content through social media and influencers, some like Desantis— who has over 220K followers and 4.4M likes on TikTok alone— speak directly to a generation navigating complex identity issues. The creator's own experience illustrates the role personal testimony and online communities can play.

"In this post, my followers were asking me how I built a relationship and where to start," she said. "A lot of them were curious about Jesus too because I didn't go into social media as a believer yet, so a lot of my audience wasn't either."

Despite skepticism among some sociologists about whether this signals a lasting generational transformation, the evidence of growing religious affiliation in Gen Z is difficult to ignore. Still, Garcia cautions against oversimplification.

"We've faced a persistent problem in studying secularization," he said. "Whether we reference data from Pew, Baylor's Religion Survey, or The U.S. Religion Census from the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies.

"We simply cannot track changes in detail necessary to explain the totality of demographic changes across religion."

For Desantis, the answer is simpler: "Whether for some it's been planting seeds, or fully having people coming to Christ after seeing journeys online, it fulfills my heart in a way nothing ever has."

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