A recent survey conducted by IPSOS brings surprising data about religiosity in Serbia.
While turning to God and tradition is usually associated with older generations, the study reveals that as many as 22 per cent of Serbia’s total population regularly fasts. However, the most interesting finding is that young people are leading the way in abstaining from food – Generation Z, among whom as many as 28 per cent regularly practise fasting.
This trend is not isolated, but is supported by numerous global surveys examining the role of religion in young people’s lives and the reasons for their adherence to dogma.
In order to gain a deeper understanding of this phenomenon, we spoke with religious analyst Draško Đenović, who offers a more complex view of statistics related to fasting and religiosity.
“These studies are highly questionable, because what does fasting actually mean? If we look at fasting as abstaining from certain foods, that is one thing. However, if we look at it through the lens of the Church, through the teachings of the Christian faith, fasting is not only abstaining from certain foods, but also, quite simply, a change of thoughts,” Đenović explains in an interview with Euronews Serbia.
He sharply criticises a superficial understanding of fasting, stressing that its essence lies in spiritual transformation rather than mere abstinence from food.
“It means nothing if we do not eat meat and dairy products, and then go home, close the door and beat our wife and children. You know, there simply is not even an ‘F’ of fasting there.”
The analyst emphasises that fasting is not a diet, but much more than that: “The part about changing the mind and the heart is far more important than whether we might accidentally drink coffee with milk or not.”
According to Church teachings, fasting also includes abstaining from alcohol and cigarettes, in addition to adjusting one’s diet.
When it comes to Generation Z, Đenović raises the question of their true motives. He notes that members of this generation, born roughly between 1995 and 2010, are increasingly turning towards vegetarian diets and concern for animals.
“They do not want to eat meat because they do not want animals to be killed for their nutrition, because of the sustainability of the ecosystem, and many of them actually fast all year round if we look at it that way,” Đenović says. Therefore, it is important to clarify whether in these cases it truly comes down to faith and religiosity in the traditional sense, or whether factors such as ethical beliefs about diet and environmental awareness are influencing the survey results.
“The point is that I do not know what the questions were when people were interviewed, when you obtained these data, because in fact it is the interviewers who have to ask those follow-up questions in order to find out exactly why such a large percentage fasts or does not,” the analyst stresses, pointing to methodological challenges.
This trend is not specific to Serbia alone. Đenović also mentions global tendencies, particularly in the United States, where churches are becoming increasingly full, precisely thanks to Generation Z.
“If they were emptying out over the past 40 years, now they are filling up,” he explains, citing observations by commentators such as Charlie Kirk, who has often spoken about young people returning to the Church. Numerous surveys, including those by the Associated Press, confirm that since 2020, that is, since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, young people have been increasingly turning to the Church and to religion in general.
(Euronews, 29.01.2026)