In short
Belgium has moved from a Catholic country to a predominantly non-religious one within two generations. In 2023, 59% of Belgians reported no religion, 31% identified as Catholic, and 6% as Muslim, according to the European Social Survey. By the Church's own count, about 50% of Belgians still identified as Catholic in 2022, down from 53% in 2017. Practice is far lower: only about 8.9% of the population attended Mass at least monthly in 2022, and average Sunday Mass attendance was about 173,335 in October 2024.
- In 2023, 59% of Belgians reported no religion, the largest group by far, according to the European Social Survey.
- Catholics were 31% and Muslims 6% of the population in 2023, according to the European Social Survey.
- By the Church's own count, about 50% of Belgians still identified as Catholic in 2022, down from 53% in 2017 (Catholic Church in Belgium).
- Only about 8.9% of the population attended Mass at least monthly in 2022 (Catholic Church in Belgium).
Belgium was long a majority-Catholic country, but that has changed within two generations. In the 1950s more than 80% of the population identified as Catholic; today the country is predominantly non-religious. In 2023, 59% of Belgians reported no religion, 31% identified as Catholic, and 6% as Muslim, according to the European Social Survey. The Catholic Church's own count is higher for identity, at about 50% of the population in 2022, but its practice figures are much lower. The numbers below draw on the European Social Survey, the Catholic Church in Belgium, and the Pew Research Center, the most authoritative sources on Christianity in Belgium.
Key findings at a glance
| Metric | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| No religion | 59% | 2023 | European Social Survey |
| Catholic (survey) | 31% | 2023 | European Social Survey |
| Muslim | 6% | 2023 | European Social Survey |
| Catholic (Church's own count) | about 50% | 2022 | Catholic Church in Belgium |
| Attend Mass at least monthly | about 8.9% | 2022 | Catholic Church in Belgium |
| Average Sunday Mass attendance | about 173,335 | 2024 | Catholic Church in Belgium |
A non-religious majority
Belgium is now predominantly non-religious. The largest single group is people with no religion, well ahead of Catholics, and this reflects a steady secularisation over the past decades. In the 1950s the country was more than 80% Catholic; today most Belgians report no religious affiliation at all.
In 2023, 59% of Belgians reported no religion, the largest group by far, according to the European Social Survey.
In 2023, 6% of Belgians identified as Muslim, according to the European Social Survey.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| No religion | 59% | 2023 | European Social Survey |
| Catholic | 31% | 2023 | European Social Survey |
| Muslim | 6% | 2023 | European Social Survey |
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Catholic identity in decline
Catholic identity in Belgium is still substantial but shrinking. The survey figure and the Church's own count differ because they use different methods: surveys ask people how they identify today, while the Church count draws on baptismal and membership records. Both point in the same direction, downward.
In 2023, 31% of Belgians identified as Catholic, according to the European Social Survey.
By the Church's own count, about 50% of Belgians identified as Catholic in 2022, down from 53% in 2017, according to the Catholic Church in Belgium.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catholic (survey) | 31% | 2023 | European Social Survey |
| Catholic (Church's own count) | about 50% | 2022 | Catholic Church in Belgium |
| Catholic (Church's own count) | 53% | 2017 | Catholic Church in Belgium |
Mass attendance in Belgium
Formal identity says little about practice. Even among those who identify as Catholic, regular attendance at Mass is low. Weekly and monthly attendance figures are far below the identity share, though the most recent Sunday count ticked up slightly.
Only about 8.9% of the population attended Mass at least monthly in 2022, according to the Catholic Church in Belgium.
Average Sunday Mass attendance was about 173,335 in October 2024, up from 167,360 in 2023, according to the Catholic Church in Belgium.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attend Mass at least monthly | about 8.9% | 2022 | Catholic Church in Belgium |
| Average Sunday Mass attendance | about 173,335 | 2024 | Catholic Church in Belgium |
| Average Sunday Mass attendance | about 167,360 | 2023 | Catholic Church in Belgium |
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 landscape shares for no religion, Catholic, and Muslim affiliation come from the European Social Survey, a rigorous cross-national survey. The self-identified Catholic share and the Mass attendance figures come from the Catholic Church in Belgium's own count, which draws on membership and attendance records rather than a survey. Because these methods differ, the survey Catholic share (31%) and the Church's own count (about 50%) do not match exactly, and we report both. Broader context on secularisation in Western Europe draws on the Pew Research Center. Where data years differ, we use the most recent published year and label it.
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