Europe experiences multiple upheavals in its religious profile
Regions and countries most affected by the rise of irreligion are also
the ones that are experiencing the rise of Muslims. Could there be a
correlation in the two phenomena?
All these countries were almost fully
Christian in 1900
Europe has gone through great upheavals in its
religious profile in the course of the twentieth century and the process is
still continuing.
At the beginning of the century, Europe was an almost
entirely Christian continent. In the European population of 403 million in
1990, 381 million were Christians. Besides them, there were about 10 million
Jews and 9 million Muslims. Muslims were mainly in Russia and Bulgaria of East
Europe and in several countries of South Europe. Jews were also mainly in East Europe,
particularly in Russia, Poland and Romania.
The first great change that occurred in the religious
demography of Europe during the twentieth century was the expulsion and
decimation of Jews. They now form about a quarter percent of the population
compared to 2.5 percent in 1900.
The second great change was the turning away from
religion of the Soviet Block countries—mostly in East and South Europe—under
the influence of Marxism that came to prevail there. In 1970, more than 21
percent of the population of Europe had become either Agnostic or Atheist and
their share in East Europe had reached 37 percent.
Then towards the end of the twentieth century, with
the dissolution of Soviet Union and resurgence of nationalism, there has been a
sharp recovery of faith in that region. The irreligious now form less than 10
percent of the population of East Europe.
However, while the previously Marxist States of Europe
are coming back to their Christian faith, the advanced Capitalist States of
West, North and South Europe have come under the sway of a rising wave of
irreligion. More than 23 percent of the population of West Europe has now
turned irreligious, that share is above 20 percent in North Europe. In general,
commitment to the faith seems to persist among the Catholics and Orthodox
Christians while it is waning among the Protestants.
Share of Muslims in Europe has more than doubled from
2.3 percent in 1900 to 5.6 percent in 2010; much of the increase has happened
after 1970. More significantly, the rise has been more pronounced outside East
Europe, where Muslims had a significant presence in 1900. In East Europe, their
share has increased from 4.35 to 5.69 percent between 1900 and 2010, with much
of the increase happening in the last decade. In South Europe, on the other
hand, their share has increased from 2.6 to 6.6 percent; in West Europe, from
0.05 to 6.1 percent; and, in North Europe from 0 to 2.9 percent.
West Europe seems to have born the brunt of the rise
of Muslims in Europe. In France, Muslims now form 8.6 percent of the
population, and that share is rapidly rising. Other countries of West Europe
and United Kingdom, Denmark and Sweden of North Europe are also experiencing
considerable rise in the Muslim presence.
Religious profile of Europe
Population (in thousands) of
different religions in Europe
|
|||||
1900
|
1970
|
1990
|
2000
|
2010
|
|
Total
|
402,606
|
656,439
|
722,204
|
728,886
|
738,197
|
Christians
|
380,641
|
492,694
|
550,417
|
559,641
|
580,114
|
Muslims
|
9,235
|
17,623
|
29,206
|
31,566
|
41,490
|
Non-R/Atheist
|
1,748
|
139,864
|
135,073
|
129,762
|
109,023
|
Jews
|
9,927
|
4,284
|
2,655
|
2,527
|
1,920
|
Others
|
1,054
|
1,975
|
4,853
|
5,390
|
5,650
|
Percent share of different
religions in the population
|
|||||
Christians
|
94.54
|
75.06
|
76.21
|
76.78
|
78.59
|
Muslims
|
2.29
|
2.68
|
4.04
|
4.33
|
5.62
|
Non
R/Atheist
|
0.43
|
21.31
|
18.70
|
17.80
|
14.77
|
Jews
|
2.47
|
0.65
|
0.37
|
0.35
|
0.26
|
Others
|
0.26
|
0.30
|
0.67
|
0.74
|
0.77
|
In this and other Tables, we have added together Crypto-Christians
and
Christians; numbers of the former in 1970 were quite high in many countries. Sources of the data are as indicated in our earlier blog. |
|||||
Europe
is a Christian continent
In 1900, nearly 95 percent of the population of Europe was Christian.
The share of Christians in 2010 is 78.6 percent, but this decline is because a
considerable number of Europeans seem to have turned away from religion since
the middle of the twentieth centuries. They have lost faith, but have not
converted to a faith other than Christianity. They may not want to be counted
as Christians, yet they remain faithful to the essentially Christian
civilisation of the West. They would come back to Christian religion, when the
intellectual fashion begins to change. As seen in the figures above, such
reversion has already begun. Share of the Non-Religious or Agnostics and the
Atheists in the population has come down from its peak of 21 percent in 1970 to
less than 15 percent in 2010. This recovery of faith in Christianity is largely
confined to East Europe, which had become the least religious, as we shall see
below. West and North Europe, on the other hand, are becoming more irreligious.
Muslims remain a small minority in
Europe
Muslims remain a small minority in Europe, though their share in Europe
has increased from 2.3 percent in 1900 to 5.6 percent in 2010. Much of this
increase has taken place after 1970. Increase in the number and share of
Muslims is much higher in some specific regions and countries of Europe, as we
shall discuss below.
Jews have been expelled from Europe
The decimation and expulsion of Jews from Europe in the earlier half of
the twentieth century is among the most significant changes that have happened
in the religious profile of that continent. At the beginning of the twentieth century,
Jews formed nearly 2.5 percent of the population; their share declined to 0.65
percent in 1970 and has declined further to merely 0.26 percent in 2010. There
were nearly 10 million Jews in Europe in 1900 and there are less than 2 million
now.
Others
Among the 5.6 million ‘others’ in 2010, 1.2 million are Ethnic
Religionists, nearly all of them in the Russian Federation; 1.5 million Hindus,
Sikhs and Jains, of whom more than a million are in England alone; and, about 2
million Buddhists, Chinese Religionists and Confucianists, of whom about a
million are in West Europe, mainly in France and Netherlands, and another more
than half a million in Russia.
Religious profile of East Europe
Population (in thousands) of
different religions in East Europe
|
|||||
1900
|
1970
|
1990
|
2000
|
2010
|
|
Total
|
169,363
|
276,282
|
310,778
|
306,990
|
294,770
|
Christians
|
151,941
|
158,205
|
216,542
|
220,275
|
247,549
|
Muslims
|
7,369
|
11,546
|
13,664
|
13,588
|
16,775
|
Non-R/Atheist
|
371
|
102,476
|
76,674
|
69,239
|
28,207
|
Jews
|
8,656
|
3,021
|
1,517
|
1,356
|
538
|
Others
|
1,027
|
1,034
|
2,382
|
2,534
|
1,701
|
Percent share of different
religions in the population
|
|||||
Christians
|
89.71
|
57.26
|
69.68
|
71.75
|
83.98
|
Muslims
|
4.35
|
4.18
|
4.40
|
4.43
|
5.69
|
Non
R/Atheist
|
0.22
|
37.09
|
24.67
|
22.55
|
9.57
|
Jews
|
5.11
|
1.09
|
0.49
|
0.44
|
0.18
|
Others
|
0.61
|
0.37
|
0.77
|
0.83
|
0.58
|
East
Europe formed the former Soviet Block
East Europe comprises the countries of the former Soviet Union and the former
Soviet Block. These include: Russian Federation (Russia for short), Ukraine,
Belarus, Poland, Romania, Czech Republic, Hungary and Bulgaria. The sketch map
of East Europe here indicates the geographical positions of these countries.
Decline
in the population
The population of East Europe has been contracting during the last two
decades. This is partly a consequence of the breakdown of the Soviet Union and
consequent dislocation of public and economic life in this region. In nearly
all of the countries of East Europe, the total fertility rate (TFR) is far
below the population replacement rate.
