In short
In 2021, Roman Catholics were 55.2% of the population in Austria, according to Statistik Austria, down from about 89% in 1961. People with no religion were 22.4%, Muslims 8.3%, Eastern Orthodox 4.9%, and Protestants 3.8%. Registered Catholic membership fell to 4,638,842 at the end of 2023, down from 4,733,085 in 2022, according to the Catholic Church in Austria. Church exits (Kirchenaustritte) eased slightly to 85,163 in 2023, down from 90,975 in 2022.
- In 2021, Roman Catholics were 55.2% of the population in Austria, according to Statistik Austria.
- The Catholic share fell from about 89% in 1961 to 55% in 2021 (Statistik Austria).
- Registered Catholic membership fell to 4,638,842 at the end of 2023, down from 4,733,085 in 2022 (Catholic Church in Austria).
- Church exits (Kirchenaustritte) were 85,163 in 2023, down from 90,975 in 2022 (Catholic Church in Austria).
Austria was long an overwhelmingly Catholic country, and it remains the largest religious group by far, but the picture is shifting. In 2021, Roman Catholics were 55.2% of the population, according to Statistik Austria, the national statistics office, while 22.4% reported no religion at all. Muslims were 8.3%, the Eastern Orthodox 4.9%, and Protestants 3.8%. Behind those shares sits a long decline: the Catholic share has fallen from about 89% in 1961 to 55% in 2021. The registered membership counts of the Catholic Church in Austria tell the same story, dropping to 4,638,842 at the end of 2023. The figures below draw on Statistik Austria, the Catholic Church in Austria, and the Pew Research Center, the most authoritative sources on Christianity in Austria.
Key findings at a glance
| Metric | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roman Catholic share of the population | 55.2% | 2021 | Statistik Austria |
| No religion | 22.4% | 2021 | Statistik Austria |
| Muslim | 8.3% | 2021 | Statistik Austria |
| Eastern Orthodox | 4.9% | 2021 | Statistik Austria |
| Protestant | 3.8% | 2021 | Statistik Austria |
| Registered Catholics (end of 2023) | 4,638,842 | 2023 | Catholic Church in Austria |
How many Catholics live in Austria?
Roman Catholicism is by far the largest religious group in Austria, but its share has been falling for decades. In 2021, Statistik Austria recorded Catholics at 55.2% of the population. Six decades earlier, in 1961, almost nine in ten Austrians were Catholic. That long decline is one of the defining features of the religious landscape in the country.
In 2021, Roman Catholics were 55.2% of the population in Austria, according to Statistik Austria.
The Catholic share fell from about 89% in 1961 to 55% in 2021, according to Statistik Austria.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roman Catholic share of the population | 55.2% | 2021 | Statistik Austria |
| Catholic share in 1961 | about 89% | 1961 | Statistik Austria |
| Eastern Orthodox share | 4.9% | 2021 | Statistik Austria |
| Protestant share | 3.8% | 2021 | Statistik Austria |
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Church membership and exits
The Catholic Church in Austria publishes its own annual membership statistics. These are registered records, not survey estimates, and they show a steady decline. The number of registered Catholics fell year on year, while church exits (Kirchenaustritte) remain high even though they eased slightly in the most recent year reported.
At the end of 2023, 4,638,842 people were registered Catholics in Austria, down from 4,733,085 in 2022, according to the Catholic Church in Austria.
In 2023, 85,163 people left the Catholic Church in Austria, down from 90,975 in 2022, according to the Catholic Church in Austria.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Catholics (end of 2023) | 4,638,842 | 2023 | Catholic Church in Austria |
| Registered Catholics (end of 2022) | 4,733,085 | 2022 | Catholic Church in Austria |
| Church exits (Kirchenaustritte) 2023 | 85,163 | 2023 | Catholic Church in Austria |
| Church exits (Kirchenaustritte) 2022 | 90,975 | 2022 | Catholic Church in Austria |
Other faiths and the non-religious
Beyond the Catholic majority, the religious landscape in Austria is shaped by a growing group with no religion and by several sizeable minority faiths. In 2021, people reporting no religion were the second-largest group after Catholics, ahead of Muslims, the Eastern Orthodox, and Protestants.
In 2021, 22.4% of the population in Austria reported no religion, the second-largest group after Catholics, according to Statistik Austria.
In 2021, Muslims were 8.3% of the population in Austria, according to Statistik Austria.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| No religion | 22.4% | 2021 | Statistik Austria |
| Muslim | 8.3% | 2021 | Statistik Austria |
| Eastern Orthodox | 4.9% | 2021 | Statistik Austria |
| Protestant | 3.8% | 2021 | Statistik Austria |
How we compiled these statistics
Every number on this page is traceable to a primary source and dated to the year the data were collected. The religious-landscape shares (Catholic, no religion, Muslim, Eastern Orthodox, Protestant) and the long historical trend come from Statistik Austria, the national statistics office, based on its register-based 2021 census and religious-denomination statistics. The registered membership counts and church exits (Kirchenaustritte) come from the annual statistics of the Catholic Church in Austria, which are registered records rather than survey estimates. Cross-country context on belief and practice in Western Europe comes from the Pew Research Center. Where data years differ, we use the most recent published year and label it.
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