A new Gallup poll shows a significant rise in young men in the United States saying religion is “very important” in their lives. According to the results, 42% of men under 30 now describe religion as central to their lives, up from 28% in 2023. This marks a sharp increase for this demographic at a time when the overall share of Americans who value religion highly has been in long-term decline.
In contrast, the broader population remains less religious than in previous decades. Gallup’s data shows that only 47% of Americans overall said religion was “very important” to them in 2025, down from 58% in 2012 and as high as 70% to 75% in the 1950s and 1960s. At the same time, religious non-affiliation is at an all-time high, with 24% of Americans now identifying as having no religion—a trend that has steadily risen over the past two decades. Religious service attendance has also dropped, with 57% of Americans in 2025 saying they seldom or never attend, and only 31% reporting weekly or near-weekly attendance. Young adults, including those under 30, are the least likely to attend services, with 61% seldom or never going, according to Gallup’s annual averages.
Despite the recent uptick among young men, most demographic groups—including women and Black Americans—have seen declines in the share who say religion is very important to them. The gender gap is narrowing, as the number of women who say religion is “very important” has fallen from 66% to 51% over the past 20 years, while the figure for men dropped from 51% to 43%.
The poll also notes that while certain groups—including Latter-day Saints, Republicans, Protestant or non denominational Christians, Black adults, older adults, and Southerners—remain more likely to call religion “very important,” the overall trajectory for the U.S. is one of declining religiosity. This decline is largely attributed to generational change, with younger adults less likely to identify with a religion or to attend services.
Recent Comments