Is Gen Z Turning to God? New Survey Offers Surprising Signs of Belief

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A new survey challenges the conventional wisdom that young people are turning away from faith, offering fresh evidence of a possible resurgence in belief in God among college-age students.

The State of the Bible poll found that young adults ages 18–21 are about as likely to express belief in God, heaven and angels as the general population -- and far more likely than their older Gen Z counterparts.

The poll found that 67 percent of younger Gen Z adults believe in God, virtually identical to the 68 percent of the general population. Meanwhile, 62 percent believe in heaven, matching the general population (62 percent), and 62 percent believe in angels, compared with 64 percent of the general population.

Belief in Satan and hell also closely mirrors the general population: 52 percent of younger Gen Z adults believe in a literal Satan, compared with 55 percent overall, while 53 percent of both groups believe there is a hell. The gap was wider on belief in demons, at 44 percent among younger Gen Z adults versus 51 percent of the general population.

The bad news? Belief is considerably lower among older Gen Z adults, ages 22–29: Just 49 percent believe in God, 44 percent in heaven and 47 percent in angels.

The good news? Belief is higher among Millennials, the next-oldest generation, with 63 percent believing in God, 58 percent in heaven and 61 percent in angels.

It is unclear whether younger adults’ stronger belief reflects something unique to this moment -- marked by Unite US campus rallies and collegiate athlete-led worship services -- or whether belief will decline as they grow older. 

Other surveys have offered additional evidence of a movement of God among Gen Z.

For example, a Barna survey from November 2025 found that 49 percent of Gen Z adults read the Bible weekly, up from 30 percent in 2024 -- a 19-percentage-point increase that outpaced the rise among Americans overall. Weekly Bible reading among all U.S. adults climbed from 30 percent to 42 percent during the same period.

A March 2026 Barna report found that 45 percent of Protestant senior pastors said engagement among Gen Z had increased in their churches over the previous year.

The latest data was part of Chapter 7 in the State of the Bible report and was released this month.

Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Peter Cade

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. 

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