By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Monday, May 04, 2026

Compared with previous generations, more of America’s youngest adults, popularly known as Generation Z, believe that you can have a fulfilling life without children and that marriage is not necessary to provide children with a stable home, new data shows. 

While most Gen Z young adults, born around 1999–2015, hope to get married, new data from Barna’s "The State of Today’s Family" report suggests they are delaying marriage due to economic concerns and greater emotional awareness.

“Young adults today report high levels of anxiety, uncertainty, and emotional complexity in their daily lives — factors that may shape how they approach long-term decisions like marriage," researchers noted. "Rising costs of housing, education, and daily life likely add to that calculus, making the timing of marriage feel consequential in a way it may not have for earlier generations."

Based on a complete sample of more than 3,500 adults interviewed in August 2024, about three-fourths (74%) of Gen Z respondents say they can have a fulfilling life without children, the highest share of any generation. Around two-thirds (67%) say marriage is important for raising children in a stable environment, the lowest share among generations.

In a comprehensive review of Gen Z, citing survey data from 2022 to 2026, prominent Christian researcher George Barna and the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University presented a more detailed picture of the generation. Gen Z is the least Christian generation in America, with just 1% holding a biblical worldview.

While there has been some renewed interest among Gen Z in openness to faith and reading the Bible, Barna noted that the share of Gen Z adults who embrace socialism over capitalism has increased from 22% to 39% in the past four years. Support for traditional marriage has also declined.

“We see a similar erosion in support for traditional marriage, with an 18-percentage point increase in the number of Gen Z adults who say that the marriage of one man to one woman is simply one possible choice among many, but not necessarily God’s plan for humanity, nor a morally superior choice compared to other relational options,” the report states.

“Perhaps most tellingly, another dozen-plus spiritual indicators remain unchanged — including nine foundational worldview measurements such as their understanding of God, human nature, and the Bible — leaving Gen Z with a biblical worldview level of just 1% — the lowest of any American generation.”

And while there have been reports about spiritual revival among the generation, particularly in response to the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Barna’s research advised caution.

“The research gives a lukewarm affirmation of revival, at best. While there are a few tepid signs of spiritual interest or growth that have emerged among young adults, there is not much evidence to suggest a broad-based movement of God’s Spirit through that generation,” Cultural Research Center researchers said.

“The disclaimer to such a judgment about the absence of revival is that real transformation does not happen overnight. It takes a decade or more for a person to initially form their worldview. In most cases, it will not be overhauled in just a few months,” researchers added. “It may be premature to conclude that revival is not happening today based on the early returns for that generation. But the low levels of spiritual change observed among Gen Z so far suggest that revival is not yet underway.”

Other concerns highlighted in the Cultural Research Center's latest research include a 15-point increase in the share of Gen Z adults who believe Jesus Christ sinned while He was on Earth. There was also a 13-point increase in those who say they often receive helpful guidance from their horoscope, and a 10-point rise in those who believe there is no absolute moral truth. Researchers also noted a six-point increase in those who say there is no life after death.

George Barna argues that if churches and mature Christians do not invest in discipling the youngest generation, the future of Christianity among Gen Z is not promising.

“Spiritual transformation may be introduced by changes in religious behavior, but for those behavioral changes to become rooted, there must be an understanding of why such behaviors matter. Without making the connection between beliefs and behaviors, unrooted behaviors will become empty routines, and individuals are likely to revert to prior, comfortable habits,” Barna said in a statement.

“Unfortunately, if we study the beliefs that are changing within Gen Z, they tend to push people farther from biblical truth, not closer. That condition leads to an unfavorable prognosis, although God can generate transformation in any way He chooses, at any time that pleases Him.”

News Source : https://www.christianpost.com/news/more-gen-z-adults-say-life-can-be-fulfilling-without-marriage.html