STATISTICS ON RELIGION by Carles Vilar. English version
Introduction -
Religious Types -
The Moral Issue -
Data & Countries -
* Religious countries in Europe
* Semi religious countries in Europe
* No religious countries in Europe (Part II) HERE
* America (Part III) HERE
* Africa and other countries (Part IV) HERE
* Added Section: General Data HERE
LAST UPDATED: 12JUN2005
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INTRODUCTION
How we can understand that in Slovenia, in the majority of statistics in atlas, encyclopedias, etc. they show us the fact that a 71.8 percent is Christian; but really is the 61 % believing in god ? Or in Spain with 95-98 % catholic, only the half believe about
the Christian God ? Because of the fact that in these statistics it is considerated the AFFILIATION...; but this is insufficient if the sociologist, the curious, or the analyst want to understand the reality about any country. The next international short statistic of religion was made with polls, surveys, and others sources in order to know better the real religious status of the countries (if you want, look at bibliography & LINKS ). I advertise you, that these statistics are approximated, and they don't claim to be accurated, but they are very interesting. They will be interesting to: the militant atheist, the sociologist, the politic analyst, the clergymen, etc. The statistic is focussed towards countries linked with Christianity and with a minimum demographic weight.
RELIGIOUS TYPES
Another matter, is who is Catholic, Protestant, agnostic, etc. Example: Someone believe of a pantheist god, and after his
death, he will be reincarnated... and he believe that he is Catholic... It is evident that a Muslim would be more near to be 'Catholic' in this case. Because of this, we could create the next religious types (generalizing always):
Atheist: It is logic; who doesn´t believe in god, life after death, in Bible, etc. Someone practice zen or transcendental
meditation or yoga, etc., without contradiction. The rejection to God many times comes by emotional motives: the
haughtiness produces that persons think they are better than others, and the final step of this process is the
psichological elimination of whichever superior personality, in this case God (as in fact they would worship to themselves)...
The Bible and certain experiences, testify it. [New Window]. Agnostic: God or devils, spirits, hell or heaven, DEATH... these are words that does not want to deal this type
(Remember: every time generalizing). Because of their fear, they don´t believe, but at the same time, they cannot believe
because they are not inclined to think about it. Deist: As he/she isn't very much attracted for the religion (religion = moral obligations and dogmatism), and there isn't
a real faith, this typology believes in a non Christian divinity: pantheism, "cosmic forces", etc.; but this "god" cannot
reincarnate, or resuscitate... Is an impersonal god, like a machine, that does not intervene never. This is a good solution if
somebody wants explanations, and do not depend on religious systems. The religion is converted in a cultural fact more
than an spiritual one, and in fact, deism is a shape of atheism respect to the majoritary religions. Christian deist: The same, but they rely God with Jesus and the Bible. They are a product of the inertia of centuries of
Christianity and this secular society. Religion is more a cultural fact than an spiritual one. New Age: One religion per person; but everybody believe in: god - cosmic force - pantheism, reincarnation, karma (a fashion
of moral more lax), avatars (Buddha, Jesus, and others). In definitive it is, really, a neognosi. The advantages provided
by the system karma-reincarnation are perfectly exposed in the Humphreys' The Search Within (London, 1977); he
summarizes so: "Karma applied destroys: 1. Any need for the concept of a Personal yet Almighty God. 2. The search for
authority of any kind, least of all that of a Saviour who is in all things the supreme and unquestionable Authority.... Karma
applied creates: 1. The complete acceptance of all conditions and events. 'It's ALL RIGHT'. 2. The ability to stand on our
own feet at all times. 3. Unlimited strength of purpose and hence the power to achieve in time awareness of Enlghtenment"
About how much people would reject that God himself allows to them their misfortunes by alluding to other "natural" laws,
was already noticed fifteen centuries ago: "Nothwithstanding, it is not rare that many men wish that their misfortunes would
not come by divine judgement but by the existence of a vane superstition, precisely those that to hide their wrong acts and
evils, say that the authority from Heaven uses the stars and that only the uncertainity of our destiny leads us along the need
to sin; and they say that their evil acts don't come by the perversion of their hearts, but that depend on stars, being there the