Revival
of Christianity in East Europe
East Europe saw a sharp decline in the share of Christianity in the
earlier half of the twentieth century, with more than one third of the
population turning Non-Religious or Atheist under the influence of the godless
Marxist ideology and State. There has been an equally sharp revival of Christianity
in recent decades. Share of the irreligious in the population of East Europe
has declined from 37 percent in 1970 to less than 10 percent in 2010. The
decline has been particularly rapid during the last decade, which is probably
because of the commitment to nationalism and religion displayed by the current
Russian leader Vladimir Putin and can probably be termed the ‘Putin Effect’.
Christians now form 84 percent of the population of East Europe, much above 57
percent in 1970, but still somewhat below their share of nearly 90 percent at
the beginning of the 20th century.
Decline of Jews
Of 9.9 million Jews in Europe at the beginning of the twentieth century,
8.7 million were in East Europe, their number declined to 3 million in 1970 and
has declined further to around half a million in 2010. In 1900, an overwhelming
majority of the Jews in Europe were in East Europe; now most of them are in
France, Germany and the United Kingdom.
Marginal rise in the Muslim presence
Muslim presence in East Europe has increased marginally from 4.35
percent in 1900 to 5.69 percent in 2010 and much of this rise has occurred
during the last decade.
Others
Among 1.7 million ‘others’ in 2010, there are a million Ethnic
Religionists and about 0.6 million Buddhists. Of a million ‘others’ in 1900,
0.6 million were Ethnic Religionists and 0.4 million Buddhists. The share of
these two communities in the population of East Europe has remained largely
unchanged in this whole period of eleven decades.
Russian Federation
Religious Profile of Russian
Federation
|
||||
1900
|
1970
|
2000
|
2010
|
|
Total
|
73,758
|
130,392
|
146,934
|
142,958
|
%C
|
83.44
|
38.34
|
57.38
|
81.25
|
% M
|
8.92
|
7.75
|
7.58
|
10.39
|
%J
|
6.06
|
1.66
|
0.65
|
0.13
|
%A
|
0.20
|
51.47
|
32.70
|
7.11
|
Total in ‘000. C: Christian, M: Muslim,
J: Jews;
A: Agnostics (non-Religious) and Atheists. |
||||
Russian Federation, or Russia, is the largest country of East Europe in
population; in area, it is the largest nation of the world. Nearly half of the
population of East Europe is in Russia.
Russia has largely recovered its
Christian faith
The decline of faith that took place in Europe and many other parts of
the world during the twentieth century was the most pronounced in Russia. In
1970, 51.5 percent of the population of this nation had turned irreligious. Share
of the professed Christians was only 28.5 percent, the remaining 10 percent
were hidden or Crypto-Christians. The recovery of faith noticed after 1970 has
also been the most pronounced in Russia, especially during the last decade.
Christians now form 81 percent of the population compared to 57 percent in
2000. A vast majority of the Christians are adherents of Eastern Orthodoxy.
Muslims: Surprisingly,
the share of Muslims also has grown sharply in this decade from 7.6 to 10.4
percent. This may be because of a similar revival of faith among them; more
likely, it could be because of their relatively higher fertility in a period
when others in the region are shrinking in numbers.
Jews:
In 1900, there were 4.5 million Jews forming 6 percent of the population; in
1970, their number was reduced to 2.2 million. In 2010, there are only 187
thousand Jews.
Ethnic Religionists: Nearly all of the Ethnic Religionists in East Europe are in Russia.
Their number in 2010 is about a million; there were about 600 thousand of them
in 1900.
Ukraine, Belarus and Moldavia
Religious Profile of Ukraine,
Belarus
and Moldavia |
||||
1900
|
1970
|
2000
|
2010
|
|
UKRAINE
|
||||
Total
|
29,333
|
47,317
|
50,456
|
45,448
|
%C
|
97.16
|
60.02
|
82.98
|
83.31
|
%A
|
0.21
|
38.24
|
14.85
|
14.58
|
BELARUS
|
||||
Total
|
6,984
|
9,040
|
10,236
|
9,595
|
%C
|
99.31
|
59.93
|
70.25
|
73.81
|
%A
|
0.36
|
39.95
|
28.91
|
25.65
|
MOLDAVIA
|
||||
Total
|
1,322
|
3,595
|
4,380
|
3,573
|
%C
|
99.12
|
46.32
|
68.81
|
95.89
|
%A
|
0.21
|
51.97
|
24.59
|
2.85
|
T in ‘000, C: Christian, A:
Agnostic/Atheist.
|
||||
Ukraine, Belarus and Moldavia were earlier part of the Soviet Union and
are now independent countries. Like Russia, all of them went through a phase of
the rise of irreligion and have begun to recover their Christian faith in the
recent past. But, the sharp rise of the share of Christians seen in Russia
during the last decade has not been experienced in Ukraine and Belarus; the
share of the irreligious in both these countries, therefore, remains fairly high
at 15 and 26 percent, respectively. Moldavia, on the other hand, has seen a
deep reduction in number and share of the irreligious during the last decade,
and share of Christians there has risen to nearly 96 percent. All these
countries are going through an unmistakable process of the recovery of faith.
Christians in all three countries are mainly adherents of Eastern Orthodoxy.
There are hardly any Muslims in this region. It also may be noticed that, like
in Russia, there has been a decline in the total population of all these
countries during the last decade.
Poland and Romania
Religious Profile of Poland and
Romania
|
||||
1900
|
1970
|
2000
|
2010
|
|
POLAND
|
||||
Total
|
24,200
|
32,526
|
38,765
|
38,277
|
%C
|
90.87
|
91.10
|
97.40
|
95.39
|
%A
|
0.10
|
8.81
|
2.53
|
4.43
|
ROMANIA
|
||||
Total
|
11,000
|
20,253
|
22,327
|
21,486
|
%C
|
94.40
|
83.15
|
87.96
|
98.49
|
%A
|
0.25
|
15.11
|
10.71
|
1.03
|
T in ‘000, C: Christian, A:
Agnostic/Atheist.
|
||||
Poland lies to the west of Belarus and Ukraine and Romania to the south
of Ukraine and Moldavia. Poland and Romania were both parts of the Soviet
Block. However, effect of the wave of irreligion that swept through the
countries in the Soviet Union was not very strong here. In 1970, Christians
formed 91 percent of the population of Poland and 83 percent of Romania, though
significant numbers of them were Crypto-Christians then. Now both countries are
more than 95 percent Christian. Christians of Poland are mostly Roman Catholics
while those of Romania are mainly adherents of Eastern Orthodoxy.
Jews:
In 1900, there were more than 2 million Jews in Poland forming 9 percent and
there were about a half million Jews in Romania forming 4.5 percent of the then
population. The Jews of Poland were almost totally exterminated or exiled. Only
8 thousand of them were left in 1970; that number has now improved to about 10
thousand. The extermination was not as complete in Romania, which had about 100
thousand Jews in 1970; but their number there has now declined to 6.5 thousand.
Muslims:
There are only a few Muslims in Poland and Romania. In Poland, there has been a
sudden rise in their number from 5 thousand in 2000 to 39 thousand in 2010. In
Romania, there has been a decline from 282 to 90 thousand during the same
decade.
Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary
Religious Profile of Czech
Republic,
Slovakia and Hungary |
||||
1900
|
1970
|
2000
|
2010
|
|
CZECH REPUBLIC
|
||||
Total
|
8,100
|
9,805
|
10,244
|
10,493
|
%C
|
96.89
|
80.87
|
63.04
|
55.38
|
%A
|
0.42
|
19.04
|
36.88
|
44.35
|
SLOVAKIA
|
||||
Total
|
4,068
|
4,528
|
5,387
|
5,462
|
%C
|
97.12
|
85.53
|
85.58
|
85.59
|
%A
|
0.18
|
14.36
|
14.31
|
14.35
|
HUNGARY
|
||||
Total
|
6,854
|
10,338
|
10,036
|
9,984
|
%C
|
93.54
|
84.97
|
87.32
|
86.67
|
%A
|
0.48
|
14.14
|
11.64
|
12.07
|
T in ‘000, C: Christian, A:
Agnostic/Atheist.
|
||||
These three countries of the erstwhile Eastern Block lie between Poland
and Romania. Revival of Christianity that is taking place in this region has
not reached these three. Share of the irreligious in Slovakia and Hungary
remains nearly unchanged since 1970. In the Czech Republic, their share has
increased to above 44 percent from 19 percent in 1970. This makes it the least
religious country in the world after Estonia.
Jews:
In 1900, Jews had a share 2.7 percent in the population of both the Czech
Republic and Slovakia. In Hungary, their share was higher at nearly 6 percent. Now,
there are only a few Jews left in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia. In
Hungary, there has been a sudden rise in the number of Jews from 45 to 92
thousand during 2000-10; they now form nearly 1 percent of the population.
Muslims:
There are not many Muslims in the Czech Republic or in Slovakia. In Hungary,
there was a recent rise in their numbers, which has been partly reversed during
the last decade. They now form about a quarter percent of the population.
Bulgaria
Religious Profile of Bulgaria
|
||||
1900
|
1970
|
2000
|
2010
|
|
Total
|
3,744
|
8,490
|
8,225
|
7,494
|
%C
|
81.87
|
66.72
|
81.02
|
82.95
|
%M
|
17.16
|
11.00
|
11.87
|
13.09
|
%A
|
0.11
|
22.20
|
7.05
|
3.91
|
T in ‘000, C: Christian, A:
Agnostic/Atheist.
|
||||
Bulgaria lies to the south of Romania and north of Greece and Turkey.
Like most other countries of the Soviet Block, Bulgaria has largely recovered
from the lack of faith that prevailed in the region in the second half of the 20th
century. Christians now form 83 percent of the population. There are also 13
percent Muslims. In 1900, share of Muslims was higher at 17 percent. Christians
of Bulgaria are mostly adherents of Eastern Orthodoxy.
Summing Up: East Europe
Decimation of Jew and retreat of
irreligion
The religious profile of East Europe and of most of the countries within
it has undergone two major changes during the twentieth century: One, decimation
and exodus of Jews who formed a considerable proportion of the population of
particularly Poland, Russia and Romania. Two, large scale prevalence of
irreligion in the early part of the twentieth century and widespread recovery
of faith towards the end of the century. This process of recovery of faith is
still continuing.
Rising Muslim presence in Russia and
Bulgaria
Muslims in East Europe have a significant presence only in Russia and
Bulgaria, where they form 10.4 and 13.1 percent of the population, respectively.
In both these countries, their share has increased considerably during the last
decade. It, however, remains below the level of 1900 in Bulgaria, while in
Russia it is now slightly above that level.
Religious
profile of South Europe
Population (in thousands) of
different religions in South Europe
|
|||||
1900
|
1970
|
1990
|
2000
|
2010
|
|
Total
|
70,675
|
127,606
|
142,969
|
144,176
|
155,171
|
Christians
|
68,541
|
112,238
|
120,477
|
120,917
|
127,943
|
Muslims
|
1,815
|
3,414
|
6,356
|
7,249
|
10,274
|
Non-R/Atheist
|
174
|
11,870
|
15,879
|
15,739
|
16,526
|
Others
|
145
|
84
|
257
|
271
|
428
|
Percent share of different
religions in the population
|
|||||
Christians
|
96.98
|
87.96
|
84.27
|
83.87
|
82.45
|
Muslims
|
2.57
|
2.68
|
4.45
|
5.03
|
6.62
|
Non
R/Atheist
|
0.25
|
9.30
|
11.11
|
10.92
|
10.65
|
Others
|
0.21
|
0.07
|
0.18
|
0.19
|
0.28
|
South Europe was mostly Christians in
1900
South Europe was 97 percent Christian in 1900. It had only 1.8 million
Muslims, who were largely confined to the countries of Southeast Europe that formerly
formed Yugoslavia. Of 174 thousand Agnostics and Atheists, more than a hundred
thousand were in the former Yugoslavia. Of 145 thousand ‘others’ in the Table
above, 144 thousand were Jews; of them, 95 thousand were in Greece and Italy.
Muslims and Atheists have increased
their share
The main change in the religious profile of South Europe that has taken
place during the twentieth century is an increase in the share of Muslims and in
that of the Non-religious and Atheists. The former have grown from 2.6 to 6.6
percent of the population and the latter from nearly nil to around 11 percent.
Because of the rise of Muslims and the irreligious, the share of Christians in
South Europe at 82.5 percent now is slightly less than their share of 84
percent in East Europe.
Sub-regions of South Europe vary in
their religious profile
South Europe comprises Greece, Albania and former Yugoslavia in the Balkan
Peninsula, Italy in the heart of the Mediterranean and Spain and Portugal in
the Iberian Peninsula. These sub-regions have fairly different religious
profile and have experienced different changes during the twentieth century,
some of which we explore below. The map below indicates the geographic location
of these countries in South Europe.
Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia
and Bosnia & Herzegovina
Countries with significant Muslim
presence
These countries, lying between Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary on the east
and the Adriatic Sea on the west, have a distinctly high Muslim presence
compared to others in the region and in the rest of Europe. Serbia does not entirely
belong to this group, but has been included because Serbia, Kosovo and
Montenegro were together till recently. These countries have also seen a sharp
decline in the prevalence of irreligion in the recent past.
Albania is a Muslim majority nation
Religious Profile of Albania
|
||||
1900
|
1970
|
2000
|
2010
|
|
Total
|
800
|
2,138
|
3,113
|
3,204
|
%C
|
31.25
|
8.09
|
35.38
|
31.55
|
%M
|
68.50
|
28.06
|
38.80
|
62.67
|
%A
|
0.13
|
63.84
|
25.65
|
5.52
|
T in ‘000, C: Christian, A:
Agnostic/Atheist.
|
||||
Albania has the second highest Muslim presence in Europe after Kosovo. Muslim
share in the population is as high as 63 percent. Most of the remaining
population is Christian. Religious profile of Albania was about the same in
1900 with Muslims forming two-thirds and Christians the remaining one-third of
the population. In the middle of the 20th century, the country had an upsurge
of irreligion. In 1970, 64 percent of Albanians were irreligious and there were
nearly no Christians left. Albania at that time was considered the most
irreligious country in the world. That phase has passed and most of the people
have reverted to their Christian or Islamic faiths. There has been considerable
decline in the share of the irreligious even during the last decade 2000-10. In
this decade, the share of Christians has slightly declined, while that of
Muslims has increased from 39 to 63 percent. This may portend of the future
direction of religious change in Albania.
