A third of UK adults pray and attend church at least once a month, with younger people more spiritually active than older generations, a new survey has found.
The survey sampled 2,075 UK adults and was conducted by Savanta ComRes for the Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer, the group behind a monument of the same name being erected near Birmingham.
The findings revealed that just over a third of UK adults (36%) pray, whether that's alone, with a small group or at church.
Strikingly, half (51%) of 18- to 34-year-olds said they pray at least once a month, more than double the proportion of over-55s (24%) who do the same.
The survey revealed a similar pattern with church attendance.
While a third (31%) overall said they attend church, young people were far more likely to attend than older Brits - 49% of 18- to 34-year-olds against 16% of over-55s.
Young people were also more likely than older Brits to believe their prayers will be answered - 38% of 18- to 34-year-olds compared to 22% of over 55s.
Richard Gamble, founder of the Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer, said the findings point to a growing spirituality.
"Despite the narrative that the UK is a growing secular society, it is becoming increasingly clear that there is actually a growing spirituality in the nation," he said.
"If younger generations are exploring faith and spirituality online and in non-traditional ways it shouldn't be a matter of debate, but should be encouraged and embraced."
The Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer is being erected on a site near Coleshill on the outskirts of Birmingham, and is expected to attract 300,000 people a year.
Construction is due to start this year, with completion anticipated for 2023.
The monument will stand at 169 feet high and is expected to cost £12m. A crowdfunder has been launched to raise the last million.
Gamble continues, "Many are now discovering that prayer is not a response of last resort but a conversation with God. Different faiths have different perspectives of God as a higher being, but Christianity teaches that God is a relational being who listens to our prayers and answers those prayers, sometimes in ways we could never have anticipated. Prayer without some expectation and hope of an answer is akin to talking in an empty room."