source of their sins." [Pope Gelasius, 492-496]. Pseudoatheist: Estrange typology: he/she beliefs in a life after dead but not in any god (?!?). It is not very ordinary but it
appears in some European countries. Type "smart" but no much consequent. Many of them are really agnostic. Pseudochristian: With the majority of the Christian beliefs, but not at all (no Trinity, or no Hell, or no Sins... ). They are a
product of the modern secularization: erosion of beliefs. They reject mainly the punitive side of the Christianity. Neodoukhobors: The Doukhobors or Dukhobors are the sect more close at the actual belief of many persons about the
system reincarnation - karma, included it in the traditional Christian belief. The doukhobors are Christians of Russian origin
(= Orthodoxy) but including: rejection at the Church, reincarnation, iconoclastia, pacifism, human nature of Jesus, and they
put in doubt the Bible. The majority of neodoukhobors should take these new beliefs from the TV or mass media (and this
doesn´t speak very well of them); and for them, it is a good pseudo religion: Without the horrible hell for sinners, and the
karma, that is more permissive in certain sins, they can do all if they don´t disturb... and the hell is at 180 degrees of the
hedonists. For the neodoukhobors, I recommend to read some about the cryptomnesia (False Memory Syndrome); or to
know the fact that by 1100 reincarnated Hindu children interviewed, in the 99.7 % of the cases, their families knew
previously the family of the supposed kid's last life, and EVERY TIME WERE OF A CAST MORE HIGH... or when the
hypnologist ask to subjects in trance about their future, the patients answer the future that they wish, but not the real
future. The Bible has an answer also: [New window]. Christian (Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant): This type is the main and traditional Christianity. Nowadays, they act
pusillanimously: there is not courage to speak about their beliefs and moral values... Three subtypes: the liberals and the
moderates or pragmatics (if someone believe that Jesus wasn't conservative, please, read it: [New window]; the others are
the Christian Right, and among this subtype, the fundamentalists whom believe in a literal Bible (I recommend read the next
excerpts from the Bible: [New window]... all isn't literal, but metaphoric sometimes). Syncretic (quoted: Christo-pagans): Two types, the Indo-American and the Afro-American. With some times with the same
Christian beliefs, and other times only Christian in appearance; everybody worship and give gifts to the gods - spirits -
yorubas - devils - loas - santitos. Is Christian who worship Yahweh and Xangó, or Viracocha, or other gods ? No: it is a
new form of politheism; Christianity rejects worship of other gods. Majority among the indians of Guatemala, Mexico,
Peru, etc.; and among Haitians, Brazilians, etc.
Some notes: About the Orthodox Church, it isn't really an united or unified Church as could seem, moreover we must
consider that each state has an independent Orthodox Church with some nominal ties with the Patriarch of Constantinople:
the real situation of these Orthodox Churches is more like the relation between the Anglican Church and the Catholic
Church. And about the Protestant Churches, there is not enough space to include all the 2000 ramifications - only when
specified branches as "Methodists" are mentioned, it doesn't mean that it is one church but quite independent churches
with the same spiritual orientations -. Otherwise, if nothing changes, we will see many Old Protestant Churches agonizing
in this century (Lutheranism, Anglicanism, etc.): In North Europe these congregations have not much real believers and
practicings, as the reader can verify.
THE MORAL ISSUE
It is common the belief to assimile atheists and other unreligious types with liberal postures, when in the other hand
it is identified the religious traditional sector with conservaturist ideas... But it is true in part, because per example, if we take in account the believers in hell (belief deeply Christian), or talking about the no justification of the divorce, this sector only surpass with some exceptions 5-10 points more than the average of the general population. And in this same sector, taking in account those that donnot approve a woman that she wants to have a child without to provide at her child any stable father never, well,the results don't differ too much: from 4 to 14 points more than the total population. But it is true also that atheists and agnostics are so much more in conformity with liberal postures (p.e. abortion) than the religious types in many points more; and among the American believers in reincarnation, the conservative social issues are the half in percentage than the country's average.
