What are the major religions?
More than half (55 percent) of Dutch people aged 15 years and over are not religious. In 2020, 20 percent of the Dutch population belonged to the Catholic Church, 14 percent were Protestant, 5 percent Muslim and 5 percent belonged to another religious group. Religious involvement has continued to decline in recent years. In 2017, for the first time more than half of the Dutch population aged 15 years and over did not belong to a religious or ideological group.
The proportion of Dutch people aged 15 and over who regularly attend a religious service has also continued to decline. In 2012, 17 percent of people aged 15 and over still attended a service regularly; this dropped to 13 percent in 2020.
In 2020, 8 percent of Dutch people who regularly attended a service did so weekly, 3 percent several times a month and 2 percent once a month. Five percent went less than once a month, 82 percent rarely or never attended a service.
| Periode | None | Roman Catholic | Protestant | Muslim | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 46.2 | 25.6 | 17.2 | 4.5 | 6.5 |
| 2013 | 46.2 | 26.4 | 16.8 | 4.7 | 5.9 |
| 2014 | 47.5 | 25.4 | 16.5 | 4.7 | 5.9 |
| 2015 | 48.2 | 25.3 | 15.4 | 4.6 | 6.5 |
| 2016 | 49.7 | 24.1 | 15.6 | 5.1 | 5.5 |
| 2017 | 50.7 | 23.6 | 15 | 5.1 | 5.6 |
| 2018 | 51.8 | 22.1 | 16 | 4.9 | 5.3 |
| 2019 | 54.1 | 20.1 | 14.8 | 5 | 5.9 |
| 2020 | 55.4 | 19.8 | 14.4 | 5.1 | 5.2 |
Catholics go to church least often
The frequency of church or mosque attendance varies greatly depending on the denomination. Of the most common denominations in the Netherlands, Catholics go to church the least often. In 2020, 13 percent regularly attended a religious gathering. Among Protestants this was considerably higher at 50 percent. Among Muslims, 35 percent visit a mosque at least once a month. Among those belonging to a different denomination or ideological group, 1 out of every 3 attends a service on a regular basis.
A quarter firmly believe in God
The Dutch are divided about the existence of a God. For example, 1 in 3 (33 percent) say they do not believe in God, while nearly one-quarter (24 percent) firmly believe in the existence of God. The rest indicate that they do not know or are unsure. For example, 15 percent say they do not know if there is a God, 6 percent sometimes believe in God and sometimes not, and 8 percent say they believe in God but still have doubts.
Finally, 15 percent say that they do not believe in a God who deals with people personally, but that they do believe in some higher power.
| Geloof in God 2020 | Share |
|---|---|
| I do not believe in God | 33.4 |
| I believe in God | 24.4 |
| I do not believe in God but I do believe in a higher power |
15 |
| I do not know if there is a God | 14.2 |
| I believe in God, although I have my doubts | 7.5 |
| At times I believe in God other times I do not |
5.5 |
Nearly 1 in 10 Catholics do not believe in God
Of those who do not belong to a faith group, 56 percent say they do not believe in God. Eight percent of Catholics do not believe in God, while this is limited to 1 percent of Protestants and Muslims. Almost 1 in 3 Catholics say they have no doubt God exists. Among Protestants this is almost twice as high at 61 percent; and among Muslims three times as high (92 percent).
The questions
- How are figures calculated by CBS?
- How many dwellings in the Netherlands?
- How fast is the Dutch population growing?
- How tall are Dutch people?
- How many farm animals are there in the Netherlands?
- Which jobs often cause a poor work-life balance?
- How many diamond wedding couples are there?
- How much energy is from renewable sources?
- How many people fall victim to domestic violence?
- How many people use the Internet of Things?
- What are the major religions?
- What are the most popular majors?
- What do people die of on an average day?
- How much water do we consume?
- What do we buy online?
- How are the various animal species doing?
- How many under-23s receive youth assistance?
- Which flower bulbs are most common?
- How many companies in the Netherlands?
- Where do Caribbean Dutch children live?
- How do we use our land?
- How many electric cars are driving around?
- Which jobs have the highest levels of mental fatigue?
- How much nitrogen is emitted at livestock farms?
- How many workers belong to a trade union?
- How much have food prices gone up?
- Where were people in the Caribbean Netherlands originally born?
- How many families are at risk of poverty?
- How sustainable is our behaviour?
- What do we import from China?
- How many girls become teenage mothers?
- Has our purchasing power gone up or down?
- How many adults smoke?
- How many millionaires in the Netherlands?
- How many tourists stay overnight in the Netherlands?
- How does CBS handle your privacy?