Countries with Fewer Baby Boomers Who Believe in God often Have More Gen Zers Who Do

Nine countries surveyed boasted members of Generation Z who were more likely to believe in God than baby boomers, Christianity Today reports.

Overall, boomers were more likely than younger people to identify as Christian in half of the countries.

Among the countries surveyed, the percentage of Christians as a portion of the population was highest at 76 percent. In all, however, most of the countries surveyed had Christian majorities, including Peru, South Africa, Mexico, Colombia, Poland, Brazil, Italy and Argentina.

The survey also looked at religious practices among the different countries. For example, more than half of Peruvians surveyed said they pray outside a place of worship once a month or more, and 37 percent said they visit a place of worship once a month or more.

In 2017, the percentage of people in Peru who believed religion does more harm than good was 38 percent. In the most recent survey, that number was 32 percent.

In Brazil, the majority of respondents (90 percent) said they believed in God or a higher power to help them overcome hard circumstances. About 89 percent said they believe God gives them meaning in their lives, and 88 percent said belief makes them happier on average.

Of the total 26 countries surveyed, South Africa had the highest level of tolerance for other religions (92 percent). The country also had the highest percentage of people (78 percent) who pray outside a place of worship.

Meanwhile, religious tolerance in Mexico jumped from 66 percent in 2017 to 73 percent in 2023.

The survey also found:

• Peru had the largest percentage of people (79 percent) who said they believe in heaven. 
• Brazil (79 percent), South Africa (78 percent), and Colombia (78 percent) had high percentages of people who believe in heaven.
• Belgium had the lowest number of people who said they believe in heaven (22 percent), supernatural spirits (26 percent), hell (16 percent), and the Devil (18 percent).
• The survey’s most religious non-Christian countries included India, Thailand, and Turkey, with nearly 100 percent of people in India (99 percent) and Thailand (98 percent) claiming to be religious.

Related:

Americans’ Belief in God, Heaven and Angels Hits Historic Lows: Gallup

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Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner.