Until November this year, the Swedish Church has gained almost 13,000 new members. It is the largest influx since statistics began to be kept in the 1970s, and it is mainly young people who account for the increase.

12,788 new members since the beginning of the year, excluding infant baptisms, and more than 1,000 more who joined in 2023. The increase is small compared to the number leaving, which is about three times as many, but even there a trend breakthrough and decrease can be seen.

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According to the Swedish Church, it is mainly young people who are joining, something confirmed by a survey by Ipsos showing that Generation Z, those born in 1997 or later, are attracted to faith and religion.

Joel Halldorf, professor of church history, believes that the explanation lies in the fact that politics and science are not sufficient to provide answers to larger questions such as the meaning of life.

– If one wants to explore these questions, the church, mosque, and synagogue are traditions that have been working with these questions for thousands of years, he tells public television.

According to Jonas Bromander, associate professor of sociology of religion, there are two other groups contributing to the increase – former members who have resigned and reconsidered their decision, and immigrants who were not previously members.

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