A new Ipsos Global Advisor survey shows wide variations across countries and generations in the prevalence of religious affiliation and practice, beliefs, the role of religion, and the extent to which it defines personal identity and morality. Most geographic differences tend to follow a similar pattern, opposing a highly religious Global South to a mostly secular Global North. However, major generational shifts are emerging in many of the 26 countries surveyed where younger people are less likely than older adults to identify as Christian, especially Catholic, and more likely to identify as Muslim or of some other faith.

Generational shifts in religious affiliation
Across the 26 countries surveyed by Ipsos, the proportion of respondents who say they have a religion ranges from nearly 100% in India and Thailand to less than half in Japan, South Korea, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Great Britain. The survey brings to light major generational shifts when it comes to religious affiliation.

In each of the 16 most Catholic countries surveyed, the percentage of Gen Zers (those born in or after 1997) who identify as Catholic is lower than the percentage of baby boomers (those born in or before 1964) who do so – by an average of 16 points. Gaps in Belgium, Italy, Peru, Poland, France, and Chile exceed 20 percentage points.