Macedonia has a rising Muslim presence
Religious Profile of Macedonia
|
||||
1900
|
1970
|
2000
|
2010
|
|
Total
|
596
|
1,568
|
2,024
|
2,061
|
%C
|
90.60
|
81.80
|
63.65
|
63.61
|
%M
|
8.39
|
11.33
|
28.30
|
32.75
|
%A
|
0.00
|
6.89
|
7.98
|
3.58
|
T in ‘000, C: Christian, A:
Agnostic/Atheist.
|
||||
Macedonia became an independent country following the first breakup of
Yugoslavia in 1991. The population of Macedonia now is nearly 64 percent
Christian and 33 percent Muslim. Unlike in Albania, such high level of Muslim
presence in Macedonia is a recent phenomenon. Their share has risen to this
level from only 8.4 percent in 1900 and 11 percent in 1970. Share of Christians
has correspondingly declined from 90.6 percent in 1900 to 63.6 percent now. Irreligion
did not become as widespread in Macedonia as in some other countries of this
region. Only 7 percent of the population was in this category in 1970 and 8
percent in 2000; that share has declined to 3.6 percent now.
Serbia, Kosovo and Montenegro also
have a rising Muslim presence
Religious profile of Serbia,
Kosovo
and Montenegro combined |
||||
1900
|
1970
|
2000
|
2010
|
|
Total
|
3,865
|
8,691
|
10,640
|
10,487
|
%C
|
89.26
|
59.48
|
67.90
|
71.93
|
%M
|
9.70
|
11.32
|
16.19
|
24.71
|
%A
|
0.21
|
29.09
|
15.83
|
3.30
|
T in ‘000, C: Christian, A:
Agnostic/Atheist.
|
||||
Serbia, Kosovo and Montenegro formed the remaining Yugoslavia after the
separation of Macedonia, Slovenia and Croatia in the early 1990s. During the
last decade, Montenegro and Kosovo have separated from Serbia. The Table here
gives data of the three countries together. Muslims form 24.7 percent of the
population of these three; their share in 1900 was less than 10 percent. Share
of Christians is correspondingly reduced from 89.3 percent in 1900 to about 72
percent now. There was an upsurge of Atheism and Agnosticism towards the middle
of the century. In 1970, 29 percent of the population had become irreligious.
That share has now declined to about 3 percent.
Religious profile of Serbia,
Kosovo
and Montenegro individually in 2010 |
|||
Serbia
|
Kosovo
|
Montenegro
|
|
Total
|
7,772
|
2,084
|
631
|
%C
|
89.20
|
5.85
|
77.34
|
%M
|
6.97
|
93.09
|
17.27
|
%A
|
3.72
|
1.05
|
5.48
|
T in ‘000, C: Christian, A:
Agnostic/Atheist.
|
|||
Serbia, Kosovo and Montenegro have
differing profiles
Muslims form more than 93 percent of the population of Kosovo. Serbia,
the largest of the former Yugoslavian states, is 89 percent Christian, Muslims
from only 7 percent of the population. In Montenegro, Muslim presence is higher
at 17.3 percent, while Christians dominate with a share of 77 percent. The
dominance of Muslims in Kosovo has led to the final splitting of what was left
of the federal state of Yugoslavia.
Religious profile of Bosnia &
Herzegovina
|
||||
1900
|
1970
|
2000
|
2010
|
|
Total
|
1,139
|
3,564
|
3,972
|
3,760
|
%C
|
60.05
|
46.29
|
35.02
|
48.32
|
%M
|
39.51
|
39.28
|
60.04
|
47.50
|
%A
|
0.00
|
14.42
|
4.93
|
4.15
|
T in ‘000, C: Christian, A:
Agnostic/Atheist.
|
||||
Bosnia & Herzegovina is half Muslim,
half Christian
Bosnia & Herzegovina is nearly
equally divided between Christians and Muslims, with the former comprising 48.3
and the latter 47.5 percent of the population. In 1900, they formed 60 and 39.5
percent of the population, respectively. The share of Muslims had gone up to 60
percent in 2000 and has now reverted to 47.5 percent. This is probably because
of the shifting of populations in the course of the wars and conflicts that
have been continuing in this region in recent decades. The share of the irreligious
had gone up to 14.4 percent in 1970; it has now declined to about 4 percent.
The share of Muslims has grown and of
the irreligious has declined everywhere
Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo and Bosnia & Herzegovina have high
presence of Muslims in their population; Muslims form 63 percent of the
population in Albania, 33 percent in Macedonia, 93 percent in Kosovo and 47.5
percent in Bosnia & Herzegovina. In all of these, except Albania, their
share has grown considerably during the 20th century. The rise is particularly
remarkable in Macedonia and Serbia-Kosovo region, where Muslim presence was fairly
low in 1990. Serbia and Montenegro have relatively lower Muslim presence at
about 7 and 17 percent, respectively. All these countries, except Macedonia,
saw a considerable upsurge of Agnosticism and Atheism in the middle of the
century. The phenomenon was especially strong in Albania. That phase has abated.
Decline in the share of the irreligious has been particularly rapid in the last
decade.
Croatia and Slovenia
Croatia and Slovenia remain Christian
CROATIA
|
||||
1900
|
1970
|
2000
|
2010
|
|
Total
|
2,804
|
4,169
|
4,473
|
4,403
|
%C
|
96.29
|
94.98
|
95.21
|
93.50
|
%M
|
0.00
|
1.68
|
2.29
|
1.89
|
%A
|
3.57
|
3.33
|
2.44
|
4.60
|
SLOVENIA
|
||||
Total
|
956
|
1,670
|
1,986
|
2,030
|
%C
|
100.00
|
92.77
|
92.12
|
87.64
|
%M
|
0.00
|
0.06
|
0.07
|
2.42
|
%A
|
0.00
|
7.18
|
7.77
|
9.90
|
T in ‘000, C: Christian, A:
Agnostic/Atheist.
|
||||
These two countries, located to the north and west of Bosnia &
Herzegovina, were the first to separate from Yugoslavia in the early 1990s
along with Macedonia. Unlike other countries of this region that we have
discussed above, these two are almost entirely Christian and have only a few
Muslims. Muslims form 1.9 percent of the population in Croatia and 2.4 percent
in Slovenia. There were almost no Muslims in both these countries at the
beginning of the twentieth century. In Slovenia, there were only about 1.4
thousand Muslims even in 2000; their number has increased to more than 49
thousand in 2010.
But there is an increase in Agnosticism
and Atheism
In both countries, there has been an increase in the share of the irreligious.
Most of the countries that comprised former Yugoslavia had experienced a
widespread loss of faith in the earlier part of the twentieth century. That
phenomenon was rather mild in Croatia and Slovenia; only 3 percent of the
population of Croatia was Agnostic or Atheist in 1970 and the proportion was
about 7 percent in Slovenia. In recent decades, all the other countries that
had become strongly irreligious have experienced a rapid recovery of faith; in
Croatia and Slovenia, on the other hand, the share of the irreligious has
increased. We shall see that this is true of most of the remaining countries of
Europe also.
Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal
Greece is largely Christian
Religious profile of Greece
|
||||
1900
|
1970
|
2000
|
2010
|
|
Total
|
3,050
|
8,793
|
10,645
|
11,359
|
%C
|
85.21
|
98.29
|
94.72
|
91.82
|
%M
|
12.79
|
1.48
|
3.32
|
4.23
|
%A
|
0.03
|
0.17
|
1.88
|
3.55
|
T in ‘000, C: Christian, A:
Agnostic/Atheist.
|
||||
Greece lies to the south of former Yugoslavia between the Ionian and
Aegean Seas. Unlike adjoining Albania, Macedonia and Bulgaria, Greece does not
have many Muslims. But their share has risen from 1.48 percent in 1970 to 4.23
percent now. In 1900, Muslim presence was much higher at 12.8 percent. Like that
of Muslims, share of the irreligious has also been rising since 1970; during 2000-10,
it has increased from 1.88 to 3.55 percent. Christianity, therefore, has declined
from 98.3 percent in 1970 to 91.8 percent now.
