Religion by Country
Religion in France: Statistics, Demographics & Laicite
More than half of adults in France report no religion, making the unaffiliated the largest group in a country still shaped by a historically Catholic culture and strict state secularism.
Quick answer
According to the 2019-2020 Trajectoires et Origines survey by INED and INSEE, 51% of adults aged 18-59 in metropolitan France reported no religion, 29% identified as Catholic, 10% as Muslim, and 9% as another Christian denomination. France's official census does not collect religion data at all, a direct consequence of the constitutional principle of laicite (state secularism).
- Largest group
- No religion — 51%
- Largest religion
- Catholicism — 29%
- Largest minority faith
- Islam — 10%
- Data source
- INED & INSEE, Trajectoires et Origines 2 survey
- Reference year
- 2019–2020 (ages 18–59, metropolitan France)
France at a glance
France is constitutionally committed to laicite, a strict separation of church and state that also prohibits the state from collecting official statistics on religious affiliation. As a result, there is no French census data on religion at all — the best available figures come from independent academic surveys, most notably the Trajectoires et Origines study run jointly by France's national demographic institute (INED) and statistics agency (INSEE). Its most recent wave found that people with no religion had become the largest single group in the country, ahead of Catholics, who remain the largest religious tradition.
| Religion | Population | Share |
|---|---|---|
| No religion | survey share | 51% |
| Catholic | survey share | 29% |
| Muslim | survey share | 10% |
| Other Christian | survey share | 9% |
| Other religion | survey share | 1% |
The major religious groups
No religion (51%) is the largest category among French adults, continuing a long secularising trend in what was historically an overwhelmingly Catholic country. Catholicism (29%) remains the largest religious tradition, though regular Mass attendance is low — other research puts weekly attendance among self-identified Catholics at under 10%. Islam (10%) is France's second-largest religion and the largest Muslim population by absolute numbers of any country in Western Europe, reflecting immigration from former French colonies in North and West Africa across the 20th century. Other Christian denominations (9%), including various Protestant and Orthodox traditions, have grown partly through immigration.
Laicite and the absence of census data
France's 1905 law separating church and state, and the constitutional principle of laicite that followed, means the French state does not collect religion data in its census or most official statistics, on the principle that a secular republic should not categorise citizens by faith. This makes long-run, nationally representative religion trend data harder to obtain in France than in countries like the United Kingdom or the United States. Academic surveys such as Trajectoires et Origines partially fill this gap, but they sample specific age ranges and regions (typically working-age adults in metropolitan France) rather than the full population.
Religious practice versus identity
As in much of Western Europe, religious identity in France runs well ahead of active practice: most self-identified Catholics rarely attend church, while religious practice remains comparatively higher among French Muslims and members of smaller traditions such as Judaism. For a comparison with another historically Catholic society now trending toward non-affiliation, see religion in Canada.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main religion in France?
No religion is now the largest single category among adults in France, reported by 51% of 18-59 year-olds in the 2019-2020 Trajectoires et Origines survey. Catholicism remains the largest religious tradition at 29%.
Why doesn't France collect census data on religion?
France's constitutional principle of laicite (state secularism), rooted in the 1905 law separating church and state, prohibits the state from officially categorising citizens by religion, so the census does not ask about religious affiliation.
How many Muslims live in France?
Survey estimates put France's Muslim population at around 10% of adults aged 18-59, the largest Muslim population by share and absolute numbers of any country in Western Europe, reflecting immigration from former French colonies in North and West Africa.
Where does French religious data come from if not the census?
The most cited source is Trajectoires et Origines, a joint survey by France's national demographic institute (INED) and statistics agency (INSEE), most recently conducted in 2019-2020 among adults aged 18 to 59 in metropolitan France.
Sources & methodology
France's census does not collect religion data, so these figures come from independent academic survey research, primarily the INED/INSEE Trajectoires et Origines study.