Religiosity Declines Among Young American Women, Narrowing Gender Gap

As interest in religion declines among young women in the United States, the gender gap that previously saw women considered more religious than men is disappearing. Historically, women tended to place a higher value on faith and attend church more frequently than men. However, this trend is now emerging as religiosity weakens among young women, with 43% identifying as having no religion, an increase from 29% in 2013, marking a 14 percentage point rise. This figure is also higher than the 35% of young men who identify as having no religion.

Melissa Deckman, CEO of PRRI, explained that this phenomenon differs from claims of a religious boom among young men in some quarters. She analyzed that the decline in religiosity among young women is narrowing the gap to levels comparable to men. Deckman added that these changes reflect political and social realities, with many young women rejecting religious labels because they do not agree with the traditional gender roles emphasized by conservative religious organizations.

Key religious indicators, such as the rates of identifying with a religious identity or praying daily, have shown a decline across all age groups over the past decade. However, reports from various research institutions, including PRRI and the Pew Research Center, point out that the proportion of those with a religious identity among the young is nearly equal between men and women. According to a Pew Research Center survey, only 57% of young women and 58% of young men reported having a religious identity.

Sharitza Mikoski, an assistant professor at the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, which studies participation at the local church level, highlighted a different aspect compared to general population surveys. Data from her research team shows that women still constitute about 60% of active church members. While young women attend church slightly less frequently than men, they are still more likely than men to be affiliated with a church community. However, young people, despite making up about a quarter of the total U.S. population, constitute only about 14% of church members.

Religion shows no signs of disappearing from American society. According to reports from numerous research institutions like PRRI and the Pew Research Center, the phenomenon of 'the rise of the religiously unaffiliated,' which has been a major news topic in religious circles in recent decades, has slowed or plateaued. Pew Research Center data indicates that the percentage of religiously unaffiliated Americans rose from 16% in 2007 to 31% in 2022, but has since stabilized around 28%. This trend is similarly observed among younger demographics, and the slowdown in the growth of the unaffiliated population may influence the future religious landscape.