Losing our religion: Christianity in Europe is dying out as young people turn away from the church, research says

  • Future of Christianity in Europe left in doubt as young people reject religion
  • Majority of 16 to 29-year-olds across Europe are non-religious, study shows
  • In the Czech Republic, 91 per cent of young people do not follow a religion
  • In the UK, the percentage of young Muslims is close to overtaking the percentage of young Anglicans 

Christianity in Europe is dying out as young people continue to turn away from religion, new research has suggested.

A majority of 16 to 29-year-olds do not follow a religion across the continent, with the Czech Republic the least religious among this age group, experts found.

The breakdown of religious affiliation in 22 European countries shows that more than two thirds of young Britons have no religious affiliation. 

Europe is becoming increasingly secular as young people turn their back on religion, with 91 per cent of youths in the Czech Republic identifying as non-religious

Europe is becoming increasingly secular as young people turn their back on religion, with 91 per cent of youths in the Czech Republic identifying as non-religious

This graph shows the declining numbers of Christians in European countries. Rather than changing  religious affiliation, it seems Christians are leaving religion behind. The fewer Christians there are in a country, the more non-religious people there are, except in Israel

This graph shows the declining numbers of Christians in European countries. Rather than changing religious affiliation, it seems Christians are leaving religion behind. The fewer Christians there are in a country, the more non-religious people there are, except in Israel

In the UK, only seven per cent of young adults identify as Anglican, and 10 per cent categorise themselves as Catholic.

Young Muslims are also on the brink of overtaking Anglicans, on six per cent. 

Between 70 per cent and 80 per cent of the same age group in Holland, Sweden and Estonia are non religious while the figure is 91 per cent in the Czech Republic.

The report, Europe's Young Adults and Religion, was produced by Professor Stephen Bullivant at St Mary's University in London, who said religion was 'moribund', according to The Guardian.

He said that 'with some notable exceptions' young adults 'increasingly are not identifying with or practising religion'.

The figures for the UK were partly explained by high immigration. He explained: 'One in five Catholics in the UK were not born in the UK.

'And we know the Muslim birthrate is higher than the general population, and they have much higher [religious] retention rates.'

A chart showing the exact breakdown of religious affiliations in European countries and Israel

A chart showing the exact breakdown of religious affiliations in European countries and Israel

In the UK, the young Muslims population - at six per cent - is close to overtaking the young Anglican population - at seven per cent (file image, the East London mosque)

In the UK, the young Muslims population - at six per cent - is close to overtaking the young Anglican population - at seven per cent (file image, the East London mosque)

Some 70 per cent of Czech young adults – and about 60 per cent of Spanish, Dutch, British, and Belgians from the age group 'never' attend religious services. 

Again in the Czech Republic, 80 per cent of young adults – and around 70 per cent of Swedish, Danish, Estonian, Dutch, French and Norwegian ones – 'never' pray, the report says.

Just 21 per cent of British young people identify as Christians while only seven per cent identify as Anglicans - compared to six per cent as Muslims.

Meanwhile, only two per cent of Catholic young adults in Belgium, three per cent in Hungary and Austria, five per cent in Lithuania, and six per cent in Germany say they attend Mass weekly.

At the other end of the spectrum, Poland was revealed to be the most religious - with just 17 per cent of young people seeing themselves as non-religious - followed by 25 per cent for the same age group in Lithuania.

Bullivant told the Guardian that Christianity 'as a default, as a norm, is gone, and probably gone for good – or at least for the next 100 years'.

Those who are religious now find themselves 'swimming against the tide', he added. 

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