According to the report Secularism in figures 2023, published by the Ferrer Guàrdia Foundation, Spain is becoming less and less religious.

The document shows that 40% of the Spanish population identifies as atheist, agnostic or simply indifferent to religion. The figure rises to 57.9% among young adults aged 25 to 34, and to 60.3% among those aged 18 to 24.

“Religious practice has declined considerably, especially after the pandemic”, the foundation says. Only 18.7% of respondents consider themselves to be practising believers”, while the majority of those who consider themselves believers say they are “non-practising”.

Less religion at school

The report also shows an increase in the number of students taking alternative activities to religious subjects in both primary and secondary schools.

Four out of ten students do not take religion at school or high school. Catalonia and the Basque Country are the regions with the lowest demand for religious education, with around 60% of students choosing to take other subjects.

Furthermore, only 19.2% of students in Spain are enrolled in private denominational schools, the vast majority of which are Catholic. The regions with the highest percentage of students in Catholic schools are La Rioja, Castilla y León and the Basque Country.

More civil marriages

According to the report, the number of Spaniards who prefer a civil wedding also continues to increase. Specifically, eight out of ten.

However, the organisation also states that there has been an increase in the number of denominational marriages “once the health restrictions of Covid-19 have been overcome”, standing at 16.6%.

Due to the upcoming regional and municipal elections on 28 May, the foundation has issued a manifesto, along with the report, in which it calls to “guarantee freedom of conscience and equal treatment”.

Among other things, they propose the parties to put an end to the tax exemption of the Catholic Church, to recover the property “unduly immatriculated by the bishops” or “to promote equal treatment for all options of conscience”.