France sees record rise in baptisms among adults and teenagerstranslated

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France sees record rise in baptisms among adults and teenagers

In France, more and more people are accepting Catholic baptism at an adult age. At Easter 2026, almost 21,400 teenagers and adults were baptized - this is a record for the entire history of such statistics. The number of young people who decide to join the Catholic Church is growing especially noticeably, writes Euronews.   However, the overall picture remains the opposite: the number of baptisms of young children in France has more than halved in recent decades, and the proportion of residents who call themselves Catholics continues to decline.

More and more young people are becoming new Catholics

Among adults, the number of baptisms in 2026 increased by 28% compared to 2025, according to the French Bishops' Conference. Over 10 years, the figure has more than tripled - from 4,124 people in 2016 to more than 13,000 in 2026.

The largest age group among baptized adults were young people from 18 to 25 years old. They account for 42% of new baptisms among adults, and another 40% among people aged 26 to 40 years. In 2020, the group from 26 to 40 years old, on the contrary, almost doubled...