Religious profile of Italy
|
||||
1900
|
1970
|
2000
|
2010
|
|
Total
|
33,000
|
53,822
|
57,298
|
60,551
|
%C
|
99.71
|
88.43
|
82.05
|
80.80
|
%M
|
0.00
|
0.08
|
1.18
|
2.45
|
%A
|
0.18
|
11.39
|
16.58
|
16.49
|
T in ‘000, C: Christian, A:
Agnostic/Atheist.
|
||||
Italy is seeing a rise in irreligion
Italy, in the middle of the Mediterranean, is the largest country of
South Europe in population. Of 155 million people in the region in 2010, 61
million are in Italy. There are not many Muslims, but their share has been
growing and it has increased from 1.18 to 2.45 percent in the last decade
alone. Share of the irreligious is much higher than in Greece and has grown to
16.49 percent from almost nil in 1900 and 11.39 percent in 1970. The share of
Christians in Italy has consequently declined from 99.7 percent in 1900 to 88.4
percent in 1970 and 80.8 percent now.
Spain and Portugal remain Christian but
are
experiencing a tentative rise of
irreligion
Religious profile of Spain and
Portugal
|
||||
SPAIN
|
||||
1900
|
1970
|
2000
|
2010
|
|
Total
|
18,800
|
33,779
|
39,630
|
46,077
|
%C
|
99.98
|
97.74
|
93.63
|
88.36
|
%M
|
0.01
|
0.01
|
0.51
|
2.32
|
%A
|
0.01
|
2.21
|
5.75
|
9.08
|
PORTUGAL
|
||||
Total
|
5,423
|
9,044
|
9,875
|
10,676
|
%C
|
99.96
|
97.69
|
92.37
|
91.35
|
%M
|
0.00
|
0.01
|
0.24
|
0.40
|
%A
|
0.04
|
2.27
|
6.55
|
7.34
|
T in ‘000, C: Christian, A:
Agnostic/Atheist.
|
||||
Spain and Portugal lie to the west of Italy between the Mediterranean on
the east and the Atlantic on the west. Muslim North Africa is just across the
narrow strait of Gibraltar. But there are not many Muslims in Spain or
Portugal. They have a share of 0.40 percent in Portugal and 2.32 percent in
Spain. In the latter, there has been a remarkable increase in the Muslim share
during the last decade, though it has been slowly rising in Portugal also. Both
countries are also witnessing a considerable rise in Agnosticism and Atheism. Share
of the irreligious in Spain has gone up from 2.21 percent in 1970 to 9.08
percent in 2010 and from 2.27 to 7.34 percent in Portugal. Share of Christians
has therefore declined from nearly 100 percent at the beginning of the 20th
century in both countries to 88.36 percent in Spain and 91.35 percent in
Portugal.
Smaller countries: Besides the above, there are several small countries in the region
including Malta off the southern end of Italy in the Mediterranean, Andorra on
the borders of Italy and Spain, Gibraltar in the Gibraltar Strait and the enclave
states of San Marino and the Vatican City or the Holy See within Italy. All
these microstates are essentially Christian, except for the presence of about 5
percent Muslims in Gibraltar and of 5 to 10 percent Agnostics and Atheists in all
of them except the Holy See which, of course, remains 100 percent Christian.
Religious profile of West Europe
Population (in thousands) of
different religions in West Europe
|
|||||
1900
|
1970
|
1990
|
2000
|
2010
|
|
Total
|
104,591
|
165,207
|
175,965
|
183,341
|
189,050
|
Christians
|
103,268
|
146,495
|
136,298
|
140,139
|
130,395
|
Muslims
|
51
|
1,988
|
7,870
|
9,180
|
11,575
|
Non-R/Atheist
|
394
|
15,688
|
29,820
|
31,791
|
44,299
|
Jews
|
863
|
685
|
699
|
761
|
935
|
Others
|
16
|
351
|
1,277
|
1,471
|
1,847
|
Percent share of different
religions in the population
|
|||||
Christians
|
98.73
|
88.67
|
77.46
|
76.44
|
68.97
|
Muslims
|
0.05
|
1.20
|
4.47
|
5.01
|
6.12
|
Non
R/Atheist
|
0.38
|
9.50
|
16.95
|
17.34
|
23.43
|
Jews
|
0.82
|
0.41
|
0.40
|
0.41
|
0.49
|
Others
|
0.02
|
0.21
|
0.73
|
0.80
|
0.98
|
West Europe was almost fully Christian
in 1900
Like much of Europe, West Europe was almost fully Christian at the
beginning of the twentieth century. Christians then formed nearly 99 percent of
the population. Of the remaining, there were Jews, who formed 0.8 percent of
the population, and a few of the irreligious, who formed about 0.4 percent.
Muslim share has grown to 6 percent
In the course of the twentieth century, share of Muslims in West Europe has
grown from nearly zero to above 6 percent, and their number has risen from
around 51 thousand to 11.6 million. Much of this increase in the share and
number of Muslims has happened in the later part of the twentieth century; even
in 1970, there were only 2 million Muslims in this region forming 1.20 percent
of the population.
But the decline in Christianity is
driven by the rise of irreligion
The number and share of Agnostics and Atheists in the region has been
rising throughout the century. And unlike in East and parts of South Europe,
where this phenomenon has been largely reversed with the decline of the
Marxist-Leninist States, the lure of irreligion continues to be strong in the advanced
Capitalist States of West and North Europe. The irreligious now form 23.4 percent
of the population of West Europe compared to 9.5 percent in 1970 and less than
half a percent in 1900. The share of Christians, therefore, has declined to
about 69 percent from nearly 99 percent in 1900 and 89 percent in 1970.
Others in West Europe
Of 1.8 million listed as ‘Others’ in
the Table above, more than a million are Buddhists and Chinese Religionists,
about 440 thousand followers of Ethnic Religions and various New Religions and
about 330 thousand Hindus, Sikhs and Jains.
Religious profile of the six major
countries of West Europe
Religious demography of the major
countries of West Europe, 1900-2010
|
||||||||
1900
|
1970
|
2000
|
2010
|
1900
|
1970
|
2000
|
2010
|
|
SWITZERLAND
|
AUSTRIA
|
|||||||
Total
|
3,315
|
6,187
|
7,386
|
7,664
|
6,004
|
7,467
|
8,211
|
8,394
|
%C
|
99.37
|
98.18
|
88.37
|
82.42
|
97.07
|
96.96
|
89.76
|
77.56
|
%M
|
0.01
|
0.27
|
2.73
|
4.49
|
0.00
|
0.24
|
2.23
|
5.08
|
%A
|
0.20
|
1.08
|
8.15
|
12.12
|
0.17
|
2.60
|
7.68
|
16.90
|
FRANCE
|
GERMANY
|
|||||||
Total
|
41,000
|
50,772
|
59,080
|
62,787
|
42,138
|
77,709
|
82,220
|
82,302
|
%C
|
99.34
|
83.82
|
70.73
|
65.75
|
98.56
|
89.65
|
75.80
|
70.01
|
%M
|
0.12
|
2.66
|
7.07
|
8.55
|
0.00
|
0.58
|
4.44
|
4.66
|
%A
|
0.30
|
12.01
|
19.65
|
23.03
|
0.28
|
9.63
|
19.37
|
24.72
|
BELGIUM
|
NETHERLANDS
|
|||||||
Total
|
6,693
|
9,656
|
10,161
|
10,712
|
5,180
|
13,032
|
15,786
|
16,613
|
%C
|
98.95
|
92.59
|
88.27
|
71.58
|
96.50
|
89.40
|
80.41
|
63.31
|
%M
|
0.00
|
0.93
|
3.59
|
5.27
|
0.00
|
0.46
|
3.77
|
6.16
|
%A
|
0.90
|
5.96
|
7.52
|
22.34
|
1.45
|
9.66
|
14.17
|
28.13
|
Populations in thousands.
|
||||||||
Trends of change are similar in all six
major countries
West Europe comprises six major countries: Switzerland, Austria, France,
Germany, Belgium and Netherlands. Besides these, there are several smaller
enclaves and islands. Geographic position of these countries within West Europe
is indicated in the map here. The trends of change in the religious demography
that we have noticed in West Europe are replicated in all the six major
countries of this region.
