New research suggests that many members of Generation Z, those born roughly between 1997 and 2012, are showing renewed interest in faith. This movement seems most visible among Christians and Catholics.
Many scholars, religious organizations, and survey institutes are seeing patterns of revival, changes in moral attitudes, and deeper engagement. What follows are several facets of this resurgence, based on recent studies.
Signs of Revival
Studies show that Gen Z is increasingly attending church. In the United States, Barna Group data indicates that Gen Z churchgoers, aged about 18–28, now average nearly two services per month, more frequent attendance than older generations in some cases.
Meanwhile, in England and Wales, surveys by YouGov for the Bible Society show that monthly church attendance among younger people has risen, from around 8 percent in 2018 to 12 percent in 2024 among certain age groups.
Identification with faith is also growing. In the U.S., a Harvard University poll found that the proportion of Gen Zers identifying as Catholic rose from about 15 percent to about 21 percent between 2022 and 2023.
More broadly, Barna’s research into teens (aged 13‑17) shows that roughly 65 percent identify as Christian in the U.S., and two‑thirds globally have moderate to high spiritual openness.
Where practice is concerned, there is evidence that many young Catholics are engaging more with sacraments, attending Mass, and even participating in confession.
In Poland, for example, surveys of Gen Z Catholics show a substantial number attend Mass weekly or on Sundays and holidays.
Though not all are strictly regular attenders, a fairly large segment participates in religious rites more often than might have been assumed given wider European secular trends.
Motivation Behind the Return to Faith
Much of the renewed interest appears tied to emotional, existential and social needs. A sense of loneliness and uncertainty about the future is being raised frequently in studies of Gen Z.
Many young people are searching for meaning, purpose, and stable community in a world that feels fragmented and fast‑changing.
Faith communities offering authenticity, tradition, relationships, mentorship, and a tangible sense of belonging are particularly appealing.
Young people seem drawn not only to worship, but to faith lived out in service, moral clarity, and communal life. Some are dissatisfied with purely nominal identity, they want faith to be real in daily life.
Catholicism Among Gen Z
Catholicism appears to be growing in appeal among young people in several regions. In the U.S., identification with Catholic faith among Gen Z rose significantly in recent years.
In the UK, Catholics now outnumber Anglicans among younger churchgoers (under 35s) in terms of church attendance and commitment.
Young people are drawn to Catholicism for its rituals, its sense of history and continuity, and the stability of its moral teachings, although some also express struggles with institutional trust, wanting authenticity and transparency.
Shifts in Moral Attitudes and Traditional Values
With this return to faith, there appears to be a partial shift back toward more traditional Christian moral values among Gen Z.
Studies and reports suggest that many young people are reexamining liberal social norms around issues like abortion, marital and sexual ethics, gender identity, and the role of religious belief in public life.
Some are moving away from progressive social positions or are more open to traditional stances. However, this is not uniform, Gen Z remains diverse in views, and many continue to value pluralism and personal freedom.
In addition, many young Christians express a desire for morality to be rooted in more than cultural trends.
They often say they want coherence between belief and behavior. Rituals, tradition, confession, prayer, church fellowship are not just symbols; they are meaningful practices in anchoring moral life.
Challenges and Nuances
Despite the positive trends, there are caveats. Many young people identify as Christians without making what researchers call a personal commitment to follow Jesus Christ, it can remain more of a cultural or inherited identity.
Also, spiritual openness tends to decrease from teenage years into early adulthood, as other pressures, secular influences, or competing worldviews enter more strongly.
In some European contexts, despite being Catholic by heritage or identification, many Gen Z Catholics hold views that diverge significantly from official Church teachings on moral issues.
So while practices like Mass attendance are increasing among some, there is still a gap between belief, identity, and full alignment with doctrine in many cases.
Implications for the Future
The return to faith among Gen Z has implications for churches, religious movements, and broader society. For faith communities, there is an opportunity to engage the youngest adults by offering authenticity, mentorship, community, moral clarity, and spiritual formation.
This generation seems less impressed by ritual alone and more drawn to lived faith, what faith does in daily life. For policymakers, educators, and social institutions, the faith resurgence could influence debates about ethics, education, social welfare, mental health, and public life.
If this trend holds, Gen Z’s return to Christianity and Catholicism may help stabilize, or even reverse, some of the declines in religious affiliation seen in recent decades.
But sustaining this will likely depend on how well religious institutions adapt to what younger people are seeking: genuine relationship, transparent leadership, meaningful practice, and spaces where doubt, sincerity, and community coexist.
