A new poll suggests that Britain may well be in the midst of a spiritual shift, with belief in God among young adults more than doubling in the past four years.
The YouGov survey found that 37 per cent of 18 to 24 year olds now say they believe in a God, compared with just 16 per cent in August 2021. The same poll showed that atheism among this group has dropped sharply, from 49 per cent in 2021 to 32 per cent today.
The figures appear to support claims of a "quiet revival" among younger generations. The Bishop of Lancaster, Rt Rev Jill Duff, told The Telegraph:
“I’m not surprised by this … It is very much what we are seeing on the ground in our churches," she said.
"There has been a trend in this direction - that the younger you are, the more spiritually open you are - and we are seeing a real openness to God and Christianity and especially to the supernatural in the younger age-group.
"I think there is a spiritual awakening.”
While the survey did not distinguish between religions, the data reflects a broader pattern of increased spiritual openness among younger people.
The proportion of 18 to 24 year olds who say they do not believe in any form of God or higher spiritual power has also fallen, from 19 per cent in August 2022 to just 12 per cent today.
By contrast, older age groups show relatively stable levels of belief. Around a quarter of 25 to 49 year olds expressed belief in God, a slight increase from 22 per cent in 2019 but lower than 33 per cent recorded earlier this year.
Among those aged 50 to 64, faith has held steady at about 27 per cent over the past six years. For over-65s, belief has dipped only slightly, from 35 per cent in 2019 to 32 per cent today.
The most striking movement remains among the youngest adults, where what was once a minority belief appears to be gaining momentum.
Whether this represents a sustained revival or a passing phase remains to be seen, but as Bishop Duff noted, the signs of renewed spiritual interest are hard to ignore.
