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Religion in France is diverse, with the major religion being Christianity. A significant part of the population is not religious, and significant minorities professing Islam and other religions.
France - Religion, Catholicism, Secularism: About three-fifths of the French people belong to the Roman Catholic Church. Only a minority, however, regularly participate in religious worship; practice is greatest among the middle classes.
Religious Demographics Of France. As per the CIA World Factbook, France has a composition of 63-66% Christians, 23-28% non religious people, and 7-9% Muslims in the general population.
With more than six million believers, half of whom are French citizens, Islam is recognized as the second religion of France.
France is home to a wide variety of Christian traditions beyond only Catholicism and Protestantism. Some examples of these are Anglicans and Orthodox Christians, although there are many other Christian denominations as well.
While the Catholic Church has historically played a dominant role, France’s religious landscape also includes Islam, Judaism, and other diverse faiths, contributing to the rich tapestry of religious diversity in the country.
More intense Christian faith was also reflected in hostility toward France’s Jewish communities. As early as 1010 Jews had suffered persecution and were forced to choose between conversion or exile. Anti-Jewish sentiment grew during the next two centuries and led to further offenses.
Catholicism was once the state religion of France and continues to be the primary religion in French society. Throughout most of the country, communities began as parishes. Today, many rural villages see the local church building as a symbol of local identity.
More than 25 percent of the French are nonbelievers or unaffiliated; among the religious, Roman Catholicism remains dominant by a wide margin. France is the homeland of the Protestant Reformer John Calvin, but Protestant Christianity remains a small minority.
Christianity remains the majority faith in France at roughly 65% and Catholic culture predominates in French society, though recent studies show that less than 4% attend weekly church services. Those who do tend to be older than the average French citizen. [2]