Why Young People Are Turning to Religion

There have been three popes in my lifetime: John Paul II, Benedict XVI and more recently, Francis. However, neither of the previous two received as much love and adoration as Francis when they passed.

Pope Francis’ public and vocal support for trans people and the Palestinian people won him grace and an outpouring of love when he passed away in late April. Francis resided over the largest institution in the world that, up until very recently, has been embroiled in scandals and controversies surrounding child sex abuse in the Catholic Church. Francis was also very vocal about the abuse scandals that continue to plague the Church, and for that, he was able to win over the public. Yet, he still presided over the Church, and there has been little evidence in the modern past to suggest that any head of an institution has been able to change its culture from within.

Much of that online public support came from young people across the world. My Instagram and X feeds were littered with obituaries and memorials, but it had me thinking whether there has been a significant shift in how young people feel about religion and faith compared to previous generations. Recently, Dazed published an article reporting that in 2019, just 22 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds in the UK said they believed in God. By early 2025, that number had more than doubled to 45 per cent. What has caused this sizeable shift?

When you connect the dots, it doesn’t come as a surprise that young people are turning to religion. Traditionally and historically, particularly in Europe, two pillars have held up society: the Church and the state. When one fails the people, they turn to the other to meet their needs. Those needs are usually belonging and a belief in a higher power. For much of the latter half of the twentieth century, people turned to the state as Europe emerged from the horrors of war. For the USA, its global expansion meant that Americans had faith that their government could provide belonging and a belief in a higher power.

In our post-COVID world, amidst world powers teetering towards the right, people have begun to lose faith and trust in the state. Conspiracy theories are no longer reserved for basement-dwelling trolls but for anyone who lacks full trust in governments. So, where do we turn when those charged with serving us no longer deliver? Well, for young people who are uncertain about the future and their place within it, religion offers a salve because it has always provided a sense of belonging, belief in a higher power and identity. “Young people are struggling to find their placeso they are finding a sense of belonging in religion,” Jackie, 24, “church for me is finding a sense of community.”

It won’t be long before young people start turning to confession as a form of therapy and as a way of connecting. That speaks to a deeper desire to be seen and heard, which many may not be feeling due to the always-on lives people now live. Of course, this is a very Eurocentric way of observing this shift towards religion. Young Muslims won’t be afforded the same grace when it comes to their relationships with religion and Islam; all they’ve ever been told by the media and society is that they are the ‘other’ and they don’t belong.

However, young people seeking belonging must be safeguarded and protected, as with the rise in reverts will come predators seeking to take advantage of those who are vulnerable. The recent scandals behind south London-based church SPAC Nation and its leader, Pastor Tobi, are reflective of an institution using societal issues such as knife crime, education and unemployment to persuade young people to join. However, belonging and community in this sense should never come with a price tag. “Me and my friends do this thing we call ‘church hunting’, where we essentially go around and look for social activities that churches run. These are normal things like bowling or go-karting but the difference is that we’re going with like-minded people,” says Lara, 20. “But we’re also mindful that some of these spaces are preying on young people who don’t know any better.”

It’s debatable whether brands can offer people a balm for their deep desires and needs, which are often linked to the id. What they shouldn’t do is prey on those needs for belonging and belief in a higher power. Young people aren’t hopeful for the future, which is an indictment of us all and our collective failure to provide. What the church and mosque have done is provide space and community for young people, and it’s not like days of old where participation in sermons was necessary. Many attend simply to meet others, and that’s an indictment of our over-reliance on technology. And that’s just it; technology cannot provide what the human body needs and craves.