More US young men than young women say religion is important to them | US news

Young men in the United States are now more likely than young women to say religion plays an important role in their lives, according to the survey’s newest findings. gallup.

Data covering 2024-25 shows that 42% of men aged 18 to 29 describe religion as very important to them; This is a significant increase from 28% in 2022-23. By comparison, young women’s responses remained largely unchanged over the same period, remaining at roughly 30%.

In previous measurements, young men and women depended primarily on this indicator of religiosity. This balance has now changed, with young men taking the lead by a statistically significant margin. This increase among young men is particularly notable as older men and women have shown little movement since 2022-23.

With this latest jump, young men’s statements about the importance of religion have risen to levels not seen in nearly 25 years; It almost matches the rate of 43% recorded in 2000-01. Women and older men in all age groups are at or near the lowest levels on record.

This pattern is only seen in 18 to 29 year olds. For individuals aged 30 and over, women still report higher levels of religiosity than men.

Young men’s views on religion are now very similar to those of men aged 30-49 and slightly below those of older men. On the other hand, young women are now ranked as the least religious group of women overall.

While only 29% say religion is very important, women aged 18-29 lag 18 points behind women aged 30-49 and are less than half as likely as older women to express religious importance strongly. These results are drawn from combined Gallup data collected every two years from 2000-01 through 2024-25.

Religious attendance at church among young men also increased. At least monthly reporting of participation in services increased by seven percentage points between 2022-23 and 2024-25, reaching 40%, the highest level since 2012-13.

Participation among young women has also increased since 2022-2023, rising by three points to 39%. Still, this figure remains well below the high levels seen in the early 2000s. In contrast, participation rates among older men and women are currently at or near their lowest points.

It turns out that there was a noticeable decline in the number of churchgoers in 2020, which can largely be explained by the Covid pandemic, which is also believed to be partly responsible for the closure of many churches across the country at the time.

The study also looked at differences by political affiliation. Since 2022-23, turnout is up seven points among young Republican men, eight points among young Republican women, and three points among young Democratic men. Young Democratic women are the only group that shows little change.

Over a longer period of time, turnout of young Republican men has generally increased since 2018-19, while turnout of young Democratic men has tended to decline.

One possible factor behind the growing interest in religion among young men is increasing feelings of loneliness, greatly exacerbated by a global pandemic in which children and teenagers are forced to switch to remote learning during crucial years of social development.

Experts noted a significant drop in the number of intimate relationships reported by men. In the US, research shows that two-thirds of men aged 18 to 23 feel this way no one really knows them; one third did not interact with anyone outside their home last week; Only one in five people say they have trusted friends; And 69% of young men The feeling of “nobody cares if the guys are nice or not.”