Gen Z is More Religious Than Older Generations, Poll Finds
Generation Z is more religious than previous generations and its members frequently engage in religious practices, a new poll finds.
Those “religious practices” can be positive, like prayer or attending religious services, but they can also be harmful, like engaging in astrology or “energy work.”
“Gen Z self-identifies as the most religious generation in America, with the practices to back it up,” said Libby Rodney, chief strategy officer at The Harris Poll. “But that doesn’t show you the whole story.”
The Harris Poll released the new report, “The Gen Z & Religion Report,” examining how Gen Z identifies with religion and spirituality, how those identities show up in practice and how they relate to community and relationships.
The September 2026 poll was conducted online from July 1-4, 2026, among a sample of over 2,000 U.S. adults.
The poll found that:
- Gen Z is not abandoning faith, they are the generation most likely to identify as religious.
- Gen Z is not just identifying with faith, they are actively practicing it.
- For Gen Z, spirituality is one way to build agency in an uncertain future.
One in three Gen Z adults (33%) identifies as religious, compared with 19% of Millennials, 22% of Generation X and 18% of Boomers, the poll revealed. Additionally, 88% of Gen Z regularly engages in at least one religious or spiritual practice, including reading religious texts, attending religious services or something else altogether.
Concerningly, the poll found troubling data that many members of Gen Z are turning to “New Age” forms of spirituality including “meditation or ritual,” “manifestation,” “astrology or tarot cards” or “energy work.”
The poll found:
- 51% of Gen Z engage in meditation or ritual.
- 49% practice manifestation (thinking certain thoughts or ideas in the hope it becomes reality).
- 30% use astrology (a form of fortune telling by the alignment of stars and planets) or tarot cards (a form of occult practice and divination).
- 32% regularly practice energy work (a false form healing by using “spiritual energy”).
“[Gen Zers] aren’t choosing religion instead of everything else. They’re stacking it,” Rodney added, pointing out the youngest generation’s tendency for religious syncretism.
“Church on Sunday, manifestation on Wednesday, tarot on Friday. The old assumption was that each generation picks less faith than the last. Gen Z picked more of everything.”
Clearly, Gen Zers are searching for meaning and a sense of direction in their lives. The problem, however, is that while there are growing signs of real revival in Gen Z, millions of young people are also turning to false forms of spiritualism to satisfy their spiritual longings.
Ultimately, these young people will find themselves unsatisfied until they turn to true faith in Jesus Christ.
As the great theologian Saint Augustine of Hippo wrote in prayer, “Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee.”
Only through the Christian faith, by turning to faith in Christ, will Gen Z find what they are looking for. As Jesus taught, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, ESV).
Geremy Keeton, Senior Director of Counseling Services at Focus on the Family, told the Daily Citizen that despite the concerning trends, parents remain the primary influence in passing on faith to their children.
“Data confirms that parents still lead the pack in influence with teens – and teens acknowledge it when asked,” Keeton said. “Parents must lovingly, strategically and confidently capitalize on their influence opportunities.”
“Given the slew of non-biblical and spiritually-astray practices reported, it’s best to spend time engaging in thoughtful, question-oriented conversations that draw out the curiosities and experiences of teens,” Keeton advised. “Share truth and God’s plan through Scripture and your own lived experiences as their parent.”
Keeton encouraged parents to be as “grounded and emotionally and spiritually as healthy as possible” to serve as an authentic Christian witness. “It’s hard to give what you don’t have.”
Tim Sanford, Clinical Director at Focus on the Family, echoed the importance of sharing the truth of Christianity with your children.
“Gen Zers are searching for more than traditional religious constructs,” Sanford said. “They want something real. And if they’re looking for a God who is real, they will likely find the God of the Scriptures, because the God of the Scriptures is real, and He does desire to be known.”
“Will they have misinterpretations along their journey toward the truth? Most likely. And if we’re honest, that’s been true for every generation since the first century Church was established.”
Sanford added, “My hope is that while Gen Zers wrestle with theological issues the Church has wrestled with for centuries, they will reference the reliable old writings of the saints.”
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Related articles and resources:
Counseling Consultation & Referrals
Bring Your Bible to School Day
What Does The Bible Say About Astrology?
Sharing Your Faith With Your Kids
Sharing The Gospel With Your Children
Tools For Passing Faith On To Children
Igniting a Christian Worldview in Gen Z Culture
Religion Increasingly Important to Young Men, Gallup Finds
Is Revival Beginning in America, With Younger Men Leading the Way?
Young Men Are Returning to Church
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