DATA & COUNTRIES
However, you can consult previously the general data:
DATA , -a new window will be open- where is available:
Extract of the International Social Survey (Religion), 1991. // ISSP 1994: The Family and Changing Gender Roles II. // Extract of the World Values Survey '97. // Gallup International '97. // Poll by Roger Russell Research, Szonda Ipsos, Pentor, Latvian Facts, and other institutes in 1991-93. // Extract of the Eurobarometer 42 (1994); ICPSR #6518. // Extract from the book Human Values and Beliefs: A Cross-Cultural Sourcebook. Political, Religious, Sexual and Economic Norms in 43Societies: Findings from the 1990-93 World Values Survey; by Ronald Inglehart, Miguel Basañez & Alejandro Moreno (The University of Michigan Press, 1998). // ICPSR #2790 (World Values Survey and European Values Survey 1995 - 1998). // ZA #3190 (International Social Survey Program, Religion 1998). More sources can be viewed in DATA.
EUROPE _____________________________________________________________________________________________
A TABLE TO SUMMARIZE AND INDEX.
The next table can be used as an index and at the same time as an summary of the religion in Europe (1998). The percentage is approximative. The ciphers are in concordance. If the ciphers are not displayed until the 100%, it is dued by other minoritary religious groups: Islam, Hinduism, Jehova's Witness, Mormons, Sikhs, etc.
COUNTRY
Atheist
Pseudo
Atheist
Agnostic
Deism,
Chr. Dm.
New
Age
Neodouk.
or heterodox
Catholic
Protestant
Orthodox
IRELAND
4
2
8
15
4
18-32
33-47
2
PORTUGAL
4
1
5
21
29
39
GREECE
2
4
30
20
44
CYPRUS
5
1
4
15
25-30
45-50
ITALY
7
2
10
19
23
39
POLAND
4
1
7
26
28
33
SLOVAKIA
16
3
12
13
5
25-30
17-22
3
SWITZER.
1
5
20
17
5
32
9
7
AUSTRIA
10
2
12
27
33-37
11-15
2
CROATIA
19
28
20-30
23-33
LITHUANIA
12
15
20
1
26
26
In the next web page, these countries are analized:
COUNTRY
Atheist
Pseudo
Atheist
Agnostic
Deism,
Chr. Dm.
New
Age
Neodouk.
or heterodox
Catholic
Protestant
Orthodox
SPAIN
3
3
18
32
21
24
ROMANIA
2
2
49
20
2
2
24
NEDERLN.
17
5
16
15
26-30
6-8
6-8
GEORGIA
7
3
42
25
22
FINLAND
14
4
9
27
30
17
U.K.
18
5
17
19
22
4
12
BOSNIA
14
7
33
25
4
6
LATVIA
11
3
15
24
42
BELGIUM
10
20
25
12
19
11
CZECH R.
25
5
15
12
6
18-30
1-12
NORWAY
13
4
16
27
26
15
HUNGARY
20
4
16
26
20-29
5-14
MOLDOVA
9
5
49
25
12
BELARUS
16
4
12
32
20-35
1-5
1-12
FRANCE
19
6
25
15
5
17
12
GERMANY
23
5
16
21
18
8
6
-- WEST G.
12
5
18
22
21
10
9
-- EAST G.
55
4
14
18
9
SLOVENIA
16
3
11
37
16
15
DENMARK
17
6
19
19
6
11-19
7-15
MACEDON.
14
11
43
25
4
UKRAINE
20
15
35
1
25
1
4
ARMENIA
13
8
49
25
5
SWEDEN
12
6-12
18
27
11-17
11
9
BULGARIA
24
2
11
33
3
20-25
1-5
RUSSIA
25
3
17
27
28
1
YUGOSLV.
25
2
12
41
1
14
5
ESTONIA
38
5
9
28
5
13
COUNTRY
Atheist
Pseudo
Atheist
Agnostic
Deism,
Chr. Dm.
New
Age
Neodouk.
or heterodox
Catholic
Protestant
Orthodox
RELIGIOUS COUNTRIES:
To see now America and other no European countries, click here.
IRELAND
- 3.600.000 inhab.
- Encarta 98: 95% Catholic; 4% Protestants.
