The Pew Research Center's latest surveys paint a complex picture of religious life among young Americans, complicating narratives of a broad-based revival. While the youngest adults are attending services at higher rates than before the pandemic, they show lower levels of personal piety, and those just a few years older are the least religious cohort in the country.
Among adults aged 18 to 22, 41% say they attend religious services at least once or twice a month, compared with 33% of all U.S. adults. However, for those aged 23 to 26, that figure drops to 27%, the lowest of any age group. The findings come amid shifting political allegiances and media reports of a possible religious resurgence among young conservative men.
Attendance up, but signs of revival limited
The data offers only partial support for the idea of a youth religious revival. While 18-to-22-year-olds report more frequent service attendance, they pray less and rank religion as a lower priority in their lives. They are also no more religious than their counterparts were in 2014 and less religious than those in 2007.
The second-youngest group, adults aged 23 to 26, were the least religious across all measures, including prayer frequency, importance of religion, and religious affiliation. This suggests that the apparent uptick among the youngest may not indicate a lasting trend.
For the first time in Pew's surveys, men aged 18 to 22 attend services more often than women in that age group. Still, 35% of young women report monthly attendance, a figure higher than for women born in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Political and demographic divides
Among Republicans aged 18 to 22, 55% attend services at least monthly, a share higher than any other GOP age group except the oldest. Young Democrats also show higher attendance than Democrats born between the 1970s and early 2000s.
Across all U.S. adults, religious attendance has held steady since 2020 after a long decline. A June survey found 34% had attended services in person in the past month, and 45% had attended in person or watched online or on TV—both the highest figures since July 2020.
Turning point or blip?
Pew notes that in the past, young adults who entered adulthood with relatively high religious involvement tended to become less religious over time. The center says it cannot yet determine whether current numbers represent a genuine shift or a temporary fluctuation.
"Time will tell whether the relatively high religiousness of today's youngest adults is a turning point or a blip in the data," the study concluded. These findings also emerge amid broader debates over social trends and youth well-being, as policymakers and observers watch for signals of cultural change.
