To talk about such an indicator as the “religiosity” of a country, the number of believers and atheists alone is not enough. That is why the Institute public opinion A Gallup poll in 2015 asked people: “Is religion an important part of your life? Everyday life?. Our list includes 10 countries where greatest number people answered “no” to this question. As it turns out, many simply consider themselves believers just for show.

Uruguay - 59%

Russia - 60%

Vietnam - 69%

France - 69%

UK - 73%

Hong Kong - 74%

Japan - 75%

Denmark - 80%

Sweden - 82%

Estonia - 84%

As the statistics of atheists show, their number is increasing every year. The number of non-believers usually depends on the level in the country. At the same time, in different countries the percentage of atheists differs.

Believers often dream of health and fidelity. What do atheists believe? By definition, an atheist is a person who denies the existence of God. They are convinced that there cannot be otherworldly forces. Atheists believe that a school should be built instead of a church. For them, the material side of life, career growth, and prosperity are more important. Religious people also dream of living comfortably, but they think about it less often.

Religion brings us closer to moral ideal, spirituality. Awareness helps to let go of problems and start dreaming. Believers know that after death another life awaits them. Whereas every seventh atheist believes that there is no need to dream.

The core belief of atheists is that there is no objective reason to believe in the existence of God.

According to research by British scientists, the level of intelligence is higher among people who consider themselves not religious. Historically, the existence of otherworldly forces was questioned by more educated individuals. The work of Florida psychologist Todd Shackelford confirms the veracity of the studies mentioned. His conclusions are based on the results of the largest studies over the past hundred years. Practice has shown that more educated people are less likely to turn to. But does this mean that they are more to the right?

How atheistic beliefs are formed

The appearance of certain beliefs is imprinted from the past. Children raised in a religious home will believe in the existence of God. They have been accustomed to going to church since childhood. A person whose upbringing had no place for religious beliefs does not believe in God and will grow up an atheist. If you tell an atheist about the existence of God, he will smile.

Scientists are trying to determine the conditions influencing the increase in the number of non-believers. Religion is attractive because it gives a certain sense of security in a world full of uncertainties. Demand in countries with high levels economic development does not arise.

In addition to the above aspects, the reasons for being an atheist lie in the economic situation. As atheist statistics show, in countries with a low standard of living, people are more likely to turn to faith. The following principle is observed: the lower the standard of living, the more religious. IN developed countries turn to God for help less and attend churches less often.

If we take this factor as the basis for our beliefs, then in the richest countries of the world there should be no believers at all. However, in Denmark, where very high level life and social security of citizens in 2010 was almost 83%. Consequently, the previous conclusions of the American psychologist look a little strange.

According to data in 2007, America was 51.3% Protestant and 23.9% Catholic. However, it is difficult to argue with the fact that in poor countries the number of believers is greater:

How many non-believers are there in the USSR?

Anti-religious propaganda in the USSR was carried out along with the popularization scientific knowledge. The increase in the number of non-believers was part of the country's ideology. The Institute of Scientific Atheism was created, which existed from 1964 to 1991. In Soviet schools they explained that there is no place for religion and believers, explaining this by ordinary ignorance.

Percentage of non-believers in the Russian Federation

How many atheists are there in Russia according to statistics? There is no reliable data, since people understand the term “atheism” differently. According to sociological surveys conducted in Russia in 2012, almost 13% of people were not religious.

The Russian non-governmental organization Levada Center states that atheists numbered only 5% in 2012. And citizens who do not consider themselves to be of any particular religion – 10%. In 2013, FOM conducted another survey. According to his results, the statistics of atheists included 25% of non-believers.

A study by sociologists to determine the level of religiosity of the majority of Russians on a scale from 0 to 10 points stopped in the middle. When conducting a survey in Ukraine, similar data were obtained.

According to a study conducted by VTsIOM in 2016, statistics of atheists show a decrease in the number of non-believers compared to 1991. If we compare with how many atheists there were then, then in 2016 their number decreased by 7%.