- Abortions per each 1000 women aged 15-45 (1995-96); by the UN: 5.9 (in England): each year, nine thousand
irish women go to United Kingdom in order to abort their babe. The Alan Guttmacher Institute gives us the cipher
of 5.9 also and a ratio of 8.9% [Ratio means the number of abortions in each 100 known pregnancies, a way
to know better the number of those that end with the lives of their babes, because the first cipher can lead us to
bad conclusions for countries with a low cipher but also with a low birth rate, or also a high cipher if there are many
births (compare USA with Colombia)].
- The real statistic (everytime approximative): 4% Atheist; 8% Agnostic; 2% Pseudoatheist (computing ISSP98); 15% Deist;
4% New Age, 2% Protestant; 14% Neodoukhobor (supposition), 4-18% Pseudochristian (according to computations with
the WVS '98 or with ISSP98), 47-33% Catholic, where almost the half part would belongs at the Christian Right, and all
of them are churchgoers.
- Minimum of neodoukhobors because among the religious, the majority believe in hell; and should be rare whom
believe in the hell in order to punish and at the same time, in the karma too, breaking the cycles of reincarnations.
- New Statistic (findings in WVS 2000): 1.5% Agnostic, 3.5% Atheist, 15% Deist, 10% Christian Deist, 1% Pseudoatheist,
18% Neodoukhobors, 4% Pseudochristians, 44% Catholic, 2% Protestant.
- Commentary: Among the First World countries, is the most religious country joint the United States and
Italy.
POLAND
- 38.700.000 inhab.
- Atlas Universal Ilustrado (Mixing): 91% Catholic.
- Data: Polish General Social Survey 1994; If a person want to make a discourse against religion, this should be
allowed ? 56% Yes - 38% No - 6% Don't know; Death penalty for murderers ? 70% Yes, 22% No; If a married pregnant
woman doesn't want to have the child, she can abort it ? 48% Yes - 42.5% No; But, if the family is poor ? 55% Yes -
33.5% No; Women can abort with any cause ? 35% Yes - 54.5% No; Euthanasia allowed ? 56% Yes - 32.5% No.
Self ascription Left - Right in the scale 1-10: Left (1-4) with 20.5%, Center (5-7) with 53%, Right (8-10) with 14.5%.
What is the religion more close to you ? Catholic 87.5%, independent christianity 1.5%, 0.7% Jehovah's witness;
There is life after death ? 58.5% Yes - 24.5% No - 16.5% Don't know. Others questions remained almost equal than
in the ISSP'91 (Pre matrimonial sex, belief in god, churchgoers, etc.).
- New statistic: 4% Atheist; 7% Agnostic; 1% Pseudoatheist (computing ISSP98); 26% Deist; 28% neodoukhobor;
33% Catholic, where "all" of them go at the Church weekly, and they are conservatives.
- Commentary: In the Eastern Europe, the influences of hippism, New Age, etc. were little; but, in the case of Russia,
nowadays the belief in transmigration covers the 30-35% of the population... In one decade, the East has arrived at the
same point than the West in heterodox or alien beliefs respect the Christianity (If the data from Russia are valid for
the rest of ex-comunist countries). In the other hand, this was one of the communists countries, but itself maintains
somewhat religious, because its religion was a nationalist instrument, as in Ireland ?
- New statistic (WVS 2000): 2% Atheist, 1% Agnostic, 0.5% Pseudoatheist, 26% Deist, 20% Neodoukhobor,
50% Catholic.
- Statistics: 80% Greek Orthodox (South Zone and hellenic), 19% Muslim (North Zone and ethnically Turkish).
- Data: The existence of the Turkish minority in the north is justified as after the Turkish conquered the island in the XVI
Century, these decided to settle some 20.000 Turkish colones along their families in 1573. After the civil war of the
seventies, the two communities have a separated existence since then.
- New statistics (for the South Zone): 5% Atheist, 4% Agnostic, 1% Pseudoatheist (computing ISSP98), 15% Deist,
25-30% Neodoukhobor (according with the european percentage), 45-50% Orthodox.
SEMI RELIGIOUS COUNTRIES:
In this site, the deists and pseudoatheists aren't considered as religious types.
ITALY
- 57.400.000 inhab.
