Christianity is experiencing a revival among young people in Britain, with the number of 18-24 year olds believing in God increasing by nearly 200 per cent since 2021.
After decades of Christianity declining in Britain — falling to such an extent that the 2021 census found that Christians had become a minority in England and Wales amid the rise of atheism and Islam — there appears to be an indication of a trend reversal and possible revival of the faith in the United Kingdom.
According to YouGov’s tracker of religious belief, conducted twice per year, the number of 18 to 24-year-olds professing belief in God rose from 16 per cent in August of 2021 to 45 per cent as of January of this year, representing a 181 per cent increase in just three and a half years, GB News reported.
A smaller, but still significant, increase was also registered among those aged between 25 and 49 years old, with the tracker recording a jump from 21 per cent in 2021 to 33 per cent in 2025.
This has coincided with a 56 per cent rise in those who attend church at least once a month between 2018 and 2024, with the number of regular churchgoers increasing from 3.7 million to 5.8 million.
The increase was largely a result of growing attendance from younger men, with just one in 25 attending in 2018 compared to one in five in 2024. However, there was also an increase among young women, rising from three per cent to 12 per cent over the same time period. It means that the 18-24 year old cohort is now the second-most likely age group to attend church every month.
Lancastrian Priest, Father Damian Feeney, told GB News that he believes the growing number of young people interested in the faith comes from a “need for structure, shape and routine in their life… and a desire for stability at a time when otherwise life can seem destabilised”.
“The desire for structure and order previously mentioned has led to a renewal of interest in traditional, liturgical worship among young adults. This isn’t the only type of growth, for sure; but it is significant. The use of beauty in language, colour, music, drama in fairly classic ways have grown in appeal,” Fr. Feeney said.
“The spur and motivation to explore the faith afresh may come from [secularism, uncertainty, or global challenges] but it should be clear that every individual will have their own story, their own journey. My personal view is that secularism seems simply too one-dimensional and beige, with little by way of excitement or mystery, but I would say that, wouldn’t I?”
The increased interest in Christianity has not been even across the board, however, with some churches faring better than others, and the Anglican faith, in particular, lagging behind.
While the Catholic church has seen attendance increase from 23 per cent to 31 per cent since 2018, and Pentecostal churches have seen a six per cent rise, the Anglican church has seen a decrease from 41 per cent to 34 per cent attendance during the same time period.
This perhaps belies the folly of the move by church leadership, notably former Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, pushing woke ideology in an apparent attempt to court young people.
Before resigning in disgrace earlier this year over accusations of failing to investigate child sex abuse, Welby had been a leading advocate of “social justice” causes such as the Marxist Black Lives Matter movement, going so far as to launch a campaign to purge churches of colonial-era statues and monuments as well as starting a church reparations fund for historical ties to slavery.
Follow Kurt Zindulka on X: Follow @KurtZindulka or e-mail to: [email protected]
Read the full article here