Gen Z is the first generation in history in which men are more religious than women. Why?

It’s not news that young Australians are less religious than their parents and grandparents. Census data has shown a steady decline in religious affiliation for decades, particularly among Christians, who remain Australia’s largest faith group.

Yet over the past few years there have been reports that seemed to point in the opposite direction. As I wrote about religious revival in countries as diverse as Japan, Thailand, China, India, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States, a common theme emerged. Some young people appeared to be returning to religion.

More surprising still, in many places the trend seemed increasingly driven by young men rather than young women.

To figure out what was happening in Australia, I crunched the numbers. While Australia is continuing to secularise overall, beneath that trend, gen Z appears to be the first generation where men are more likely than women to identify with a religion.