The rise of Christianity

Recent research shows a surprising trend where Gen Z and Millennials (aged 13 to 44) are increasingly attending Christian churches, often more regularly than older generations. The reasons are varied but high amongst them is the search for “meaning and purpose”.

The mental health of young people in a “chaotic world” is another reported influence for the stronger interest. Father Manoj Kunnath CSsR from the Burdekin Catholic Parish in north Queensland concurs. “Young people, in my experience and opinion, are searching for more explanation for their beliefs,” he said.

“I have met some of them who have made a real personal effort to find genuine teachings that explain their faith in God. This includes their academic research, making pilgrimages in the year of Hope, directed retreats and so on.”

Fr Manoj said the popularity of the past two popes had been significant. “Pope Francis and the present Pope Leo have impressed young people with their teachings and lifestyle, describing a non-judgmental God. As the world becomes crueller and more deceitful, young people are realising dependence on the forgiving love of Jesus. They recognise the need for the healing power of Jesus in the broken world,” he said. 

In the UK, church attendance among 18 to 24-year-olds rose from 4% in 2018 to 16% in 2024. In Australia, about 32% of young adults (18 to 34) report attending religious services at least once a month, compared to only 19% of those aged 65 and over. 

A recent story in The Guardian Australia said bible sales reached a record high in the UK in 2025, a massive increase of 134% since 2019. Last year, the bestselling bible translation was the English Standard Version published by Crossway.

Reports The Guardian, “The sudden uptick of interest has caused booksellers and scholars to ask some profound questions of their own, such as where these newly curious readers are coming from and whether faith, or another more modern phenomenon – namely social media influencers – have called them to the word of God.”

“We’ve seen an increase in people coming to the Bible from scratch,” says Aude Pasquier, retail sales director at Church House Bookshop near Westminster Abbey. “They have no Christian background whatsoever. They have no grounding from their parents or from their school. Whereas most people in prior generations would have.”

The owner of St Andrews bookshop in Buckinghamshire, Steve Barnet, also quoted in The Guardian, has a similar experience to the Church House Bookshop. He believes that same search for spirituality is setting some young people on a path of discovery that includes online personalities such as Jordan Peterson, the controversial conservative Canadian influencer.

“[Peterson] is not a Christian, but through him, a lot of people are going on a spiritual journey. Some are ending up in church, some are ending up elsewhere,” Barnet said.

A national survey (Australians’ views of Jesus and the Church: comparing age groups in 2021’, Australian Community Survey Report) shows only a small proportion (up to 15%) of people have strong reservations about Christianity or are actively opposed to it. Many are open to Christianity, spiritual conversations, and even changing their religious views.

Sam Richardson, the CEO of the British publisher, Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK), believes “the findings are symptomatic of a changing tide in which the appeal of Christianity has developed as a ‘counter-cultural’ force, especially for younger generations, who have grown up in more secular family and social environments.”

And he believes social media has had a strong influence in making Christianity more “accessible” to young people.

Fr Manoj adds, “As a priest working across three schools in the district, I have been encountering young boys and girls who want to be part of a worshipping Catholic community. I enjoy answering their honest questions on the Bible,” he said.

“A few of them have also expressed their experience of God’s mercy in the sacrament of reconciliation. A word of encouragement or a genuine invitation to be active participants in parish activities has also been notably appreciated by young people.”

Additional sources: Guardian Australia, ABC News and SPCK Group.

We encourage you to share and use this material on your own website. However, when using materials from Majellan Media’s website, please include the following in your citation:  Sourced from www.majellan.media