All six of the major countries of West Europe were nearly fully
Christian in 1900 and had few Muslims. There were also few Atheists or Agnostics,
except in the northern countries of Belgium and Netherlands, where they had a non-negligible
share of around 1 and 1.5 percent, respectively. Austria, Netherlands and
Germany had a significant number of Jews; their share in these three countries
was 2.76, 2.04 and 1.14 percent, respectively.
Muslim share has grown after 1970
In all the six countries, share of Muslims has grown rapidly after 1970.
Now they form between 4.5 to 8.5 percent of the population everywhere. Their
highest presence is in France, where Muslims now number 5.4 million and have a
share of 8.55 percent in the population. In 1970, France was the only country
of the region to have a significant Muslim presence of 2.66 percent; in the
other five countries, their share then was below 1 percent. In Switzerland,
Austria, Belgium and Netherlands there has been a sudden spurt in the number
and share of Muslims during the last decade of 2000-10.
Rise of irreligion
Share of the Agnostics and Atheists has been rising in all these
countries, but there has been a remarkable spurt in it during the last decade,
especially in Belgium, Netherlands and Austria. In the East European countries,
on the other hand, there has been an equally remarkable decline in the share of
Agnostics and Atheists in this decade.
Shifting of Jews within West Europe
Jews in different
countries of West Europe
|
||||
1900
|
1970
|
2000
|
2010
|
|
Total
|
863
|
685
|
761
|
935
|
Austria
|
166
|
10
|
9
|
8
|
Germany
|
480
|
33
|
96
|
224
|
Netherlands
|
106
|
30
|
25
|
26
|
France
|
87
|
550
|
591
|
628
|
Belgium
|
10
|
40
|
21
|
29
|
Population in thousands.
|
||||
Unlike in other parts of Europe, there was only a slight decline in the
number of Jews in West Europe between 1900 and 1970. But as seen in the Table
here, there was a large-scale shifting of Jews to France and Belgium from the
other four countries. In 1900, of 863 thousand Jews in West Europe, 480
thousand were in Germany and another 272 thousand in Austria and Netherlands.
In 1970, of 685 thousand Jews in West Europe, 550 thousand were in France and
another 40 thousand in Belgium. In Germany, their number had declined from 480
thousand to merely 33 thousand. In recent decades, there has been some rise in
their numbers in both Germany and France.
Smaller countries of West Europe
Besides the six major countries that we have discussed above, West
Europe includes the independent municipality of Lichtenstein within Germany,
the enclave state of Monaco on the Mediterranean coast off mainland France and
Luxembourg lying between France, Belgium and Germany. Of these only Luxembourg
has a significant population of 507 thousand in 2010. There has been a rise in
the Muslim share in Lichtenstein from 2.7 percent in 2000 to 6.4 percent in
2010, but their numbers have remained small, rising from 879 to 2,300 in this
decade.
Religious Demography of North Europe
Population (in thousands) of
different religions in North Europe
|
|||||
1900
|
1970
|
1990
|
2000
|
2010
|
|
Total
|
57,977
|
87,345
|
92,492
|
94,379
|
99,206
|
Christians
|
56,892
|
75,756
|
77,100
|
78,310
|
74,228
|
Muslims
|
1
|
675
|
1,316
|
1,551
|
2,866
|
Jews
|
264
|
519
|
368
|
351
|
335
|
Non-R/Atheist
|
810
|
9,830
|
12,699
|
12,993
|
19,991
|
Others
|
10
|
565
|
1,008
|
1,174
|
1,786
|
Percent share of different
religions in the population
|
|||||
Christians
|
98.13
|
86.73
|
83.36
|
82.97
|
74.82
|
Muslims
|
0.00
|
0.77
|
1.42
|
1.64
|
2.89
|
Jews
|
0.46
|
0.59
|
0.40
|
0.37
|
0.34
|
Non
R/Atheist
|
1.40
|
11.25
|
13.73
|
13.77
|
20.15
|
Others
|
0.02
|
0.65
|
1.09
|
1.24
|
1.80
|
North Europe comprises several units
separated by seas
North Europe comprises Ireland, United Kingdom of England, Denmark,
Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. As seen in the Map
below, these countries fall into several separate units separated by the seas.
Three of the eastern countries of North Europe—Estonia, Latvia and
Lithuania—were part of the Soviet Union and have a different religious
demographic history than others. While discussing religious profile of
individual countries in the subsequent sections, we shall take up these three
separately from others.
North Europe was entirely Christian in
1900
Like most of Europe, North Europe was almost fully Christian in 1900.
Christians formed more than 98 percent of the population then. There were also
1.4 percent Agnostics and Atheists. These two categories exhausted nearly the
whole population. Besides them, there were less than a thousand Muslims and 264
thousand Jews. That left only 10 thousand ‘others’ in the whole of North
Europe.
Moderate increase in the share of
Muslims
In the course of the twentieth century, share of Muslims in North Europe
has indeed increased, but the rise has been moderate compared to other parts of
Europe. Even so, the number of Muslims
has more than doubled between 1990 and 2010 and they now have a share of around
2.9 percent of the population.
Recent rise of irreligion
Like West Europe, North Europe is experiencing a spurt in the prevalence
of irreligion. In 1990, 1.40 percent of the population was irreligious. That
share went up to 11.25 percent in 1970 and his risen to 20.15 percent. Much of
this rise, as in West Europe, has taken place in the last decade alone. Because
of the relatively lower share of both Muslims and Agnostics or Atheists, the
share of Christians in North Europe at around 75 percent is higher than in West
Europe where they now form less than 69 percent of the population.
Religious profile of Ireland, UK,
Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland
Religious profile of Ireland, UK,
Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland
|
||||||||
1900
|
1970
|
2000
|
2010
|
1900
|
1970
|
2000
|
2010
|
|
UNITED KINGDOM
|
SWEDEN
|
|||||||
Total
|
38,100
|
55,632
|
58,830
|
62,036
|
5,136
|
8,043
|
8,910
|
9,380
|
%C
|
97.44
|
88.61
|
82.58
|
72.61
|
98.85
|
75.00
|
67.92
|
63.57
|
%M
|
0.00
|
1.14
|
2.04
|
3.36
|
0.00
|
0.03
|
2.26
|
3.62
|
%A
|
1.92
|
8.45
|
13.11
|
21.04
|
1.07
|
24.69
|
29.42
|
31.60
|
NORWAY
|
DENMARK
|
|||||||
Total
|
2,221
|
3,876
|
4,461
|
4,883
|
2,450
|
4,929
|
5,293
|
5,550
|
%C
|
99.37
|
98.79
|
94.33
|
89.78
|
99.61
|
96.64
|
91.57
|
83.73
|
%M
|
0.00
|
0.10
|
1.03
|
2.93
|
0.00
|
0.24
|
1.26
|
4.05
|
%A
|
0.60
|
1.04
|
2.46
|
6.25
|
0.23
|
2.91
|
6.88
|
11.35
|
FINLAND
|
IRELAND
|
|||||||
Total
|
2,713
|
4,606
|
5,176
|
5,365
|
3,230
|
2,954
|
3,730
|
4,470
|
%C
|
100.00
|
96.38
|
92.80
|
80.82
|
99.91
|
99.60
|
97.15
|
94.16
|
%M
|
0.00
|
0.02
|
0.18
|
0.45
|
0.00
|
0.00
|
0.23
|
0.69
|
%A
|
0.00
|
3.51
|
6.84
|
18.43
|
0.00
|
0.25
|
2.54
|
4.79
|
Population in thousands.
|
||||||||
United Kingdom and Sweden are the most
irreligious
United Kingdom is the largest country of North Europe accounting for 63
percent of the population of the whole region. Sweden, though much smaller in
population, is the second largest. These two countries have the highest share
of the Agnostics and Atheists among these six. In Sweden, that share was nearly
25 percent already in 1970; the irreligious now form nearly one-third of the population.
