Gen Z are behind big surge in Christmas churchgoing with 60% of children set to attend a festive service

Christmas churchgoing is on the rise with nearly half of Brits planning to attend a service or event this year, a major survey has found – with Gen Z leading the trend.

Some 45 per cent of UK adults say they expect to visit a church this Christmas – up from 40 per cent last year, according to the study for the charity Tearfund.

Younger people were found to be far more likely to go to church, with reasons given ranging from tradition to spiritual reflection and support to the atmosphere.

Many within Gen Z have taken to TikTok in recent weeks to post videos about their experiences of attending church, with some talking about going for the first time.

Among them was content creator @1pro_yapper who said it was his ‘first time in church’ and he ‘overall enjoyed it’ because of the singing and ‘really great people’.

But he added that he disagreed with the theme of ‘trying to make your enemies your friends’ and did not like ‘woke‘ chat about climate change – but he ‘will go back’.

Another video by @belsspamms saw two young women attend a traditional carol service at Eton, joking that they hoped to hear the Chappell Roan song Hot To Go.

Young people at other churches have been posting videos promoting services, with one in Liverpool promising ‘lots of singing, lots of instrumentals and lots of praise’.

Gen Z, those aged between 18 and 28, were the largest generation to say they plan to go at 60 per cent; followed by Millennials, aged from 29 to 44, at 59 per cent. 

This falls to 36 per cent for Gen X, aged from 45 to 59; then 30 per cent of Baby Boomers, aged 60 to 79; and 24 per cent of the Silent Generation, aged 80-plus.

Nearly a quarter (22 per cent) of Gen Z churchgoers said they would attend because they can get practical support such as food banks or warm spaces.

The poll also found that more than a third (34 per cent) of non-Christians plan to attend a church service or event this year, up from 30 per cent last year.

Of those planning to go, 39 per cent said it was part of their Christmas tradition, while 34 per cent go for the atmosphere and 28 per cent for spiritual reflection.

Breaking down attendance by different age groups, 66 per cent of those aged 25 to 34 plan to go; then 59 per cent of 35 to 44 year olds; 39 per cent of 45 to 54 year olds; 31 per cent of 55 to 64 year olds; and 29 per cent of those 65-plus.

Stuart Lee, director of global fundraising at Tearfund, a Christian humanitarian and development charity, said the figures on high Gen Z attendance were in line with other recent surveys suggesting young people are returning to church.

He told the Daily Mail: ‘In our poll they are telling us it’s part of their Christmas traditions, it offers a unique atmosphere or because of friends and family attending.

‘A few years ago, I couldn’t even get a ticket to my own church’s annual carol service and had to stand in the foyer, peeking through the doors. As I looked around, most of those attending were young people.

‘This is fascinating – you might have expected attendance to be in decline over the years, but instead, young people are turning to church at Christmas.’

He added that this suggests ‘something good is happening in the church, both in the UK and in the communities we work in around the world’.

Mr Lee concluded: ‘Perhaps it is about being part of something bigger, taking time to reflect, and being in community and this is what we see all over the world, churches becoming the centre of communities especially for those in need.’

Savanta interviewed 2,017 UK adults aged 18-plus online between November 28 and 30 this year, with data weighted to be nationally representative by key demographic characteristics.

The rise in the proportion of people planning to attend church compared to last year refers to asking respondents if they went last year, and if they plan to go this year, rather than tracking data year-on-year.

The survey’s results follow the much-cited ‘Quiet Revival’ report in April from the Bible Society and YouGov about rising church attendance in England and Wales by younger people.

This surveyed 13,146 adults in November 2024 and found that Christians who go to church at least once a month made up 12 per cent of the total population, rising from 8 per cent in 2018.

For people aged 18 to 24, the proportion rose to 16 per cent from just 4 per cent in 2018, making this age group the second most likely to go to church regularly after those aged 65 and over.

The increase was particularly pronounced among younger men, 21 per cent of whom said they were regular churchgoers versus 12 per cent of women aged 18 to 24.

The report was later criticised by Humanists UK who claimed it contradicted other reputable data sources such as the British Social Attitudes Survey and attendance figures from major denominations – but it was defended by the Bible Society.