Religion has been a major influence on the societies, cultures, traditions, philosophies, artistic expressions and laws within present-day Europe. The largest religion in Europe is Christianity. However, irreligion and practical secularisation are also prominent in some countries. According to the 2026 Pew Survey, 67.1% of the Europe's population follows Christianity, 25.3% are religiously unaffiliated. Other religions include Islam (6%), Buddhism (0.3%), Hinduism (0.3%) and Jews (0.2%). In most European countries, Christianity is the majority faith. In Estonia, Netherlands and Czech Republic, the majority are religiously unaffiliated. Christianity forms plurality ie as Christianity ceased to be the majority faith in the United Kingdom, France, where it had previously been the dominant religion. Islam forms a majority in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo. In Albania, Islam forms plurality where it had earlier been majority.
Little is known about the prehistoric religion of Neolithic Europe. Bronze and Iron Age religion in Europe as elsewhere was predominantly polytheistic and included Ancient Greek religion, Ancient Roman religion, Slavic paganism, Finnish paganism, Celtic polytheism and Germanic paganism. Modern revival movements of these religions, and religions influenced by them, include Heathenism, Rodnovery, Romuva, Druidry, Wicca, and Hetanism.
The Roman Empire officially adopted Christianity in AD 380. Most of Europe underwent Christianisation during the Early Middle Ages, with the process being essentially complete with the Christianisation of Lithuania in the High Middle Ages, with the exception of Al-Andalus. The notion of "Europe" and the "Western World" has been intimately connected with the concept of "Christendom", and many even consider Christianity as the unifying belief that created a European identity, especially since Christianity in the Middle East was marginalized by the rise of Islam from the 8th century. This confrontation led to the Crusades, which ultimately failed militarily, but were an important step in the emergence of a European identity based on religion. Despite this, traditions of folk religion continued at all times, largely independent from institutional religion or dogmatic theology.
The Great Schism of the 11th century and Reformation of the 16th century tore apart Christendom into hostile factions, and following the Age of Enlightenment of the 18th century, atheism and agnosticism have spread across Europe. Nineteenth-century Orientalism contributed to a certain popularity of Hinduism and Buddhism, and the 20th century brought increasing syncretism, New Age, and various new religious movements divorcing spirituality from inherited traditions for many Europeans. Recent times have seen increased secularisation and religious pluralism. Smaller religions include Dharmic religions, Judaism, and some East Asian religions, which are found in their largest groups in Britain, France, and Kalmykia.
Religiosity
Some European countries have experienced a decline in church membership and church attendance.Church attendance faces decline almost everywhere retrieved 3 July 2011 A relevant example of this trend is Sweden where the Church of Sweden, previously the state-church until 2000, claimed to have 82.9% of the Swedish population as its flock in 2000. Surveys showed this had dropped to 72.9% by 2008 and to 56.4% by 2019.Svenska kyrkan i siffror Svenska kyrkan Moreover, in the 2005 Eurobarometer survey 23% of the Swedish population said that they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, God or life force and in the 2010 Eurobarometer survey 34% said the same.
Gallup survey 2008–2009
During 2008–2009, a Gallup survey asked in several countries the question "Is religion important in your daily life?" The table and map below shows percentage of people who answered "Yes" to the question. (in which numbers have been rounded)GALLUP WorldView – data accessed 17 January 2009
During 2007–2008, a Gallup poll asked in several countries the question "Does religion occupy an important place in your life?" The table on right shows percentage of people who answered "No".
Eurobarometer survey 2010
The 2010 Eurobarometer survey found that, on average, 51% of the citizens of the EU member states state that they "believe there is a God", 26% "believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" while 20% "don't believe there is any sort of spirit, God or life force". 3% declined to answer. According to a recent study (Dogan, Mattei, Religious Beliefs in Europe: Factors of Accelerated Decline), 47% of French people declared themselves as agnostics in 2003. This situation is often called "Post-Christian Europe". A decrease in religiousness and church attendance in Denmark, Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, and Sweden has been noted, despite a concurrent increase in some countries like Greece (2% in 1 year). The Eurobarometer survey must be taken with caution, however, as there are discrepancies between it and national census results. For example, in the United Kingdom, the 2001 census revealed over 70% of the population regarded themselves as "Christian" with only 15% professing to have "no religion", though the wording of the question has been criticized as "leading" by the British Humanist Association. Romania, one of the most religious countries in Europe, witnessed a threefold increase in the number of atheists between 2002 and 2011, as revealed by the most recent national census.
The following is a list of European countries ranked by religiosity, based on the rate of belief, according to the Eurobarometer survey 2010. The 2010 Eurobarometer survey asked whether the person "believes there is a God", "believes there is some sort of spirit or life force", or "doesn't believe there is any sort of spirit, God or life force".