Among Soviet and Russian celebrities there are famous atheists - V. Ginzburg, S. Dorenko, V. Pozner. And V. Ginzburg opposed the introduction of discipline into the school course - the basis Orthodox culture. Russian journalist S. Sidorenko often makes anti-religious statements.

Percentage of atheists in countries

California researcher Phil Zuckerman states that almost 85% of Sweden's citizens are non-believers. Statistics of atheists in the world demonstrate high numbers of non-believers, characteristic of Japan, France, and Denmark. The number of believers in the United States decreased by 7%. The percentage of non-religious citizens is demonstrated by statistics of atheists in different countries:

The researcher believes that the number of unbelievers on earth is increasing. Data taken from Gallup research. The number of atheists in the world was analyzed for the period from 2005 to 2011. More than 50 thousand people from 57 countries participated in the study. According to the results, the number of non-believers in the world increased by 13%. Statistics of atheists and believers are presented in the diagram:

conclusions

To summarize, we can say that the question of faith remains open. These figures poorly reveal the essence of the problem. Moreover, the number of believers significantly exceeds the number of people who deny the existence of God. And arguments regarding Divine reality surround us every day (Numbers 14-21).

The popularity of religions around the world is slowly but surely declining. For the first time in history, the fact that Norway lives more people who do not believe in God than those who do - 39 percent of atheists versus 37 percent of believers.

Research has shown that in 2014, nearly twice as many Americans as in 1980 said they did not believe in God, another five times less people pray. Researchers believe that society owes such a radical shift in religiosity to the millennial generation.

The map below shows the countries with the highest big amount people who consider themselves “convinced atheists.”

Yet despite the worldwide trend toward fewer believers, few countries have more than 20 percent of their citizens who readily and completely reject the concept of divinity.

Here are six of the most atheistic countries in the world, not including Norway:

1. China

Today, China has the highest percentage of all countries in the world - even more than half - of convinced atheists. According to Win/Gallup, between 40 and 49.9 percent of Chinese say they do not consider themselves agnostic when we're talking about about belief in a higher power.

Communism, under which China's ruling party has ruled the country since 1949, views religion as a means of oppressing the proletariat.

Mao Zedong suppressed any religious movements during his 27-year rule until 1976. One of the oldest philosophical worldviews country, Confucianism, also differs in that it does not emphasize belief in a supernatural deity.

2. Japan

China's neighbor is another eastern country with a large population of people committed to a worldview where there is no place for God.

Between 30 and 39 percent of people on the Japanese islands say they are "convinced atheists." In Japan, religion has historically centered around Shinto, which is not based on an all-seeing God, but rather on rituals and mythology dating back to the country's distant past.

However, Shintoism has a spiritual origin and cannot be called an atheistic religion. In Japan, in Shintoism, like Buddhism, last years there is a decline in followers.

3. Czech Republic

It may come as a surprise to some, but third among the six least religious countries in the world is the Czech Republic, where 30 to 39 percent of citizens consider themselves atheists.

Weak support for traditional church religion may be a consequence of the strong nationalist movement in the Czech Republic during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Catholicism was considered a religion imposed by the Austrian invaders, and Protestantism never managed to take an important place in the hearts of the majority of Czech residents. Let us also note the country’s communist past, in which from 1948 to 1989 all religions were oppressed.

4. France

The homeland of the Romantics differs from many of its European neighbors in that at least one fifth of its citizens claim to be "convinced atheists."

As in China, in France the state sought to reduce the power of religious institutions within its borders.

French revolution 1789 overthrew Catholicism as state religion, and in 1905 a law was passed that separated church and state.

In Great Britain, by contrast, the head of state - the Queen - is also the head of the Church.

5. Australia

About 10 to 19 percent of Australians say they are "strong atheists." This is not surprising for a country with a strong tradition of secular government.

In just a few decades of the country's existence legal framework guaranteed religious equality for the colonists who, when they first arrived on the continent in 1788, overthrew the privileges of the Church of England.

Representatives of many other religions, including Jews and Muslims, attracted by new opportunities, came to Australia. Today, however, the number of Christians is steadily declining - and the majority consider themselves atheists.

