Nearly half of young Germans say they believe in the existence of hell, according to a new survey that shows younger generations hold stronger Christian beliefs than their elders.
The study, for Christian news agency IDEA also found that members of independent evangelical churches were more likely to believe in hell than those in the Roman Catholic church.
The survey was conducted in August 2026 and asked 2000 respondents for their position on the statement: "I believe that a hell as described in the Bible really exists."
It found that 47% of those aged 18 to 29 believe in hell, while only 20% of those aged 70 and over said they believe in hell, the lowest of any group surveyed.
Overall, 40% of Germans said they do not believe hell exists, and 22% said they “do not know”.
Belief varied significantly by religious affiliation, with members of independent evangelical churches most likely to agree (61%), compared with 40% of Roman Catholics and 38% of those belonging to Germany's Protestant Church.
However not all researchers agree this amounts to a genuine belief and have cautioned the survey methodology.
The report was published by Evangelical Focus.