Best of the Spectator Holy Smoke: is there any truth in the Christian revival?
Feb 17, 2026
Conrad Hackett, a Pew Research demographer who studies global religious change, unpacks claims of a youthful Christian resurgence. He discusses global shifts in where Christians live, rising Muslim populations in some regions, why many raised Christian now disaffiliate, and how survey methods can create misleading headlines.
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Education Links To Fertility Differences
- Educational attainment is a major predictor of fertility; lower female education among Muslims in parts of Africa contributes to higher birth rates.
- Historical factors, like colonial-era schooling patterns and Quranic schooling, shaped these educational gaps.
Urbanization's Mixed Effect On Religion
- Urbanization can both erode local religious communities and concentrate immigrant religious populations in cities.
- London is more religious than other UK areas largely because immigrants bring higher religious participation.
Migration Offsets Native Religious Decline
- Migration often offsets native declines in religiosity by adding more religious immigrants, sustaining institutions like churches.
- The U.S. Catholic Church's size has been buoyed by immigrant inflows despite native disaffiliation.
