Despite a steep decline in membership, the majority of the Austrian population are Roman Catholics. There are increasing Muslim and Christian-Orthodox minorities in Austria, as well as a (...)
Despite a steep decline in membership, the majority of the Austrian population are Roman Catholics. There are increasing Muslim and Christian-Orthodox minorities in Austria, as well as a well-established small Protestant minority (Lutheran and Reformed). The group of religiously unaffiliated persons has been growing steadily for years.
According to the last census in 2001, 73,7% of the Austrian population identified as Roman Catholic. Lutheran and Reformed Protestants (4,7%), Muslims (4,2%), and members of different Christian-Orthodox churches (2,2%) constituted the largest religious minorities in 2001. 12% of the Austrian population declared themselves to be religiously unaffiliated, whereas 2% did not declare their religious affiliation.
According to numbers from Statistics Austria based, the religious landscape in 2021 is composed as follows: 55,2% Catholic, 8,3% Islamic, 4,9% Christian Orthodox, 3,8% Protestant, 5,5% affiliated with other religious traditions (e.g. Buddhism, Judaism, other Christian Churches, etc.) and 22,4% not affiliated.
In 2021, Statistics Austria (Federal Agency) has conducted in 2021 a voluntary survey on “Religious affiliation of the population in private households” on behalf of the Federal Chancellery. The results are available online.
Sources and further information: Statistic Austria 2022.
D 5 September 2023 AAstrid Mattes