In the United Kingdom, share of the irreligious has risen suddenly from 13 to
21 percent in the last decade.
UK and Sweden also have relatively high
share of Muslims
Muslims form 3.36 and 3.62 percent of the population of United Kingdom
and Sweden, respectively. This is the highest in North Europe after Denmark. In
Sweden, there were not many Muslims even in 1970 when they formed only 0.03
percent of the population. In UK, their share in 1970 was somewhat higher at
1.14 percent. Both these countries have experienced a substantial rise in the
Muslim share in recent decades.
Share of Christians is the lowest in UK
and Sweden
Because of the high presence of the irreligious and relatively higher
presence of Muslims, share of Christians in UK and Sweden now is the lowest in
North Europe. Christians form 72.6 percent of the population in the United
Kingdom and 63.6 percent of Sweden.
UK also has significant presence of
other religions
Jews and Others in UK
(in thousands)
|
||||
1900
|
1970
|
2000
|
2010
|
|
Jews
|
235
|
450
|
302
|
291
|
Hindus
|
0
|
220
|
429
|
662
|
Sikhs
|
0
|
200
|
235
|
412
|
Buddhists
|
0
|
30
|
165
|
197
|
Chinese R
|
0
|
15
|
40
|
62
|
Adherents of religions other than Christianity and Islam have a share of
nearly 3 percent in the United Kingdom now. Most of such adherents in North Europe
are in UK. Of 335 thousand Jews in the region in 2010, 291 thousand are in UK
where they form nearly half a percent of the population. Of 692 thousand
Hindus, 662 thousand are here and they now form more than 1 percent of the
population of UK. Of 414 thousand Sikhs in the region, 412 thousand are in UK;
they form about 0.7 percent of the population, which is much higher than in
many provinces of India. Of about 300 thousand Buddhists, 197 thousand are here,
but they have a significant presence in Norway and Sweden also. Of 81 thousand
Chinese Religionists, 62 thousand are in UK; but they have some presence in
several other countries of the region also. As seen in the Table here, there
has been a considerable rise in the share of all these religions in recent
decades; however, the share of Jews in UK has considerably declined since 1970.
Norway has fewer Muslims and Atheists
Share of Muslims in Norway is lower at around 3 percent. But in 1990,
there were only 1 percent Muslims here and nearly none in 1970. Irreligion is
also relatively less prevalent in Norway. In 2010, only about 6 percent of the
population is irreligious; this ratio was 2.5 percent in 2000 and 1 percent in
1970. Because of this somewhat lower share of Muslims and the irreligious,
Christians still form nearly 90 percent of the population.
Denmark has the highest Muslim presence
Muslims form 4 percent of the population of Denmark now; this represents
the highest share of Muslims in North Europe. Much of the rise in Muslim
presence has occurred in the last decade. There were only 1.26 percent Muslims
in 2000 and 0.24 percent in 1970. Share of the irreligious in Norway has also
increased from less than 7 percent to 11.4 percent during the last decade. Their
share was less than 3 percent in 1970. But the prevalence of irreligion in
Denmark is still much lower than in UK and Sweden. Share of Christians,
therefore, is still relatively high at around 84 percent.
Finland has few Muslims but is turning
irreligious
There are only a few Muslims in Finland, but their share has increased
from 0.18 to 0.45 percent in the course of the last decade. Share of the
Agnostics and Atheists, however, has risen from 6.84 to 18.43 percent in this
decade. Share of Christians, therefore, has declined from 93 to 81 percent. In
1900, Finland was 100 percent Christian.
Ireland has retained its Christian faith
The wave of irreligion flowing through West, North and parts of South
Europe has not affected Ireland too strongly. Only 4.79 percent of the
population has come under its sway. This ratio is much higher than 2.54 percent
in 2000 and 0.25 percent in 1970. But it is far below the share of the
irreligious in other countries of the region, except Norway where their share
is only slightly higher at 6.25 percent. There are also not many Muslims in Ireland;
they form only 0.69 percent of the population in 2010. Christians, therefore,
have a share of more than 94 percent in the population. This is lower than the
Christian share of above 99 percent in 1900 and even in 1970. But it still
makes Ireland the most Christian country of North Europe. Incidentally, unlike
other countries of this region, Ireland is a Catholic country.
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
1900
|
1970
|
2000
|
2010
|
|
ESTONIA
|
||||
Total
|
647
|
1,365
|
1,396
|
1,341
|
%C
|
98.45
|
45.30
|
63.51
|
43.92
|
%M
|
0.08
|
0.73
|
0.34
|
0.28
|
%A
|
0.23
|
53.37
|
35.99
|
55.59
|
LATVIA
|
||||
Total
|
1,206
|
2,374
|
2,357
|
2,252
|
%C
|
99.46
|
51.18
|
66.94
|
68.92
|
%M
|
0.00
|
0.21
|
0.38
|
0.25
|
%A
|
0.12
|
47.60
|
32.07
|
30.37
|
LITHUANIA
|
||||
Total
|
2,060
|
3,147
|
3,670
|
3,324
|
%C
|
99.68
|
70.31
|
87.57
|
88.75
|
%M
|
0.00
|
0.19
|
0.22
|
0.19
|
%A
|
0.07
|
29.21
|
12.03
|
10.84
|
Population in thousands.
|
||||
These three countries share borders with Russia and Belarus and were
part of the Soviet Union. Like other Soviet countries, Estonia and Latvia had
become largely irreligious in the middle of the twentieth century. In 1970,
53.4 percent of the population of Estonia and 47.6 percent of Latvia had turned
Agnostic or Atheist. Lithuania had not turned away from religion as strongly as
Estonia and Latvia, but 29 percent of the population of that country had also
become irreligious in 1970. Since then, Lithuania has experienced a strong
recovery of faith like many countries of East Europe. The recovery is less
robust in Latvia. Estonia, however, has become even more irreligious during the
last decade after a weak recovery in the earlier two decades. Estonia is now
the least religious country of the world. Historically, Estonia has been a
protestant country, while Lithuania is largely Catholic. Latvia has been
divided between Protestants, Catholics and Orthodox Christians. Is the
persistence or otherwise of irreligion in these countries somehow related to
these differences in their denominations?
Smaller countries of North Europe
Besides the countries discussed above, there are several smaller and
often remote countries in North Europe. These include: Isle of Man between
Ireland and United Kingdom, Channel Island off France in the English Channel,
Faroe Islands far in the north in the Atlantic Ocean, Iceland further north of
Faroe Islands. All these countries are largely Christian, but share of the
irreligious has now reached near 15 percent in Channel Island and in the Isle
of Man.
CONCLUSION
Europe
1. Europe is a Christian continent. At the beginning of the twentieth
century nearly 95 percent of the population was Christian. Of the rest, about
2.5 percent were Jews and 2.3 percent Muslims. And, most of the Jews and
Muslims were in East Europe.
