For the first time in modern American history, Catholics now outnumber Protestants among Generation Z adults. Data from the 2023 Cooperative Election Study (CES) shows 21% of Gen Z identifies as Catholic versus 19% as Protestant. This demographic shift in religious identification is historically significant for the United States, which was long defined by Protestant majorities. The inversion occurred despite a general trend of secularization and declining religious affiliation among younger Americans. Catholic identification among Gen Z slightly increased between 2022 and 2023, contrasting with the overall decline in religious adherence.
10 days ago
Data from the 2023 Cooperative Election Study (CES) shows that for the first time, 21% of Generation Z adults in the US identify as Catholic, compared to 19% as Protestant.1
This marks an inversion of centuries-old patterns where Protestants outnumbered Catholics in every prior generation, including Baby Boomers, Gen X, and Millennials.1
The US was founded on Protestant Christianity through colonial British settlement and evangelical influences.1
Catholicism grew via 20th-century immigration from Europe and Latin America but remained a minority.1
Gen Z is less religious overall, with declining church attendance, weaker institutional trust, and rising "nones."1
Yet Catholic identification has stabilized or slightly increased among them from 2022-2023, while Protestant affiliation sharply declined.1
Protestant churches, especially mainline denominations, lost young adherents due to cultural polarization and fragmentation.1
Catholic identity persists as a cultural or familial marker, even with limited practice; "nones" disproportionately come from Protestant backgrounds.1
Catholics have not surpassed Protestants nationwide, as older generations remain more Protestant.1
The change is strictly generational within Gen Z, amid broader disaffiliation rather than mass conversions.1
In the UK, among 18-24-year-old churchgoers, Catholics rose to 41% from surveys, while Anglicans fell to 20%.1
France saw a surge in young adult baptisms, described as an "explosion" by Bishop Olivier Leborgne.1
This signals a realignment in Western Christianity: shrinking overall but Catholicism gaining relative ground among youth.1
Debate continues on whether theology, liturgy, community, or social factors drive the trend, reshaping long-held religious sociology assumptions.1
Catholic identity surpasses Protestant among U.S. Generation Z
Recent claims that Catholic identity is surpassing Protestant affiliation among U.S. Generation Z invite scrutiny through the lens of Church teachings on youth formation. While no provided sources directly confirm or quantify this statistical shift, they illuminate the broader context: a landscape marked by declining active practice, a rise in religious disaffiliation, yet vibrant opportunities for evangelization through education, accompaniment, and communal witness. These documents—from papal addresses to U.S. bishops' frameworks—emphasize the urgent need for robust Catholic identity formation to ensure that any numerical uptick translates into deep, living faith rather than nominal identification.
Catholic sources consistently highlight profound challenges in retaining youth and young adults in the faith, countering any simplistic narrative of resurgence. The U.S. bishops note that youth undergo "transitions that greatly impact their spiritual and personal growth," yet the Church has often failed to invest sufficiently in accompaniment during these periods. This has led to historically low levels of active practice, with many junior high and high school youth disengaging post-Confirmation and young adults shying away from sacraments like marriage or vocations to priesthood and consecrated life. A "significant statistical rise" in those identifying with no religious tradition—the so-called "nones"—begins as early as pre-adolescence, fueled by hurts from families or church leaders and a failure to hear the Lord's call.
Pope Benedict XVI described providing youth with "a sound education in the faith" as "the most urgent internal challenge facing the Catholic community" in the U.S., underscoring how the "deposit of faith" must be passed on by "winning hearts to Jesus Christ." Similarly, Pope John Paul II linked society's and the Church's destiny to university students, warning that without Catholic formation, they cannot "inform culture with the Gospel." These insights suggest that even if more Gen Z identify as Catholic, superficial identity risks dilution amid cultural pressures, controversies, and dissent that fail to inspire the young.
Amid these trials, sources celebrate tangible signs of renewal, aligning with potential shifts in identification. The bishops' framework points to "positive signs of the Holy Spirit at work," including lay movements, Catholic scouting, World Youth Day pilgrimages, and creative parish projects that positively impact many young people. Campus ministries offer "loving accompaniment, vibrant liturgies, retreats, and meaningful encounters of service," while intercultural justice efforts draw youth into the Church's mission to the margins. Faith communities embracing technology with young input foster encounters with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
Youth and young adults are already emerging as "faithful 'protagonists,'" leading peer ministry, confronting racism, advocating for life issues like ending abortion, and stewarding creation. Eucharistic devotions and global events like World Youth Day root them in Catholic identity, building "social friendship" and a sense of universal Church as a "worldwide 'home.'" Popes echo this: John Paul II urged forming youth in "the fullness of the truth" to make them "leading characters in evangelization," attracting their "enthusiasm and boundless energy" to volunteerism and mission. Benedict XVI affirmed the Christian vision's appeal to youth's "imagination, idealism and aspirations" when presented in its "beauty, intellectual richness and radical demands."
Central to sustaining any identity shift is Catholic education, which sources portray as indispensable for integrating faith and reason. Benedict XVI stressed that education shapes not just minds but hearts, balancing "intellectual rigor" with love of God, moral life, and prayer—far beyond mere religion classes or chaplaincies. Catholic universities must foster "Catholic identity" through networks of support, harmony of faith and reason, and teachers who witness Christ with "sapientia Christiana." John Paul II insisted this identity must permeate teaching, studies, and institutional life as a "profound reality," enabling students to "sanctify themselves" and re-evangelize society.
Recent reflections reinforce this: Catholic universities evangelize by fostering "personal intimacy with Jesus Christ" and liberating youth from positivism toward truth and God. Educators bear "intellectual charity" to lead students to truth, living the faith they profess and evoking desire for ecclesial commitment. The bishops urge formation showing faith and reason as "two wings" for contemplating truth, countering myths that science disproves God, and drawing on saints' wisdom. Benedict XVI, addressing French bishops, praised Catholic institutes as evangelizing hubs of dialogue and rigor, open to theology for all youth.
These sources converge on a call to action: numerical identity gains among Gen Z, if real, demand investment in accompaniment to convert identification into discipleship. The bishops summon every community and family to "listen, teach, send," ensuring youth appropriate faith values for witnessing truth. Papal wisdom warns against complacency—Catholic schools and universities must reaffirm identity amid demographics and costs, complying with canon law for theological fidelity.
In sum, while sources do not verify the headline's claim, they frame it within urgent evangelization needs: celebrating Holy Spirit fruits like movements and peer leadership, yet prioritizing heart-shaping education against disengagement. The Church envisions Gen Z not as identifiers, but protagonists bringing the Gospel home, dismantling ideologies, and building the common good—equipped by faith's full treasury.