UK Youth Defy Anti-Religious Trend

The United Kingdom has become increasingly irreligious in recent decades. According to the 2021 national census, for the first time ever, less than half the population of England and Wales (46.2 percent) described themselves as “Christian” (“Religion, England and Wales: Census 2021,” Office for National Statistics, November 29, 2022). That is a significant drop from nearly 60 percent just ten years earlier.

Decline of Christianity in the UK

The signs of this precipitous decline in faith are clear when one reflects on the closure and sale of church buildings across the country. According to the National Churches Trust, more than 3,500 churches across the UK have closed their doors in the last ten years (“3,500 churches have closed over the last decade. But is this a problem or a path forward?,” Premier Christianity, April 30, 2025). Some buildings are torn down, while others are converted into cafés, gyms, and even mosques. According to a UK report, the percentage of those believing in God fell from 75 percent in 1981 to roughly 50 percent in 2022, and “China (17%), Sweden (35%), Japan (39%), South Korea (41%) and Norway (46%) are the only countries less likely than the UK (50%) to say they believe in God” (“Belief, faith and religion: shifting attitudes in the UK,” World Values Survey, May 2023).

Bible Sales Up by 87 Percent (2019–2024)

Yet something interesting runs counter to this overall condition. Bible sales in the UK have declined for decades, but in recent years have been on the rise again—especially among Generation Z (approximately ages 13–28). According to a SPCK Group and Nielsen Book Data survey, while overall non-fiction book sales fell between 2023–2024, religious book sales actually increased. More specifically, from 2019–2024, Bible sales in the UK rose a staggering 87 percent! “Publishers and researchers attribute this growth to Generation Z’s renewed interest in spirituality, marking a striking cultural shift” (“Bible sales surge by 87% as Generation Z rediscovers faith,” Christian Today, March 18, 2025).

A January 2025 survey showed that 62 percent of youth aged 18–24 viewed themselves as “‘very’ or ‘fairly’ spiritual,” compared to 35 percent of those age 65 and older. Additionally, just 13 percent of Gen Z classified themselves as atheist, compared to 20 percent of Millennials and 25 percent of Generation X (“God makes a comeback in Gen Z: Those in teens and early 20s are half as likely to call themselves atheists compared to their parents, poll shows,” Daily Mail, January 28, 2025). Gen Z seems to be defying the anti-religious trend of their parents—and this is not unique to the UK. In the United States, Bible sales also greatly increased in 2024 (“Bible sales soar as number of American Christians shrinks,” Washington Times, December 2, 2024).

A New Era of Truth Seekers

Why are today’s UK and American youth buying Bibles at far greater rates than older generations? And why is their interest in faith increasing instead of decreasing? Gen Z youth are a highly-connected generation and the first to not know a time without widespread access to the Internet. They are generally pragmatic and desire stability and balance in their lives. They deeply desire truth and seek meaningful communication and relationships. In seeking truth, they are in search of answers to questions that are of little interest to certain previous generations. Perhaps that is why this generation of young people is interested in the Bible—a book that many today do not care about, but which has had a profound impact on the world.

Gen Z Wants to Know: “How Do I Find God?”

The CEO of Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) observed the following in relation to the study on religiosity in the UK: “We are seeing an increased curiosity about Christianity. Events like the Covid-19 pandemic and the mental health crisis have caused many individuals to think deeply about their spirituality. Rather than relying on atheist thought leaders (or, for that matter, church leaders), we are seeing people want to draw their own conclusions by reading Christian books in general and the Bible in particular” (“Bible Sales Surge Among Gen Z: SPCK’s Role In The Growing Demand,” SPCK Publishing, March 25, 2025).

SPCK also observed that in a time of diminished mental health, people are looking outside themselves for answers and hope: “The Bible’s messages of love, peace, and purpose resonate with those seeking comfort in difficult times” (SPCK Publishing). It appears that Gen Z may be breaking free of some of the spiritual shackles previous generations imposed on themselves—looking for answers where others have feared to go.

What Is Ahead?

Where will this lead Gen Z? Will there be a massive turnaround of society that results in a turn to biblical morality? According to the Bible, the symptoms of “the last days” are stark and clear: “men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:1–5). So, at least prior to Christ’s return, we should not expect society to embrace biblical morality. That will come after Christ returns!

What this current trend shows is that people still sincerely yearn for answers, for truth, and for peace. Yet society continues to demonstrate that the ways of mankind do not lead to any of that (Isaiah 59:8). We hope for peace, and we may even claim to have peace, but there is no real, lasting peace (Jeremiah 6:14). Mankind, despite its best efforts, cannot create a society that is full of hope and meaning.

A Willingness to Obey

Gen Z is searching for answers that society does not and cannot provide. They are on the right track in their desire to read the Bible; the answers to all of society’s woes are in the Bible, and they have been all along. But, to really benefit from the words of the Bible, one must seek God with one’s whole heart (Jeremiah 29:13) and be willing to forsake all to follow Him (Luke 14:33). This takes courage and faith—and it takes a calling from God Himself (John 6:44).

We can find peace and fulfillment in this life, and it comes through living according to “every word of God” (Luke 4:4). The foundation of that word is an ancient, unchanging set of laws known as the Ten Commandments. These ten laws outline the true path to peace that anyone can follow. To start down that path, you can visit TomorrowsWorld.org to read or listen to our life-altering booklet The Ten Commandments. You can also order a free printed copy from the Regional Office nearest you, listed on page 4 of this magazine.

Christ will return to the earth and make Jerusalem His capital city. His soon-coming Kingdom will change the world and everything in it. And His laws, outlined in the pages of the world’s best-selling book—the Bible—will go forth from Jerusalem as the tool that He will use to finally usher in true and lasting peace (Isaiah 2:3)! When this happens, Generation Z—along with every other generation—can finally experience the meaning, truth, happiness, and peace they yearn for!