A quiet crisis is unfolding among young women in America. According to new data from Barna Research, nearly 40% of women in Generation Z now identify as atheist, agnostic or having no faith at all. Behind the statistics lies a deeper story of pain, disconnection and longing, a generation of young women searching for meaning but struggling to find it in the faith of their parents.
The numbers reveal more than a religious shift. They expose a growing void where faith once anchored the heart and shaped identity. As these young women distance themselves from prayer, church and Scripture, the spiritual foundation that has sustained generations before them is quietly eroding.
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As reported by The Christian Post, Barna’s survey of 2,000 people between the ages of 13 and 24 found that Gen Z women are not only less likely to believe in God but also the least engaged spiritually among their peers. The research paints a sobering picture of spiritual decline and emotional distance:
- 38% of Gen Z women identify as atheist, agnostic or having no faith
- Only 58% prayed within the past week compared to 63% of younger teenage girls and more than 70% of teenage boys
- 31% reported reading the Bible within the past week compared to 41% of other Gen Z groups
- 30% attended church in the last seven days, the lowest rate of any demographic surveyed
- Just 23% feel supported by their fathers and 36% by their mothers
- Only 32% believe their parents understand them and 33% feel valued by older adults
- 40% agree that “older people don’t seem to understand the pressure my generation is under”
Barna’s vice president of research Daniel Copeland said rebuilding relationships is essential to reversing this trend. “If we want to see change in Gen Z women’s spiritual trajectories, relationships are the place to start,” he explained. “Faith is a skill that must be modeled first and strong supportive relationships can bridge the gap between doubt and belief.”
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The data also shows a surprising post-pandemic shift. For the first time in decades, men are outpacing women in key spiritual markers such as church attendance. Barna’s State of the Church report found that 43% of men attend church weekly compared with only 36% of women, a reversal of the long-standing trend where women were once the backbone of church life.
This growing spiritual void may be doing more than reshaping faith statistics. It may be shaping the mental health crisis sweeping through young women today. When the human heart drifts from its Creator, the sense of identity, worth and hope that faith provides often fades with it. The result is a generation burdened by anxiety, loneliness and self-doubt, reaching for meaning in a world that cannot satisfy the soul.
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If these findings reveal anything, it’s that the need for spiritual connection to the Lord has never been greater. Perhaps the healing young women are searching for will only come when they rediscover the relationship that was never meant to be broken.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine.
