The Least Religious Countries c. 2000

A survey conducted in 2018 amongst young people in 12 European countries showed very large proportions who denied having any faith at all: the Czech Republic was the least religious country with 91% of 16–29-year-olds claiming no religious affiliation. Only in Poland, Portugal and Ireland did more than 10% of young people affirm that they attended a religious service at least once a week. In countries like Estonia, Sweden and the Netherlands between 70 and 80% of young people say they have no religious affiliation. In surveys about a quarter of Europeans of all ages say they have no religious affiliation, indicating they are atheist or agnostic. This is about the same proportion as Americans, but in the USA “nones” are more likely nevertheless to still believe in God. In the United States Christians still represent 73.3% of the total population (2016). Nevertheless, this number has been declining since the 1960s with each successive generation becoming avowedly less religious than the preceding one. Estimates of Christianity in China vary from anywhere between 60–115 million Protestants and 10–12 million Roman Catholics. The majority of religious adherents worship in unregistered or underground “house churches” to avoid Communist Party surveillance.