+ Eurobarometer survey 2010 Country "I believe there is a God" "I believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" "I don't believe there is any sort of spirit, God or life force" Malta 94% 4% 2% Romania 93% 6% 1% Cyprus 88% 8% 3% Poland 79% 14% 5% Greece 79% 16% 4% Italy 74% 20% 6% Ireland 70% 20% 7% Portugal 70% 15% 12% Slovakia 63% 23% 13% Spain 59% 20% 19% Lithuania 47% 37% 12% Luxembourg 46% 22% 24% Hungary 45% 34% 20% Austria 44% 38% 12% Germany 44% 25% 27% Latvia 38% 48% 11% United Kingdom 37% 33% 25% Belgium 37% 31% 27% Bulgaria 36% 43% 15% Finland 33% 42% 22% Slovenia 32% 36% 26% Denmark 28% 47% 24% Netherlands 28% 39% 30% France 27% 27% 40% Estonia 18% 50% 29% Sweden 18% 45% 34% Czech Republic 16% 44% 37% EU27 51% 26% 20% Turkey (EUCU, not EU) 94% 1% 1% Croatia (joined EU in 2013) 69% 22% 7% Switzerland (EFTA, not EU) 44% 39% 11% Iceland (EFTA, not EU) 31% 49% 18% Norway (EFTA, not EU) 22% 44% 29%
The decrease in theism is illustrated in the 1981 and 1999 according to the World Values Survey, both for traditionally strongly theist countries (Spain: 86.8%:81.1%; Ireland 94.8%:93.7%) and for traditionally secular countries (Sweden: 51.9%:46.6%; France 61.8%:56.1%; Netherlands 65.3%:58.0%). Some countries nevertheless show increase of theism over the period, Italy 84.1%:87.8%, Denmark 57.8%:62.1%. For a comprehensive study on Europe, see Mattei Dogan's "Religious Beliefs in Europe: Factors of Accelerated Decline" in Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion.
Eurobarometer survey 2019
According to the 2019 Eurobarometer survey about Religiosity in the European Union, Christianity is the largest religion in the European Union accounting 64% of the EU population, down from 72% in 2012. Catholics are the largest Christian group in EU, accounting for 41% of EU population, while Eastern Orthodox make up 10%, and Protestants make up 9%, and other Christians account for 4% of the EU population. Non believer/Agnostic account 17%, Atheist 10%, and Muslim 2% of the EU population. 3% refuse to answer or didn't know.
+ Eurobarometer survey 2019 Country "Atheist" "Non believer/Agnostic" "Atheist + Non believer/Agnostic" Romania 2% 2% 4% Malta 2% 2% 4% Cyprus 3% 4% 7% Poland 5% 4% 9% Lithuania 3% 6% 9% Greece 7% 4% 11% Slovakia 6% 5% 11% Croatia 6% 5% 11% Portugal 4% 8% 12% Ireland 7% 7% 14% Italy 5% 9% 14% Bulgaria 8% 7% 15% Austria 4% 12% 16% Slovenia 14% 4% 18% Latvia 6% 13% 19% Hungary 3% 17% 20% Denmark 9% 13% 22% Finland 10% 14% 24% Luxembourg 10% 16% 26% Germany 9% 21% 30% Belgium 10% 21% 31% Spain 12% 20% 32% United Kingdom 19% 20% 39% France 21% 19% 40% Estonia 21% 27% 48% Sweden 16% 34% 50% Netherlands 11% 41% 52% Czech Republic 22% 34% 56% EU28 10% 17% 27%
Maps
Pew Research Poll According to the 2012 Global Religious Landscape survey by the Pew Research Center, 75.2% of the Europe residents are Christians, 18.2% are irreligious, atheist or agnostic, 5.9% are Muslims and 0.2% are Jews, 0.2% are Hindus, 0.2% are Buddhist, and 0.1% adhere to other religions. According to the 2015 Religious Belief and National Belonging in Central and Eastern Europe survey by the Pew Research Center, 57.9% of the Central and Eastern Europeans identified as Orthodox Christians, and according to a 2018 study by the Pew Research Center, 71.0% of Western Europeans identified as Christians, 24.0% identified as religiously unaffiliated and 5% identified as adhere to other religions. According to the same study a large majority (83%) of those who were raised as Christians in Western Europe still identify as such, and the remainder mostly self-identify as religiously unaffiliated.
Pew Research Poll + Pew Research Poll 2015 CountryAffiliated Orthodox, Catholic or Muslim(poll 1)Unaffiliated(poll 1)Other/DK/ref(poll 1)* "Believe in God, absolutely certain"(poll 2)** "Believe in God,fairly certain"(poll 2)** "Believe in God,not too/at all certain"(poll 2)** "Do not believe in God" (Poll 2)** Atheist(poll 3)*** Agnostic(poll 3)*** Nothing in particular(poll 3)*** 9721 94 2 1 211 99<11 93 2 21<1 96 3 1 90 3 2 321 9523 89 4 3311 9118 64 28 241 9441 73 16 35211 9073 72 14 55421 9244 69 16 7631 8875 45 35 58214 78617 34 34 71124 8875 32 45 6934 9154 30 40 717212 542125 28 34 715318 86311 26 47 11921 57 21 22 26 26 730516 81154 25 38 10154110 22726 13 13 36625146 264529 13 24 7459135 (*) 13% of respondents in Hungary identify as Presbyterian. In Estonia and Latvia, 20% and 19%, respectively, identify as Lutherans. And in Lithuania, 14% say they are "just a Christian" and do not specify a particular denomination. They are included in the "other" category. (**) Identified as "don't know/refused" from the "other/idk/ref" column are excluded from this statistic. (***) Figures may not add to subtotals due to rounding. Pew research poll in 2017 **Country A holy book (e.g. Bible) is written by men, not the word of God A holy book is the word of God (**) Identified with answers "don't know/refused" are not shown.
Official religions A number of countries in Europe have official religions, including Greece (Orthodox), Liechtenstein, (archived from the original on 26 March 2009). Malta, Monaco, the Vatican City (Catholic); Armenia (Apostolic Orthodoxy); Denmark,Denmark – Constitution: Section 4 State Church, International Constitutional Law. Iceland (Lutheran);Constitution of the Republic of Iceland: Article 62, Government of Iceland. and the United Kingdom (England alone) (Anglican). In Switzerland, some cantons are officially Catholic, others Reformed Protestant. Some Swiss villages even have their religion as well as the village name written on the signs at their entrances.