Even atheists pray. Yes, and it’s nothing new. The finding emerges from the academic survey “Footprints” and confirms previous data. Because atheism is more often on the lips than deep in the heart.

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The beauty of reality is that it’s always more complex, nuanced, and sometimes even paradoxical than our frameworks allow.

According to findings presented at the academic conference “Footprints”, held at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, a remarkable 62% of young people who identify as atheists or non-believers say they pray occasionally.

The data was reported on July 24 during a broader reflection on the methodologies of sociological research applied to youth religiosity, in the context of the Youth Jubilee.

The survey involved around 5,000 young people across eight countries (Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, the Philippines, Spain, and the United Kingdom) and was presented by Norberto González Gaitano, Professor of Public Opinion at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross.

Also present were Jonathan Evans (Pew Research Center) and Daniel Moulin (University of Cambridge).

 

Young atheists pray—62% in times of need

Such a high percentage of atheists inclined to pray may come as a surprise only to those who see religion as a rigid barrier between believers and non-believers.

In reality, just as believers have doubts, so too do non-believers.

During the Expert Meeting, participants emphasized the need to move beyond overly mechanistic and quantitative sociological approaches, which risk reducing spirituality to a set of codifiable behaviors.

Youth religiosity, in particular, is far more malleable, shaped by personal experiences, family context, and inner crises—factors that can hardly be captured by numbers alone.

Prayer, for example, emerges not as a systematic or dogmatic act, but as a spontaneous reflex of need, hope, or gratitude—even in the absence of structured belief.

Specifically, the study found that 48% of young atheists pray occasionally, 62% in times of difficulty, 48% out of gratitude, 47% for everyday problems, 42% believe in life after death, and 37% ask believers to pray for them.

 

Findings confirmed by earlier studies

These findings are consistent with previous research we’ve reported on.

In 2014, for instance, a Pew Research Center study revealed that 15% of non-believers pray frequently, while 40% believe in God—demonstrating that the label doesn’t necessarily mean a total rejection of the spiritual realm.

Again in 2018, ComRes reported that 20% of self-identified non-believers pray to God—a figure that, in light of the “Footprints” findings, now seems conservative.

 

Youth and faith: recent numbers

Other notable conclusions from the Footprints study include a global 35% increase in youth spirituality over the past five years—even in European countries—and a quiet revival in sacramental participation among youth in secularized societies.

The study also revealed a stark divergence in moral views between believers and non-believers on issues such as pornography, surrogacy, the death penalty, and war.

Regarding sexual morality, few young Catholics follow the Church’s teachings, but those with greater knowledge of and adherence to the faith are marked by regular religious practices (daily prayer, Sunday Mass, and confession).

 

Returning to the key point, the real news isn’t that over half of “atheists pray”, but that prayer endures as a universal human gesture, even where God seems absent. The religious sense is inextinguishable.

Perhaps we are not living in an age of disbelief, but in a time of restless searching, where the line between belief and unbelief is increasingly permeable.

And we’re always reminded that atheism resides far more on the lips than in the depths of the heart.