- Usual statistics: 83-93% Catholics, 1% Protestants, 1% Muslims.
- Data: In '97, 88% by the italians had a catholic self identification, 2% other identification, and a 5% without
belonging at any Church. The 59% pray once per week at least, 45-47% are churchgoers (min. one time per
month). In the province of Cuneo (near of France): 90% believe of some fashion about the christian god, in His
word is the Bible, and Jesus His Son. 70%: divine origin of the Church. The 63% expect the resurrection, and
the 14% the reincarnation. The belief in hell is among the 58% of the population (close at the percent with
resurrection). In the newspaper Auvenise, '91: 91.4% italians say to be catholic, 2.1% other, 6.5% none; the 81.5%
believe of Jesus as Son of God, the 68.1% in the other life, 19% in reincarnation. Weekly attendance is 24.5%,
or once per month min. is 39.8%.
The Italian institute SWG has the results of polls of 1999 about: The pornography must be taken as a dangerous
matter; 41% very agree - 27% agree - 1% neither a favour nor against - 10% not agree - 19% very disagree //
For the legal recognition of the homosexual couples; against 50% - a favour 39% - 11% no answer // On the
abortion law of 1978; 42% states it as a good law - 34% as good but it needs changes - 20% consideres it as a
very wrong law.
The Italian newspaper "Avvenire" (3.4.1998) has published a public opinion poll on questions of faith in Italian society.
Among the 3,600 interviewed, 91.4% reported their religion as Catholic, while 2.1% named another religion, and 6.5%
claimed to belong to no religion. Even among Catholics, there are many doubts and mixtures of doctrines. For example,
81.4% [74.4% among the total] agree that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and 68.1% [62.2%] admit to faith in the afterlife;
however 32.5% [29.7%] believe in predestination and 19% [17.4%] in reincarnation. Other non-Catholic beliefs cited
by the poll were astrology (24.6%), the "evil eye" (34.6%), and magic (11.6%). The mass attendance in Italy is slightly
above the average for European countries (24.5% attend Sunday Mass).
- Abortions: 11.4, ratio 21.1%.
- New statistic: 7% Atheist; 10% Agnostic; 2% Pseudoatheist (computing ISSP98); 8% Deist; 11% Christian deist;
23% Neodoukhobor; 0% Pseudochristian (or 10% computing WVS), 37 or 27 percent Catholic, with majority churchgoer;
1% Protestant; 1% Muslim.
- New Statistic (WVS 2000): 4.5% Atheist, 5% Agnostic, 1.5% Pseudoatheist, 28% Deist, 10% New Age, 3.5%
Neodoukhobor, 4% Pseudochristian, 42% Catholic.
CROATIA
- 4.800.000 inhab.
- Usual statistics: 70-76-88% Catholic, 11-5% Serbian orthodox, 2% Muslim.
- Data: (U. Mich.) in 1997, 22% weekly, 36% min. once per month.
- Abortions: 12.9, Ratio 18.7%.
- New statistic: 19% Atheist; 28% Deist; 20-30% Neodoukhobor (estimated); 22-32% Catholics and Orthodox, 1% Muslims.
- New statistic (WVS 2000): 6% Atheist; 1.5% Agnostic, 31.5% Deist; 0.5% Pseudoatheist, 18.5% Neodoukhobor;
41% Catholics.
- Usual statistics ranges: 46-47.6% Catholics; 40-44.3% Protestants, 2.7% Muslims, 0.7% other religions.
- Poll of 1989: Self consideration as religious humanist 51% (Democracy, Human Rights, deism, without
belief in the next life); 7% real christians (calvinists); 25% christian syncretic (with Jesus and/or deism
and/or reincarnation); 12% neoreligious (neither christian nor atheist, pro oriental religions); 4% humanist
without religion (atheist). A 72% is not very agree or is very agree with Jesus as God. In another survey appears that
4% identified as atheist and 9% as agnostic. Weekly attendance: 16% (U. Michigan).
The Research company SIDO found in 2000: Protestant 36.5%, 44% Catholic, 1% Orthodox, 4.5% Muslim, 2% other
religion, 12% without confession.
- Abortions: 8.4, Ratio 13.3%.
