‘Dramatic Growth’ in Gen Z Christians as ‘Quiet Revival’ Surges Across Britain

Bible Society research uncovers significant growth in church attendance and Bible reading

By Jules Gomes Published on April 11, 2025

After decades of declining church attendance and widespread animosity towards Christianity in the United Kingdom, the Bible Society has uncovered startling evidence of a Christian revival led by passionate young adults that is spreading throughout England and Wales,

Titled Quiet Revival, the Bible Society’s research, published earlier this month, reports a 50% rise in church attendance over the last six years. More than two million people are attending church now than in 2018, with the “most dramatic” growth coming from Gen Z, particularly young men.

Dramatic Church Growth

In 2018, just 4% of 18- to 24-year-olds said they attended church at least monthly. In 2025, church attendance figures have risen to 16%, with young men increasing from 4% to 21%, and young women from 3% to 12%, the report revealed.

While Anglicans made up 41% of churchgoers in 2018, this dropped to 34% in 2024, with Roman Catholics now close behind them at 31% (up from 23%) and Pentecostals up from 4% to 10% of the church. Among 18- to 34-year-olds, only 20% of churchgoers are Anglican (down from 30% in 2018), with 41% Catholic and 18% Pentecostal.

“The story told in this report is revolutionary in terms of the public assumptions about Christianity in England and Wales, and transformational in terms of how Christians think about themselves,” Bible Society CEO Paul Williams wrote in his foreword.

“Where once we saw aging congregations and a steady decline in attendance, we see dramatic growth, led by the young,” researchers Rhiannon McAleer and Rob Barward-Symmons observed. “Where once we saw apathy or even hostility to Christianity and the Bible, we see increased openness, again among the young.”

Quantum Leap in Bible Reading

There was also a quantum leap in the figures of churchgoers who are reading the Bible, as well as actively believing it. Now67% of Christians surveyed report reading the Bible at least weekly outside of church, up significantly from 54% in 2018.

Young adults appear to be the ones most interested in learning more about the Bible, with 37% of 18- to 24-year-olds who do not attend church saying they are curious to discover more about Scripture.

Among non-churchgoing adults in general, Bible reading has doubled over the last six years, with 12% of the population saying they read the Bible outside of church services weekly or more, compared to 6% in 2018.

The highest rates of Bible reading are within Baptist, Independent Evangelical, New Churches, and Pentecostal expressions, all of which show weekly Bible reading at around 90%. The lowest weekly Bible reading rates are among Anglicans and Catholics, at 61% and 56% respectively.

Among churchgoers, younger people read the Bible more often than older Christians, with 80% of 18- to 34-year-olds and 71% of 35- to 54-year-olds reading Scripture at least once a week. The figure dropped to 57% in the case of churchgoers over 55 years of age.

High Degree of Confidence in God’s Word

Unexpectedly, younger generations continue to use printed Bibles, even though they also read the Bible on apps and listen to audio recordings of biblical passages. Around two-thirds of churchgoers who read the Bible saying they use a printed Bible at least weekly.

Most churchgoers said the Bible has impacted their spiritual life, with 87% of churchgoers aged 18 to 34 saying they feel closer to God when reading the Bible, compared to a general figure of 78% of churchgoers expressing their closeness to God during Bible reading.

Meanwhile, 82% of churchgoers said they are not embarrassed by the Word of God and would be happy to be seen reading a Bible in public; 18% of non-churchgoers said they are interested in finding out more about the Bible.

The survey also found an exceptionally high degree of confidence among 18- to 34-year-old Christians in using the Bible to talk about their faith: 80% of Christians in this age group say they are confident they could answer questions about the Bible from a non-Christian, with only 13% saying they’re not.

Churches Display More Ethnic Diversity

Denominationally, the report revealed that the Church of England and the Church of Wales had suffered the greatest losses in membership, while Roman Catholics and Pentecostals had made the biggest gains.

Also, the church is becoming more racially diverse, with one in five people (19%) coming from an ethnic minority and around half of young black people between the ages of 18 and 34 (47%) now attending church at least monthly.

However, there also has been a rise in white attendance, especially among young men, with 18% of those between the ages of 18 and attending church monthly, compared to 3% in 2018.

The 2018 sample surveyed 19,101 adults in England and Wales, while the 2024 sample included 13,146 adults.

“Both samples therefore give a 1% margin of error at a 99% confidence level, meaning they are highly reliable,” McAleer and Barward-Symmons explained. “For the first time, this is not just anecdote, but is demonstrated in the latest results of a large, robust and nationally representative population study that has tracked the religious attitudes and behaviours of England and Wales since 2018.”

The Return of “Full-Fat Christianity”

McAleer and Barward-Symmons concluded:

The results of this thorough and robust study demonstrate that over the space of only six years, there has been a significant growth in the numbers of people going to church; Christians are practising their religion more intentionally; more young people are finding faith; more people are reading the Bible.

The researchers suggested that a major factor behind the “quiet revival” could lie in the meaning and community Christianity offers a society struggling with a loss of meaning, mental health issues, and a lack of community.

Please Support The Stream: Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.

Churchgoers reported higher life satisfaction and a greater feeling of connection to their community than non-churchgoers. Churchgoers, particularly young women, were also less likely to report frequently feeling anxious or depressed.

“Full-fat Christianity is back,” Williams announced. “Anecdotally, we are finding young people reporting Jesus appearing in their dreams. We have never heard of this before.”

The report concludes by urging policymakers and influencers to recognize Christians in society, and by asking churches to work on increasing “Bible discipleship,” engaging in intergenerational conversations within congregations, and fostering authentic personal relationships.

Dr. Jules Gomes, (BA, BD, MTh, PhD), has a doctorate in biblical studies from the University of Cambridge. Currently a Vatican-accredited journalist based in Rome, he is the author of five books and several academic articles. Gomes lectured at Catholic and Protestant seminaries and universities and was canon theologian and artistic director at Liverpool Cathedral.