2. The share of Christians has now declined to 78.6 percent. Their share
is even lower in West and North Europe.
3. This decline in Christianity has been largely due to the rise of
irreligion in Europe. In 2010, 14.8 percent of the population of Europe adhered
to no faith. The proportion of the irreligious was even higher in West and
North Europe.
4. Jews were largely expelled or eliminated from Europe in the earlier
half of the twentieth century. They now form about a quarter percent of the
population compared to 2.5 percent in 1900.
5. Share of Muslims in Europe has nearly doubled from around 2.3 percent
in 1900 to 5.6 percent in 2010. Much of this change has happened in recent
decades. Rise of Muslims, like that of the irreligious, is also more pronounced
in West and North Europe.
East Europe
6. East Europe, which had come under the sway of the godless Marxism, is
now the most Christian region of Europe. Christians form 84 percent of the
population here in 2010.
7. This is because East Europe has largely recovered from the irreligion
that came to prevail here in the middle of the twentieth century. Share of the
irreligious in East Europe had reached 37 percent in 1970; it has declined to
less than 10 percent now. A major part of the decline has happened during the
last decade.
8. This recovery of faith in East Europe is perhaps the most significant
religious change happening in the world of today. The phenomenon is the most
pronounced in Russia and seems to be largely driven by the nationalist and
religious commitments of the current leadership of Russia. Therefore, it may
not be misplaced to call the recent rise of Christianity in East Europe as the
‘Putin Effect’.
9. There has been a slight increase in the share of Muslims in East
Europe. They now have a share of 5.7 percent compared to 4.4 percent in 2000
and about the same in 1900. This may partly imply recovery of Islamic faith among
the Muslims who had turned irreligious, but is more likely to be the effect of
higher Muslim fertility in a region where total populations are shrinking.
10. Within East Europe, Moldavia, Poland and Romania have now become almost
fully Christian. The irreligious continue to have a relatively high share of
between 10 to 15 percent in Ukraine, Slovakia and Hungary. In Belarus and Czech
Republic, their share is as high as 26 and 44 percent, respectively. In Russia
and Bulgaria, Muslims have a considerable share of above 10 percent, but share
of the irreligious is now low.
South Europe
11. Share of both the irreligious and Muslims in South Europe now is
somewhat higher than in East Europe. Therefore, the share of Christians is a little
lower at 83 percent. The region, however, was 97 percent Christian in 1900.
12. South Europe has two distinct components. There are the countries of
former Yugoslavia, which were earlier in the Soviet Block. And, there are Albania,
Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal of the western block.
13. Albania is now 63 percent Muslim and 32 percent Christian. In 1970,
64 percent of the population had turned irreligious.
14. Of the countries of former Yugoslavia, Kosovo is now nearly fully
Muslim. Montenegro and Bosnia & Herzegovina also have considerable Muslim
presence. Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia are now largely Christian.
15. But the irreligious do not have much presence in any of the
countries of former Yugoslavia, except Slovenia, which has seen some rise in
their share in recent past.
16. Contrary to the experience of
East Europe and of the Yugoslavian part of South Europe, Greece, Italy, Spain
and Portugal are seeing a spurt in the share of Agnostics and Atheists in
recent decades.
17. Share of the irreligious is still low in Greece. And, share of
Muslims also remains low in spite of a slow rise in recent decades after a
sharp fall from nearly 13 percent in 1900 to 1.5 percent in 1970. Christians
now form 92 percent of the population of Greece.
18. The irreligious, however, now form 16.5 percent of the population in
Italy and have a share of 9 percent in Spain and above 7 percent in Portugal.
In Italy and Spain, the share of Muslims also has risen to above 2 percent in
recent decades. These three countries were nearly 100 percent Christian in
1900. Share of Christians now is around 81 percent in Italy, 88 percent in
Spain and 91 percent in Portugal.
West Europe
19. While East Europe and much of South Europe have undergone a strong
recovery of faith in recent decades, West Europe seems to be in the grip of a
new way of irreligion. Share of the irreligious in West Europe has risen from
0.38 percent in 1900 to 9.5 percent in 1970, 17.3 percent in 2000 and 23.4
percent in 2010.
20. Muslim presence has also been rising in West Europe. There were
almost no Muslims here in 1900; their share went up to 1.2 percent in 1970, 5
percent in 2000 and 6 percent in 2010.
21. Because of the rise of the irreligious and the Muslims, share of
Christians in West Europe has now reached below 69 percent from nearly 99
percent in 1900. It has now become the least Christian part of Europe.
22. Within West Europe, share of Muslims is the highest in France. Of
11.6 million Muslims in the region, 5.4 million are in France and they form 8.6
percent of the population of the country.
Their share was 0.12 percent in 1900, 2.7 percent in 1970 and 7.1
percent in 2000.
23. Share of Muslims has increased in Austria, Switzerland, Germany,
Belgium and Netherlands also during recent decades. Share of the irreligious has also increased
everywhere in this region. Therefore, Christians now form less than 70 percent
of the population in France and Netherlands, around 70 percent in Germany and
Belgium and around 78 percent in Austria. Only in Switzerland, their share is
still above 80 percent.
North Europe
24. The wave of irreligion that is sweeping through West Europe has
brought most of North Europe also in its sway. Now more than 20 percent of the
population of this region is irreligious.
25. Share of Muslims has also
been rising, but it remains far below West Europe. Muslims form 2.89 percent of
the population of North Europe in 2010.
26. Within North Europe, United
Kingdom, Sweden and Finland have come under the grip of irreligion most
strongly. The irreligious form 32 percent of the population of Sweden, 21
percent of UK and 18 percent of Finland.
27. Share of Muslims is the highest in Denmark at 4 percent and it is
near or above 3 percent in Sweden, UK and Norway.
28. Ireland has remained largely steady in its Christian faith and has
nearly no Muslims. Therefore, share of Christians in Ireland remains high at 94
percent. Their share is near 90 percent in Norway also, where only 6 percent of
the population is irreligious.
29. Three of the formerly Soviet
countries—Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania—are in North Europe. Agnosticism and
Atheism remain strong in Estonia and Latvia. Lithuania, like much of East
Europe, has experienced a recovery of faith and is now 89 percent Christian.
The major changes
30. Religious demography of Europe during the twentieth century was
marked by a rise of irreligion in East and parts of South Europe in the middle
of the twentieth century. That phase seems to have passed, and those parts of
Europe have experienced a strong recovery of faith.
31. But while East Europe and much of South Europe have reverted to
their faith, parts of South Europe, and almost all of West and North Europe are
undergoing a new wave of irreligion in the recent past. This has put
Christianity under pressure in these parts.
32. Most of the Muslims in Europe were in East and parts of South
Europe. But in recent decade, Muslims have expanded into West and North Europe.
The greatest expansion of Muslims has taken place in West Europe, particularly
in France.
33. Most of the Jews in Europe were also in East Europe. Now there are
few Jews left in Europe.
34. East Europe, which was the least Christian, has now become the most
Christian part of Europe, while West and North Europe, which were nearly wholly
Christian earlier are seeing a rise of both irreligion and Islam. We shall soon
be posting Maps graphically showing the shift of Muslims and the Atheists or
Agnostics from East to West and North Europe in the course of the twentieth
century.
35. In general, it seems that the Catholic and Orthodox Christians have
kept or recovered their faith while Protestants are turning towards Agnosticism
and Atheism.
Postscript: We shall soon post religious demographic maps of Europe that graphically show the rise of irreligion in East Europe in the earlier part of the twentieth century and the shift of the phenomenon to West and North Europe towards the end of the century. We shall also post maps showing the shifting of the Muslim presence towards the West.
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