According to a recently-released report from the Pew Research Center, only 36% of Millennials (ages 18-33) feel like the description “religious person” describes them well:
Today’s young adults are also less likely than middle-aged and older adults to describe themselves as religious. Roughly a third (36%) of Millennials say the phrase “a religious person” describes them very well. By comparison, half of Gen Xers (52%) and 55% of Boomers say this description fits them very well. And among Silents, about six-in-ten (61%) say this description fits them very well.
Again, the tendency of Millennials to shy away from this self-description is not unique to this generation of young adults. In 1999, 47% of Gen Xers said that “a religious person” described them very well, compared with 59% of adults ages 35 and older. Still today’s young adults are significantly less likely to identify themselves as religious when compared with Gen Xers at a comparable age (36% vs. 47%).
It’s not surprising at all given the demographic trends. You may recall the hockey stick graph we saw in 2012 when it came to Millennials who said they never doubted God’s existence. Instead of remaining near 90% like their more devout older counterparts, the younger group’s numbers plummeted beautifully to 68%:
