Young American Men Surpass Women in Religious Importance for First Time in 25 Years
A new Gallup poll released on Thursday reveals a significant shift in religious attitudes among young Americans, with men aged 18-29 now more likely than women of the same age to say religion is "very important" in their lives. This marks the first time young men have surpassed young women on this measure of religiosity since records began in 2000, representing a notable reversal of long-standing trends.
Gallup Data Shows Dramatic Increase in Young Men's Religiosity
According to Gallup's latest data, 42% of young men in the United States now report that religion holds very high importance for them, a substantial increase from just 28% in the 2022-2023 period. In contrast, young women's attachment to religion has remained relatively low and stable, hovering around 30% over the same timeframe. This creates a significant gender gap where young men now lead by a considerable margin, whereas several decades ago young women were much more religiously inclined than their male counterparts.
The Gallup organization reports aggregate findings every two years to ensure statistical stability, and this latest data reveals that the gender gap reversal is exclusively occurring among adults under 30 years old. Among adults aged 30 and older, traditional patterns persist with women remaining more religious than men across all older age groups.
Political and Moral Divisions Shape Religious Landscape
Much of the growth in religiosity appears concentrated among young Republicans, according to the Gallup findings. Religious attendance has increased notably among Republican young men and women since 2022-2023, while attendance among Democratic young men has largely declined during the same period. The percentage of young Republican men attending religious services at least weekly has been steadily rising since 2019.
Among women, the political divide is equally pronounced. Currently, only about one-quarter of Democratic women under 30 attend church at least monthly, compared to approximately six in ten young Republican women who maintain regular religious attendance.
Other surveys suggest young men and women diverge significantly on important moral questions. Pew Research Center surveys conducted in March 2025 found that about four in ten men under 30 consider divorce morally wrong, compared to only about two in ten young women who share this view. Even more strikingly, approximately half of young men say abortion is morally wrong, while only about one-third of women the same age agree with this position.
Expert Analysis Points to Societal Shifts
Political scientist Ryan Burge of Washington University in St. Louis, a leading researcher into religious trends and longtime pastor in the American Baptist Church, describes the gender gap reversal among Gen Z adults as "a seismic change in society and the future of the church." Burge suggests this shift could fundamentally alter how children are raised and potentially reshape the country's religious landscape if more men become responsible for religious upbringing.
"Young men are more drawn to religion now because it is a space where they feel more accepted in a world where other institutions are 'less interested in white men compared to women and people of color,'" Burge explains. "It's the only place where you don't have to apologize for being a white man. American religion is very white male dominated and young men are drawn to institutions that elevate them and give them influence and power."
Burge notes that women are increasingly viewing religion as patriarchal, particularly as abortion restrictions in many states are perceived as influenced by Christian values. Young women tend to hold more progressive views on issues such as abortion and LGBTQ rights, making traditional religious institutions feel repressive to many.
Religious Leaders Observe Broader Trends
Rabbi Nicole Guzik, who serves as co-senior rabbi with her husband Erez Sherman at Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, reports that membership at her 5,000-strong Conservative Jewish congregation has seen steady and significant increases since the pandemic and the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. While she hasn't observed a gender gap in religiosity within her own congregation, Guzik welcomes the broader trend of people giving greater importance to religion.
"Faith has a role to play in shaping people's identities, especially in an increasingly dark and polarized world," Guzik states. "It's about being in a place of belonging and inspiration. People are seeking something right now. There's a crisis of loneliness and mental health. Social media and AI are not helping. I'm glad that religious institutions are able to provide some semblance of light in these times."
Overall Decline in Religiosity May Be Slowing
Gallup senior scientist Frank Newport, who has studied the gender gap in religiosity for decades, notes another important finding: church attendance remains more or less equal for both genders despite the divergence in reported importance of religion. "One of the dominant trends we've observed in recent years has been a decline in religiosity among Americans," Newport explains. "Now, in young people, we're seeing that decline beginning to stop. That's pretty significant."
The poll reveals that while age doesn't significantly impact church attendance for men, young women are much less likely than older women to attend religious services at least once a month. This suggests that even as young men report greater religious importance, behavioral patterns may not align perfectly with stated beliefs.
The Gallup results are based on two-year averages from monthly live telephone surveys conducted among approximately 1,000 U.S. adults. The 2024 to 2025 results regarding the importance of religion are based on 4,015 U.S. adults, including 295 men aged 18 to 29 and 145 women aged 18 to 29. The margin of error for young men is ±7 percentage points and ±10 percentage points for young women on this specific question.
