President Donald Trump announced Thursday that on May 17, in conjunction with America’s 250 birthday celebration, a prayer event will be held on the National Mall to “rededicate America as one nation under God.”

But who’s going to show up?

For much of the modern era, religious identification in the United States and other Western nations has steadily declined. Pew Research Center data show that the percentage of adults identifying as Christian dropped from 78% in 2007 to roughly 62% by 2025.  

Over the same period, the number of “nones”—people with no religious affiliation—climbed from about 16% to nearly 29% of the U.S. population.  

This long-term downward trajectory in affiliation and practice has been strongly driven by younger generations, including millennials and Generation Z, who have historically been less likely than older cohorts to attend services, pray daily, or see religion as central to daily life.  

However, in the past few years, something new and complex has emerged: signs that parts of Generation Z are moving back toward belief—or at least toward spiritual engagement—in noticeable ways. 

Rising Religious Identification and Belief in God 

Several surveys suggest that, among young people, interest in religious belief and spiritual life is no longer declining as rapidly as before and may even be increasing: 

— YouGov data tracking younger generations over time showed that belief in God or a higher power among Gen Z (especially in the United Kingdom) has grown dramatically: The share reporting belief rose from around 28% in 2018 to nearly 49% six years later—a substantial shift in how young adults relate to faith.  

— Related data suggest a rise in church attendance and religious commitment among some young adults. Barna Group research, for example, found that younger adults—including Gen Z—are now among the most active church-attending groups, attending worship services more frequently than previous adult generations did at the same age. Many churches reported an attendance increase of 15% and campus ministries announced much higher numbers than 2024.

— Anecdotal and regional reporting also points to increases in participation and conversions in specific religious communities, such as a reported 6% increase in Generation Z Catholics in some areas from 2022 to 2023.  

— The Campus Revival movement that started in 2024 and reached over 20 campuses was a huge success. Thousands of Gen Zers participated in the outreach.

— Bible sales in 2025 surged past 10 million copies, already over a million more than 2024.

These trends suggest that while not all of Gen Z is becoming religious in a traditional sense, belief in God and participation in spiritual communities are gaining traction within sizable segments—particularly where religion is presented as meaningful and community-oriented. 

What About the Secular Side? The Other Half of the Story 

It’s important to balance optimism with the broader picture: 

— Many polls still show high rates of religious unaffiliation among Gen Z. About 34%-38% identify as religiously unaffiliated (“nones”), a much higher share than among older generations like Baby Boomers or Gen X.  

— National data indicate that young adults remain much less likely than older Americans to identify with a religion, pray daily, or say religion is very important, even if some engagement metrics have stabilized.  

So, while Gen Z may be slowing down the decline, they haven’t overturned the broader secularization trends that marked the early 2000s and 2010s. 

Who Is Leading the Shift—and Why? 

The generation’s relationship with religion is not uniform. Some of the more notable patterns include: 

— Young men: In certain communities, Gen Z men are reportedly more likely to engage with traditional religion and church attendance than their female peers—reversing historical patterns were women typically outpaced men in religious participation.  

— Spiritual but not religious: Much of Generation Z identifies as spiritual without adhering to a formal religion. Surveys find that substantial segments believe in a higher power or spiritual principles, even if they reject organized religion.  

— Social media influence: Platforms like TikTok and Instagram are driving new forms of religious discourse and exploration, giving faith leaders and young believers ways to share ideas that resonate culturally with their peers.  

A Shift, Not a Revival (Yet) 

So, what’s really going on? Scholars and pollsters suggest a nuanced shift: 

— The long-running decline in religious identity has plateaued in many Western countries.  

— Some segments of Gen Z show increased interest in belief and practice, especially in contexts where religion provides community, structure, or answers to existential questions.  

— At the same time, strong secular identities remain common among young people, and large shares still reject traditional religious labels even as they pursue spiritual meaning.  

In other words: Generation Z isn’t so much reversing secularization across the board as it is halting the rejection of religion that was previously the trend.   

After decades of decline in religious affiliation and practice, recent data suggest Generation Z may be stabilizing that trend and even nudging it in new directions. Whether through increased belief in God, rising church engagement among some subgroups, or the spread of spiritual identity via digital channels, Gen Z’s approach to faith is complicated, but evolving. 

In many ways, this change would seem to offer a glimmer of hope for a future America that rededicates itself to the foundation of religion upon which this country was formed.   

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