Thirty-three percent of Gen Z adults chose a religious-only label in a Harris Poll, compared with 18% of baby boomers.
The finding was highlighted in Harris’ Oct. 22 research roundup and came from its September Gen Z and Religion report.
The question offered four separate answers: religious; spiritual but not religious; both religious and spiritual; or neither. The 33% figure refers specifically to the religious-only category, rather than everyone who chose either religious option.
Another 24% of Gen Z respondents selected both religious and spiritual, 24% selected spiritual but not religious and 19% selected neither.
Harris conducted the online survey July 1-4, 2026, among 2,136 U.S. adults, including 372 Gen Z respondents ages 18 to 29. The study defined millennials as ages 30 to 45, Gen X as 46 to 61 and boomers as 62 and older.
Those categories and the question’s wording matter when interpreting comparisons across generations or with surveys that ask about religious affiliation, attendance or belief. The finding measures a chosen description at one point in time, rather than demonstrating a change in faith within the same people.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to news@fingerlakes1.com.
