Generational Differences in Religiosity and Their Reflection of Social Change in Korea

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate generational differences in religiosity in South Korea and to analyze how these changes are connected to broader sociological transformations. To this end, repeated cross-sectional data from Gallup Korea, spanning from 1997 to 2021, were used to analyze religiosity each year based on generational cohorts and other sociodemographic variables. The main findings of the analysis are as follows. First, a persistent gap in religiosity exists between older and younger generations. This gap has gradually widened over time. Second, older generations generally exhibit higher levels of religiosity than younger generations. Specifically, while only the Baby Boomer generation displayed significantly higher religiosity than younger cohorts in 1997, by 2021, all older generations showed higher levels of religiosity compared to the younger ones. These generational trends suggest a long-term structural shift in Korea’s religious landscape, driven not only by age or life-cycle effects but by changing cultural values, rising individualism, and increased secular orientation among the youth. The study positions Korea as a distinct case within global secularization debates, where rapid modernization coexists with enduring Confucian traditions, making generational religiosity a vital indicator of the country’s evolving social fabric.