Gen Z leads Americans in religious identity and spiritual engagement

A new Harris Poll reveals that Generation Z adults are more likely to identify as religious than older generations in the United States. According to the survey of 2,136 adults, 33% of Gen Z respondents (ages 18 to 29) described themselves as religious, compared to 22% of Gen X, 19% of millennials, and 18% of baby boomers.

Gen Z also reported the lowest percentage of individuals identifying as “neither religious nor spiritual” at 19%. The data shows high levels of spiritual engagement within this group, with 88% participating in at least one spiritual activity, such as prayer, meditation, astrology, tarot, or ritual.

While Gen Z shows higher rates of religious text reading and service attendance than older cohorts, baby boomers remain the most likely to report regular individual prayer. Researchers noted that while Gen Z is often expected to be the most secular generation, they are currently the most likely to identify as religious, often combining traditional practices with modern spiritualities like manifestation.