US Religion and Spirituality Consumer Report 2026
Even as church attendance has declined for decades, faith remains deeply embedded in American identity.
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- Report definitions
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Outlook for religious and spiritual identity in US
- Opportunities
- Invest in faith-conscious personalization
- Commit to inclusive storytelling and build authentic reputational resilience
- Facilitate spiritual community for values-driven families
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THE MARKET
- Consumers may seek solace in their faith as inflation holds firm and financial concerns grow
- Religion in America
- The evolution of modern spirituality in the US
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THE CONSUMER
- Affiliation and dedication to religion and spirituality
- The majority of consumers identify with some form of religion and/or spiritual beliefs
- Graph 1: self-identified religious affiliation, 2025
- Graph 2: self-identified spirituality, 2025*
- Win younger generations by honoring faith as personal, not institutional
- Graph 3: religious affiliation and spiritual identity, by generation, 2025
- Deep religious dedication shapes how many consumers live and choose to spend
- Graph 4: self-described dedication to religious/spiritual beliefs, 2025
- Consumers who are very religiously/spiritually dedicated overindex as Black, Millennial and parents who are spiritual and identify as Christian
- The “somewhat religiously/spiritually dedicated” segment is more likely to be Gen Z and affiliate with Catholicism
- The “somewhat religiously/spiritually dedicated” segment is more likely to be Gen Z and affiliate as Catholic
- Individuals who are not very or not at all dedicated to their faith skew older, White or LGBTQ+ and tend to be skeptical of organized religion
- Individuals who are not dedicated to their faith skew older, White and LGBTQ+ and tend to be skeptical of organized religion
- Brands and religion
- For many, religion and spirituality are the foundation for socially conscious and purpose-driven consumerism
- For many, religion and spirituality are the foundation for socially-conscious and purpose-driven consumerism
- Graph 5: agreement – influence of religion/spirituality on purchase decision and brand loyalty, 2025
- Appealing to moral values and social purpose are most likely to resonate with young and Black faith-based consumers
- Graph 6: any agreement – influence of religion/spirituality on purchase decisions and brand loyalty, by generation, 2025
- Graph 7: any agreement – influence of religion/spirituality on purchase decisions and brand loyalty, by race and ethnicity, 2025
- Remaining attuned to consumers’ religious-based values, can help ensure brand communication and advertising is respectful as well as resonating
- Graph 8: agreement – religious/spiritual themes and influence on advertising/marketing, 2025
- Young parents in particular are more likely to judge the appropriateness of advertising through a religious lens
- Graph 9: any agreement – religious/spiritual themes and influence on advertising/marketing, by generation2025
- Graph 10: any agreement – religious/spiritual themes and influences on advertising, by generation and parental status, 2025
- Positive religious representation and inclusion is important, but is also currently lacking for some religious/spiritual consumers
- Graph 11: agreement – religious/spiritual representation from brands, 2025
- The busiest airport in the US offers an interfaith chapel for travelers of all faiths to find solace
- There are opportunities to improve Jewish and “spiritual-only” representation and inclusion
- Graph 12: agreement – “In the past year, I have seen my own religious/ spiritual identity positively portrayed/represented by brands or media,” by religious/spiritual identity, 2025
- The Maxwell House Haggadah is a decades-long example of religious inclusion
- State of faith and spirituality
- Embed faith-aligned cues respectfully in everyday brand touchpoints – especially for Protestant and Black consumers
- Graph 13: agreement – “My religious/spiritual beliefs are an important part of my identity,” by religious/spiritual identity, 2025
- Graph 14: agreement – “My religious/spiritual beliefs are an important part of my identity,” by race/ethnicity, 2025
- Reach religious/spiritual consumers through everyday behaviors
- Graph 15: religion/spirituality in practice, by religious/spiritual identity, 205
- Spiritual wellness? There’s an app for that.