- New statistic: 1% Atheist; 20% Agnostic; 17% Deist; 5% New Age; 5% Pseudoatheist; 26% Neodoukhobor;
9% Catholic; 7% Protestant; 6% Pseudochristian; 4% Muslim or another non Christian religion.
BOSNA - HERCEGOVINA
- 4.500.000 inhab.
- Statistics: 44-60% Muslim, 31-17% Serbian orthodox, 17% Catholicism (croatian).
- New statistic: 14% Atheist; 7% Agnostic; 28% Deist; 5% Christian or Muslim deist; 25% Neodoukhobor (?);
10% Muslim; 6% Orthodox; 4% Catholic.
- New Statistic (WVS 2000): 12% Atheist; 2.5% Agnostic; 32% Deist; 20% Neodoukhobor (?); 19% Muslim;
9% Orthodox; 5% Catholic.
ROMANIA
- 22.600.000 inhab.
- Usual statistics: 80-87% Roman orthodox, 4% Protestants, 7-10% Catholics (the Magyar minority). In the
recent census of 1998: 69.5% orthodox, 1% muslim, 8% protestant, 6% catholic, 14% no religion.
- Data: (U. Mich.): 20% in 1997 attended the church weekly. University of Bucharest / Institute for Quality of Life
(Survey, Modernity and Tradition: fundamental values - 1997): The religion is very important 50%, quite 34.5%,
not important 12%, not at all 2.5%; Happiness, 7.5% very - 47% quite - 37% no very - 6% unhappy; Do you
belong to some church ? 2% No, 84.3% Roman Orthodox, 6.5% Catholic Church, 5% Protestant; They attend the
religious services weekly 24%, or monthly 20.5%; Is important to hold a religious service in birth, marriage or death ?
97% yes; Are you religious ? 83% Yes - 12.5% No - 1% convinced atheist; GOD: 96.5% believe - 1.5% don't
believe - 2% don't know; Life after death 48% - 28% - 24%; Hell 39% - 47% - 14%; Heaven 60.5% - 23.5% -
15.5%; Sin 79.5% - 13.5% - 7.5%. What do you think about what is never justified: homosexuality 79%, abortion 27%,
divorce 24.5%, euthanasia 52%; What do you think on the ideal number of children per family ? One 6%, Two 58.5%,
Three 16%, Four, or more 10%. Do you approve if a woman wants to have a child, but she doesn't wants to have an
stable relationship with a man ? 38.5% approve, 16% depend, 41% disapprove. Abortion where the woman is not
married ? 32% approve - 51% disapprove; If a married couple wants it ? 47.5% - 38.5%. Scale left - right: (1 - 4) with
9.5%, (5 - 7) with 42.5%, (8 - 10) with 10.5%. The church, they have a great deal 45.5% or quite a lot 36.5%, or not
very much 15%, or none at all 2.5%. Persons with a stable partner but not married 2.8%, divorced 2.8%, separated 1%.
Results of the survey "Public Opinion Barometer 2000" carried out by OSF (Open Society Foundation) / CURS (Center
for Urban and Regional Sociology): the church attendance was 23% weekly, plus a 24% monthly. The confidence of the
Romanians on their Church: 86% (much + very much). About beliefs, the poll gives us these percentages: for the utility
of pray(ing) 85%, for witchcraft 12%, for the fortune-tellers (coffee, tarot...) an 11%, Horoscopes 21%, Telepathy 29%,
about another life after death it was a 43%, and the believers of Heaven and the Last Judgment are a 55% of the
population.
- Abortions: 78.8, or 440.000 babes... the ciphers always are cool... Ratio 63%.
- New statistic: 1.5% Atheist, 2% Agnostic, 41.5% Deist, 11.5% Christian deist, 18% Neodoukhobor, 1.5% Protestant,
2% Catholic (Hungarian), 22% Orthodox (see churchgoers).
- New statistic (WVS 2000): 2.5% Atheist, 4% Agnostic, 32% Deist, 10% Christian deist, 1% Pseudoatheist,
17% Neodoukhobor, 1% Protestant, 3% Catholic (Magyar population), 30% Orthodox.
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