No Religion Here: 15 Countries With the Largest Non-Religious Populations
The number of non-religious citizens is on the rise globally, but secularism is more deeply rooted in some countries than in others. One significant factor contributing to this trend is state-sponsored religious restrictions.
While a decline in religion often correlates with greater prosperity, some of the least religious countries in the world continue to face economic and societal woes.
Living Without Organized Religion
To determine which countries are the least religious, polling by Pew Research Center focused on the number of citizens that aren’t affiliated with a specific religion. Non-religious folks could still have ethical or moral frameworks that guide their lives, and they may also partake in spiritual practices. However, they don’t follow an organized religion. The following are the results of Pew Research’s findings.
1: Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is the least religious country in the world, with a non-religious rate of 78.4%. The high number of citizens who don’t consider themselves religious may have to do with the country’s communist history. Communism typically promotes atheism or secular ideologies, and the Czech Republic was under communist rule from 1948 to 1989.
2: North Korea
Though the North Korean constitution grants freedom of religion, it prohibits the use of religion to “harm the state.” The government uses this line to justify arrests, torture, imprisonment, and even execution of those with religious practices. Seventy-one percent of North Koreans report being non-religious.
3: Estonia
Sixty percent of Estonians are non-religious. Estonia is an old country with ties to several religious groups, including the Lutherans, Orthodox Christians, and Roman Catholics. Still, the Baltic State’s ties to communism from 1940 to 1990 led to a significant decrease in the number of citizens who practiced a religion.
4: Japan
Japanese citizens often have a deep reverence for cultural traditions that stem from Shintoism and Buddhism, and there are approximately 80,000 Shinto Shrines on the island country. Still, 60% of Japanese citizens say they are non-religious.
5: Hong Kong
Diverse demographics and a cosmopolitan culture keep religious affiliation in Hong Kong relatively low. Almost 55% of Hong Kong citizens say they are not religious.
6: China
Just over half (52%) of China’s population is non-religious. Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism were all popular in China at one time, but the current government forbids many religious practices and often censors religious materials.
7: South Korea
South Korea has a non-religious rate of 46%. More secularized worldviews that emphasize economic advancement over religious practice have led to fewer South Koreans attending service at religious institutions.
8: Latvia
Europe has grown more secular over time, and that includes Latvia, where the non-religious rate is 45.3%. Latvia also had a state policy of atheism during the Soviet era, and those beliefs appear to still linger today.
9: Netherlands
Secularism began to rise in the Netherlands after World War II. Much of today’s youth were raised completely outside of religious institutions, leading to a non-religious rate of 44.3%.
10: Uruguay
Uruguay is a non-religious outlier in otherwise typically religious South America. Just over 40% of citizens say they aren’t affiliated with any religion. This may be because of Uruguay’s long history of secularization, which includes a law banning any mention of God in oaths of office.
11: New Zealand
Just under 40% of New Zealand citizens are non-religious. A lack of public religious rhetoric and a culture that promotes maintaining sharp distinctions between public and personal life may be why many New Zealanders aren’t religious.
12: Mongolia
Mongolia went through a communist period from 1924 to 1990. During that time, all religion was suppressed, which explains Mongolia’s non-religious rate of 36.5%.
13: France
France separated church from state in 1905, but even before that, secular views were growing in popularity. Secularists began promoting non-religious views during the 1789 French Revolution. Today, 31.9% of French citizens are non-religious.
14: Aland Islands
The Aland Islands have a non-religious rate of 31.5%. These Swedish-speaking islands are off the coast of Finland and are largely dominated by the Lutheran church. However, a significant minority retain secular views.
15: United Kingdom
Home to the Church of England, the United Kingdom is experiencing rising rates of secularism as more of the younger generation leaves their religious history behind. Secularism has been rising in the UK since the end of the Second World War, and the non-religious rate is now 31.2%.
Non-Religious in the USA
Only 18.6% of Americans say they’re non-religious. Seventy percent of the population practices some form of Christianity, and just under 6% practice Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, or Hinduism.
A Growing Minority
Though the number of non-religious people in the U.S. is smaller than in many other countries, it’s a growing sect of society. Church attendance is declining quickly, and many Americans report that religion is no longer a very important aspect of their lives.
Yet Religion Rises
Though secularism is a growing trend in the West, religion is increasing overall. Very religious regions like the Middle East and Africa have higher birth rates, leading to more religious than non-religious people in the world.
Religious Resurgence
Russia is seeing a significant religious resurgence after years of repression under Soviet rule. The Russian Orthodox Church is now an important part of the cultural identity of many Russians.
More Religious Bans
As of 2020, 57 countries had initiated some sort of ban or restriction on religion. This is up from 47 countries in 2014. These restrictions may be against specific practices, like prayer, or they may ban a religion outright.
Prosperity and Secularism Linked
Growing secularism in the Western world seems to link economic prosperity with a rise in non-religious citizens. Many, including Karl Marx, have theorized that less religion leads to a more prosperous nation. However, shrinking populations in these countries could create the opposite effect.
The Strange Case of Georgia and Ghana
In most countries, older generations are more religious, and younger generations are more secular. However, in Georgia and Ghana, the trend is reversed, signaling a unique rise in religion in these nations.
The Religion Question
Many people wonder whether a decline in religion is good or bad for society. Research says the answer is hard to pinpoint. Religion has positive and negative aspects; whether it’s good or bad often depends on one’s perspective.
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