Faith is important to billions of people worldwide, but there are countries where faith plays surprisingly little role in everyday life.
Faith outside the mainstream
China is one of the most secular countries in the world in terms of religious identification and professed atheism. Approximately 90% of the Chinese population were estimated to be unaffiliated with any religion in 2020.
In another survey conducted by a global poll, 58% stated that they consider themselves convincing atheists. The continued presence of Communism and state atheism has played a role, though ancestor worship, incense burning, and temple visiting remain prevalent even amongst Chinese who identify as having no religion.
Tradition without the label
Japan is fascinating because despite a very low percentage of people who identify with a religion, there are still religious practices all throughout the country. A recent study showed that less than 50% of Japanese adults consider themselves religious.
However, shrines are visited often, and Buddhist funeral practices and celebrations are still commonplace. Many who practice these traditions don’t view themselves as religious. Japan shows the challenges of differentiating between atheism, secularism, and cultural religion.
Religion lost its grip
The Czech Republic has been one of Europe’s great secular success stories for decades. An estimated 73% of Czechs identified as religiously unaffiliated in 2020. That makes it one of the few countries in Europe where those who profess having no religion make up a solid majority of the population.
The Czech Republic’s long history of anticlericalism, political turmoil, and Communist rule has led to religion’s decline.
Two worlds side by side
South Korea has massive Christian churches, Buddhist temples, and otherwise ostentatious displays of religiosity, but roughly half of adults claim no religion.
It also has one of the highest rates of people who were raised in a religion who have since abandoned it. South Korea’s religiously unaffiliated also include a significant number who deny the existence of God, an afterlife, and any spiritual realm whatsoever.
The quiet north
Sweden‘s Lutheran history remains evident in its churches, holidays, and customs. However, daily life in Sweden is marked by secularism. Recent surveys have shown that over half of adults in Sweden consider themselves to be religiously unaffiliated.
In a survey, approximately 28% of all adults in Sweden claimed to be unaffiliated and stated that they do not believe in God, an afterlife, or any spiritual force. Even self-identified Christians often have little religious significance placed on daily life.
An unusually empty pew
Estonia is consistently ranked as one of Europe’s most irreligious countries. In a global survey, almost 60% of Estonians surveyed considered themselves to be not religious.
Other indexes also rank Estonia as having very low religiosity. Lutheranism and Eastern Orthodoxy have long histories in Estonia; however, religious affiliation became even more strained during Soviet occupation.
Leaving the old pillar behind
The Netherlands used to consist of two religiously dominant cultures: Protestant and Catholic. Religions used to play a part in almost every aspect of social life. This world no longer exists: by 2020, nearly 54% of Dutch citizens were estimated to have no religious affiliation.
Recent studies estimate that 14% of Dutch adults are actually atheists. Many more call themselves agnostic or claim to have no religion. The Netherlands has shifted from a country of strongly associated religions to one where being nonreligious is commonplace.
The republic of laïcité
For over a hundred years, France has aggressively fostered one of the most pronounced divisions between religion and state with laïcité. While France has been molded by Catholicism for centuries, there are now millions who identify as having no religion, and France has some of the lowest levels of religiosity in the world.
In fact, recent polls suggest religion plays a far smaller role in everyday life in France than it does in most of Africa, South Asia or the Middle East. Secularism has become a core part of mainstream French public life.
Faith keeps fading
Religious identification in Australia has decreased significantly in recent decades, with an increasing number of people brought up as Christians no longer identifying with any religion.
In a recent study, it was revealed that around 24% of Australian adults identify as religiously unaffiliated and also deny belief in God, an afterlife, and a spiritual realm. Shifts in younger generations are likely speeding up this transition, and Christianity is continuing to lose ground as the majority religion.
Beyond the churches
Historically, Finland has had close ties with Lutheran Christianity. Personal religiosity, however, has continuously declined. Finland ranks amongst the countries with the largest proportions of people who described themselves as convinced atheists.
As in other Northern European countries, identification with a religious tradition may also be cultural, rather than an indication of fervent belief. Weddings, funerals and Christmas traditions may outlive religion’s impact on daily life.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
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