Young men are now more likely than young women in the US to say religion plays a major role in their lives, according to the newest findings from Gallup.
Data covering 2024-25 indicates that 42% of men aged 18 to 29 describe religion as very important to them, a significant rise from 28% in 2022-23. In comparison, young women’s responses have remained largely unchanged over the same period, holding at roughly 30%.
In earlier measurements, young men and women were essentially tied on this indicator of religiosity. That balance has now shifted, with young men pulling ahead by a statistically meaningful margin. This increase among younger men stands out, especially since older men and women have shown little movement since 2022-23.
With this recent jump, young men’s reported importance of religion has climbed back to levels not seen in about 25 years, nearly matching the 43% recorded in 2000-01. Women across all age brackets, along with older men, are at or close to their lowest levels on record.
I’d be curious about how many of those “very religious” young men even attend church. Being told your hatred is righteous and part of an army trying to restore your rightful place at the top of society is a lot more fun than listening to some guy talk every Sunday or going out to volunteer at a soup kitchen.