Boomer Religious Beliefs Stable Over Decades

Are Boomers becoming more religious with age? Not according to the General Social Survey, which has been tracking the attitudes of Americans since 1972. The religious beliefs of Boomers have changed surprisingly little over the decades.

Religious preference: When Boomers were young in 1976, the oldest among them filling the 18-to-30 age group, the 54 percent majority named Protestant as their religious preference. Only 13 percent said they had no religious preference. Now that Boomers are getting long in the tooth (aged 52 to 70 in 2016), 56 percent name Protestant as their religious preference and 15 percent say "none." The differences between then and now are not statistically significant. 

Religiosity: The percentage of Boomers who identify themselves as "very" or "moderately" religious stood at 64 percent in 2016 (at ages 52 to 70). The figure was 62 percent in 1998 (at ages 34 to 52), the first year the question appeared on the survey. The percentage identifying themselves as "not religious" was 13 percent in 1998 and 17 percent in 2016. The differences between then and now are not statistically significant. 

Belief in God: In 2016, the 62 percent majority of Boomers (at ages 52 to 70) agreed with the statement, "I know God really exists and I have no doubts about it." This figure was as high as 66 percent in 2006 (at ages 42 to 60). It was as low as 59 percent in 1988 (at ages 24 to 42), the first year the question appeared on the survey. Only 2 percent of Boomers in 1988 and 3 percent of Boomers in 2016 said they did not believe in God. The differences between then and now are not statistically significant.

As they aged from young adults to retirees, the religious beliefs of Boomers did not change. What does this mean for Millennials? It means Millennial religious beliefs—as recorded by the 2016 General Social Survey when they were aged 22 to 39—are not likely to change in the decades ahead. Thirty-two percent of Millennials say they have no religious preference, more than twice the share among Boomers. Forty-three percent of Millennials say they are very or moderately religious, well below the Boomer share. Just 50 percent of Millennials say they believe in God without a doubt.  

Source: Demo Memo analysis of the General Social Surveys