The number of baptisms among young people is growing in France — France 24

In France, the number of baptisms among teenagers and young people has risen sharply in recent years: in 2026, more than 21,000 adults and teenagers were baptized. This figure is more than three times higher than it was a decade ago, France 24 reports.

Search for meaning and community

The TV channel links young people’s interest in the Catholic faith to their experience of the pandemic and lockdowns, the return of war to Europe, and climate change. The report notes that these factors are sources of anxiety and depressive states for some young French people, who seek meaning and community in religion.

Johann, the subject of the report, began searching for spirituality after his grandmother’s death. Morgane, who grew up with one parent in social housing, felt the need for a community. For Malik, who grew up in Senegal in a Muslim family, reading the Bible became a turning point. All three sought baptism as adults.

The influence of friends and social media

Charles Mercier, a historian of contemporary Catholicism, noted that religion is increasingly perceived less as an inheritance received at birth and more as an individual choice. According to him, young people do not see faith as a restriction or an obligation.

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In France, which France 24 describes as a secular and multicultural country, faith has become a topic of conversation and mutual inspiration among friends. Johann asked his friend Mathieu to take him to Mass for the first time, and later asked him to become his godfather.

Religious influencers

According to a survey by the Conference of Bishops of France and La Croix, nearly 20% of catechumens — people preparing for baptism — said that influencers with thousands of social media followers played an important role in their spiritual journey. Malik, in particular, learned about the Holy Trinity parish in Paris thanks to Brother Paul-Adrien. The weekly Mass there attracts nearly a thousand young people.

The observance of Ramadan by young Muslims also encourages young Catholics to rediscover their own traditions, including Lent before Easter.