Why is Gen Z turning to religion?

In the face of digital disconnection, faith is emerging as an unlikely refuge for today’s young people.

You’d be forgiven for assuming Gen Z might be the most secular cohort in modern history. They’re famously left-leaning in their politics, fly in the face of many traditional values surrounding marriage and child-rearing, and have also become a generation staunchly aligned with environmental concerns (the inherently scientific nature of these issues sitting at odds with religion by default).

In the past 30 years, sociologists have chartered a seemingly irreversible decline in religious affiliation across the West, particularly in America where the number of Christians has been steadily dropping, and the rise of those with no religious affiliation — nicknamed ‘nones’ — has started to spike.

But since the pandemic this trend has shifted, and surprisingly, Gen Z seems to be responsible. Reports find that the number of individuals attending church at least monthly has risen from 4%-16% amongst 18–24 year olds, with a massive 54% increase in the number of adults attending church between 2018 and 2024.

The reasons for this return to faith aren’t entirely clear. But while it may at first seem paradoxical — that a generation so tech-native and…