A new survey exclusively obtained by the Daily Signal reveals that Generation Z is becoming increasingly religious and spiritual after being ranked among the least faithful generations in the United States.
According to the new Harris Poll, Gen Z is now ranked among the most religious generations in the country, with 88% actively practicing their spirituality.
In the poll, roughly 33% of Gen Zers identify as religious, compared to 19% of millennials, 22% of Gen Xers, and 18% of baby boomers.
Twenty-four percent of those 33% also identified as both religious and spiritual.
Twenty percent of millennials, 21% of Gen Xers, and 23% of boomers self-identified as neither.
The poll also noted that 67% of Gen Zers pray, 54% read scripture or religious texts, and 49% attended a recent religious service, such as Mass or other worship.
Comparatively, all other generations fall 7% to 11% behind Gen Z in all three categories, except boomers and Gen Xers, who pray more than Gen Zers by at least 5%.
The results of this poll indicate a potential reversal of a trend. A 2022 survey by the American Survey Center found in 2022 that Gen Z was the least religious cohort in American society, with 34% reporting that they were neither spiritual nor religious.
As noted by The College Fix, mass baptisms and interest in Christian campus ministries have emerged among Gen Z on college campuses.
Christian campus ministries, including Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru), have seen higher-than-usual conversions and attendance in recent years, The College Fix reported.
In a statement to The College Fix, Dan Allan, campus director for Campus Crusade for Christ, said that the organization has seen, for three years in a row, “a higher percentage of students coming to faith when someone shares the gospel with them.”
Jay Richards, a senior research fellow on social and domestic policy, told the Daily Signal that, while it is hard to determine the cause of this upward trend in faith among the younger generation, it could indicate that young people are rejecting the secular material being pushed on them by older generations.
“Decline is not inevitable. If we look at the long sweep of history, we find that our current descent into godlessness is an aberration,” Richards said.
“The logical flaws and social consequences of secular materialism are now obvious. So, it makes sense that the generation that has experienced its darkest effects would be the first to reject it,” he added.
Richards continued that if the trend continues, it could serve to “debunk the idea that bad trends continue forever.”
“It’s probably too soon to say exactly what is happening with the religious views of Gen Z, but recent news that they are becoming, on average, more religious (rather than just vaguely spiritual) is encouraging,” Richards added.
[Editor’s note: This story originally was published by The Daily Signal.]
