Young religious people are happier, healthier, and more successful: these are the findings of a revealing study published in the U.S.
A 2025 Institute for Family Studies survey examined religious practice among American men aged 18 to 29. The survey found that 18% attend religious services weekly, while 53% attend less than once a year or not at all. The study reports that young men who are religious tend to be happier, healthier, and more successful, and the article suggests religious communities may offer forms of belonging many young men lack.
about 7 hours ago
An April 2025 survey of U.S. men aged 18–29 found that those who regularly attend religious services reported higher levels of marriage and family orientation, friendship, happiness, educational attainment, purpose, and mental wellbeing than secular peers. The figures show associations, not proof that religious practice causes these outcomes.
Weekly religious attendance is uncommon among young men: 18% attend services weekly, while 53% attend less than once a year or not at all. Among religious men aged 18–29, 27% are married, compared with 9% of secular men; 94% of weekly attendees are married or want to marry, compared with 63% of less frequent attendees. Religious young men are also more likely to have children or want them.
The survey found that 68% of weekly attendees have at least three close friends, compared with 52% of men who rarely or never attend. Eighteen percent of religious young men reported loneliness, versus 29% of secular men.
Forty-one percent of religious young men described themselves as very happy, compared with 24% of secular men. Regular or poor mental health was reported by 15% of religious men and 35% of secular men; roughly two-thirds of religious young men said their lives had purpose or meaning, compared with about four in ten secular men.
Forty-six percent of religious young men had a bachelor’s degree, compared with 29% of nominally religious men and 16% of secular men. Among men aged 24–29, the corresponding figures were 61%, 40%, and 25%; religious men in that age group were also more likely to have completed vocational education or an apprenticeship.
The article cautions that the survey captures a particular moment and cannot establish whether religious practice produces the reported outcomes. Marriage, family background, political preferences, or other factors may influence both attendance and life circumstances, and marriage itself may make religious participation more likely.
The study also places the results against a longer decline in attendance: weekly religious participation among young men has been a minority practice since the 1970s, and the current 18% rate is below levels recorded in previous decades. Reports of renewed Christian interest among some members of Generation Z are described as anecdotal, with broad evidence of a revival still limited.
Religious belonging contributes to young men’s human flourishing
Religious belonging can contribute to young men’s flourishing by giving them relationships, moral formation, a sense of purpose, and a path of service. In Catholic thought, however, belonging is not simply joining a group: it is ultimately belonging to God through Christ and being formed in a community that helps a person grow in freedom and responsibility.
The International Theological Commission explains that freedom matures through relationships and that communities—including religious communities—help people develop their personal capacities. For young people, Pope Francis similarly connects growth with relationship to God, membership in a family and people, and discovery of a personal vocation; pastoral communities should accompany the young and lead them outward in generous service, rather than isolate them.
The Christian account also gives belonging a deeper meaning: each person is called a child of God, and Christ’s mission gathers people into renewed communion. In this view, faith does not diminish freedom or human identity; life in Christ is presented as enabling a person to become more fully alive. Prayer, Scripture, and the sacraments are described as sources of Christian witness and of a responsible adult life, while faith and charitable service offer young people examples to follow.
There is also some empirical evidence for particular benefits: one cited study found that adolescent religiosity was associated with lower rates of smoking, binge drinking, and marijuana use, and other studies linked religious involvement with delayed sexual activity. These findings concern adolescents generally, however—not young men specifically—and association does not by itself prove that religious belonging caused the outcomes.
So the claim is plausible and consonant with Catholic teaching, but should not be overstated: the supplied evidence does not establish that religious belonging benefits every young man, or quantify its effects specifically for young men. Its contribution depends on whether communities truly welcome, form, accompany, and send the young into service.