- Offer tools that help parents pass values through everyday choices
- Graph 16: religion/spirituality in practice, by generation, 2025
- Engage younger consumers through faith-adjacent social and community spaces
- Graph 17: role of religious institutions, by generation, 2025
- Faith- and heritage-linked identity will increasingly shape brand loyalty
- Graph 18: evolution of religious/spiritual dedication, by generation, 2025
- Tiffany & Co celebrates and spotlights Ramadan with its “Hands of Love” campaign
- Influence of religion/spirituality on lifestyle
- Faith is more likely to be present in the social and leisure activities of non Christian-based religions, particularly among Muslim individuals
- Graph 19: religion/spirituality in lifestyle & leisure, by religious/spiritual identity, 2025
- Young parents are also likely to rely on and incorporate faith into their leisure and social activities
- Graph 20: religion/spirituality in lifestyle & leisure, by generation, 2025
- Graph 21: religion/spirituality in lifestyle & leisure, by generation and parental status, 2025
- Brands should be aware that for some, faith and spirituality can inform purchase behaviors and even brand choice
- Graph 22: influence of religion/spirituality on day-to-day decisions, by religious/spiritual identity, 2025
- Ulta partners with Flora & Noor to make halal beauty more accessible
- Avoid ethical conflicts and controversy to prevent faith-based boycotts
- Graph 23: agreement – “I actively seek out brands that align with my religious/spiritual beliefs,” by generation, 2025
- Graph 24: agreement – “When brands publicly support values contrary to my religious/spiritual beliefs, I often avoid them,” by generation, 2025
- Alternative religious/spiritual practices
- “New age” spirituality practices can be both an alternative and supplement to religious identity
- Graph 25: interest or previous experience with “new age” spirituality, by religious/spiritual identity, 2025
- Age, as well as unprecedented generational experiences, likely influence young adults’ interest in “new age” spirituality
- Graph 26: interest or previous experience with “new age” spirituality, by generation, 2025
- Alternative spiritual practices, though niche, can create meaningful cultural connections and social belonging for select consumers
- Graph 27: specific “new age” spiritual practices consumers are interested in or have experience with, 2025
- Haircare brand Not Your Mother’s launches aura-themed collection targeting Gen Zs
- Gen Z’s reliance on secular communities has increased by 50% since 2020
- Graph 28: cultural inspirations and secular alternatives, by generation, 2025
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APPENDIX
- Report scope
- Consumer research questions
- Consumer research methodology
- US generation groups
Even as church attendance has declined for decades, faith remains deeply embedded in American identity. More than three quarters of Americans still claim a religious identity, revealing a shift not away from belief, but toward personalization – especially among Gen Z. Rather than adhering strictly to institutional religion, many consumers are blending traditional faith with individualized and/or “new age” spiritual practices. This customization is not diluting devotion; in many cases, it is intensifying it.
For roughly half of religious and spiritually affiliated consumers, faith is a core driver of daily decisions, including how and where they spend. Religion and spirituality often shape moral frameworks that guide socially conscious, purpose-driven consumption. While values-based shopping is not new, brands must recognize that for many consumers those values are explicitly informed by religious teachings and spiritual beliefs.
The opportunity for brands lies in meeting consumers where belief is personal, diverse and deeply felt. Flexible, values-aligned offerings, such as faith-conscious beauty or AI-guided mindfulness tools, will allow brands to serve a broad spectrum of spiritual identities without prescribing belief. Done well, this can unlock meaningful loyalty. Done poorly, it can trigger swift backlash in a highly sensitive, social-media-driven environment. Respect, authenticity and cultural fluency are essential for brands navigating this space.
This Report Looks at the Following Areas:
- The evolution of modern religious identity and practices in the US
- The current economic conditions that may shape American consumers’ financial outlook and need for spiritual comfort
- Trends in consumers’ spiritual and religious dedication across demographics
- The influence of religious identity and spiritual beliefs on consumerism and spending
- Opportunities for brands to authentically resonate with religiously-dedicated, purpose-driven consumers
- The influence religion and spirituality on consumers’ lifestyle and decision-making
- The role of “new age” and alternative religious practices in Americans’ dedication and worship
Market Definitions
For the purposes of this Report, Mintel has used the following definitions for its religious and spiritual groups.
- Protestant Christians: includes all Protestant-derived religious practices including Baptist, Evangelical, Lutheran, Presbyterian and Historically Black Protestant.
- Catholic: individuals who identify with the Roman Catholic Church and to any degree of its beliefs/practices.
- Other Christianity-based religions: includes all other non-Protestant and non-Catholic derived Christian identities, denominational and non-denominational (eg Greek Orthodox, Mormon).
- Non-Christianity-based religions: includes all religious identities outside of Christian traditions, including Judaism, Islam, Hindu and Buddhism. Note: combined within the research in order to have a statistically sufficient sample size for analytical comparison.
- Spiritual but not religious: this segment includes all respondents who identify with spiritual beliefs but do not affiliate with a traditional/institutional religion. This can include individuals who identify as atheist or agnostic but maintain personalized faith, and those who identify with “new age” or culturally derived spiritual practices (eg Celtic spirituality, Pan-African spirituality, energy healing).
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