6. Iceland

In 1550, Catholicism was outlawed in this northern corner of Europe. The legal right to have religious freedom was established in 1874.

Although many Icelanders consider themselves Lutherans, a small number follow folk religions and the rest consider themselves "convinced atheists". This is only 19 percent of the country's population, but this proportion gives Iceland the right to be considered an atheist country.

Help: The Independent is a daily British newspaper published by Tony O'Reilly and Independent News & Media since 1986. One of the youngest British newspapers with a readership of over 240 thousand people.

Of course, each state has its own faith, but it is worth noting that today the popularity of religion is noticeably declining. The reason for this is simple and banal: more and more people around the world reject the existence supernatural powers, or even completely convinced that they do not exist. In many countries, society accepts atheists without unnecessary questions or accusations, and they feel comfortable and comfortable.

We offer the top 8 atheist countries, in which the number of people who do not consider religion an important part of their lives prevails over believers who are ready to give everything in the world for religion.

Japan. One of the countries of East Asia with a population of about 126 million 958 thousand people, among whom 25% are Buddhists and Shintoists and are sure that religion is important in human life, the remaining 75% claim that they are “convinced” atheists.

Basically, the people of this country live according to their own principles and canons, where there is no place at all for an omnipotent and all-seeing God. the main role here is devoted to a variety of rituals and mythology.

France. The only country in the world where today the overwhelming majority of the population are atheists. This would always be the case if it were not for the flow of immigrants, which reduced this percentage level of relationships. French legislation prohibits conducting opinion polls regarding religious preferences, but, nevertheless, the “Homeland of the Romantics” is included in the list of the most irreligious countries in the world.

In 1905, according to the Law adopted on December 9 on the separation of the secular state and the church, the worldview of secularism became the main asset and treasure of French society. Today in France it is forbidden to talk to children about religion and preach it in schools in any way.

Austria. Approximately 20% of the population here considers itself to be convinced atheists, and the rest of the population professes the Catholic religion. In this country, it is prohibited to be photographed for a driver's license while wearing a headdress, but the exception is cases where the absence of a headdress is not required by the religion being professed.

A precedent was recorded here when a citizen of the country named Niko Alm received the document he needed, being depicted in a photo with a colander on his head. By this act, the Austrian tried to convey to higher authorities that the kitchen item is an integral ritual accessory of his religion called “Pastafarianism” - the belief in a huge flying pasta monster. As a result, Niko received a driver's license, but he had to undergo a number of examinations, including a psychiatrist.

Czech. The Czech Republic is not at the bottom of the list of atheist countries in the world: here 40% of citizens consider themselves atheists. It was in the Czech Republic that during the long communist years all kinds of religions were oppressed, so Christianity failed to earn the due attention of people and an authoritative place in the country.

Denmark. Here atheism is improving every year more and more, and its adherents feel absolutely at ease. Only 20% of the population believe that religion and God play an important role in life for them, 50% firmly believe in afterworld and life force, and the rest do not believe in anything in the world.

Most of the Danes assure that religion should be treated as simply as possible - believe it or not. They say that faith should be convenient and comfortable, like clothes that you can take off or put on again if you want.

Australia.Here the number of atheists increases exponentially every year. And this is not surprising: the country is secular, and the traditions of a secular state are above all else for the population. In this country, even among politicians There are atheists who call on other people to abandon their faith.

By the way, in Australia there is a party called “Secular”. It oversees compliance with secular rules and principles, as well as the separation of church and state.

Norway. Here the level of religiosity has become much lower and continues to decline every year, which cannot be said about atheists - their number exceeds believers several times.

Most of the young population of this country do not believe that God created the Earth and today main goal Norway's religion is the abolition of church tax.

Sweden belongs to a number of those countries that are the most non-religious and atheists on its territory feel as comfortable and calm as possible. Based on the results of a survey of local residents, the authorities made their own conclusions - religion and everything connected with it are of practically no interest to the Swedes.

One of the local professors even wrote a letter to his fellow citizens, in which he called for blowing up and destroying churches, and rebuilding them instead public places for recreation, such as cafes, restaurants, theaters and so on.