A gender gap that has long defined religious identity in the United States appears to be closing among Generation Z, with recent surveys showing a notable shift in how young men and women view religion. Historically, women have consistently reported higher levels of religiosity than men, but data from Gallup and other polling organizations now suggest that pattern is changing. The question of which gender is driving this shift—and why—has sparked debate among pollsters, political scientists, and religious leaders.
Gallup polling released in April found that 42% of men between the ages of 18 and 29 said religion was «very important» to them in 2024-2025, a jump of 14 percentage points from just two years earlier, when 28% of young men said the same. This marks a reversal of past gender dynamics: in 2012-2013, 51% of young women said religion was very important, compared to 41% of young men. In the most recent period, only 29% of young women said the same, leaving young men more likely than their female peers to express strong religious commitment. Frank Newport, a senior scientist at Gallup who worked on the poll, noted that the gender gap among young Americans has «basically disappeared across several measures of religiosity,» with men and women either statistically tied or, in one measure, men surpassing women.
However, other surveys have not replicated Gallup’s findings. The Public Religion Research Institute’s Census of American Religion, also released in April, found that just 20% of young men attended church weekly in 2025, virtually unchanged from the previous year. The Pew Research Center reported in December that «there is no indication that young men are converting to Christianity in large numbers.» David Campbell, a professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame, cautioned that Gallup’s metric—asking how important religion is in one’s life—may capture attitudes rather than actual behavior. «When you look at the more demanding aspects of religion, you don’t necessarily see this increase among young men,» Campbell said. Ryan Burge, a professor of practice at Washington University in St. Louis, expressed skepticism, suggesting the Gallup result could be «a weird result for whatever reason because it’s not replicated in the other metrics about religion.»
Despite the conflicting data, some religious leaders report observing a renewed interest in faith among young men. Father Matthew Hood, chaplain for Detroit Catholic Campus Ministry, said he has witnessed «a renewal that’s happening in hearts of young people, and, in particular, it seems to be something that I’ve noticed even more so for young men.» He described young men «really seeking their faith in a new way.» Gallup’s polling also indicated a partisan dimension: much of the rise in religiosity among young men was concentrated among Republicans, suggesting that political identity may be influencing religious expression.
At the same time, some experts argue that the narrowing gap is not due to young men becoming more religious, but rather to young women leaving religion at a faster rate. This trend, they say, may be driven by frustration with sexism in religious institutions. While the data remains contested, the overall picture is clear: the religious landscape among young Americans is shifting, with implications for congregations, political alignments, and cultural debates. As Burge put it, the findings raise questions about whether the change reflects a genuine spiritual awakening among young men or a temporary fluctuation in survey responses. For now, the debate underscores the complexity of measuring religiosity in a rapidly changing society.
