In short
In 2023, for the first time, a majority of French adults (50%) reported no religion, describing themselves as atheists or agnostics, according to IFOP. Catholics fell to 38% and Muslims stood at 8%. France still counts about 25 million declared Catholics, but only about 2 million regular practitioners, a tenfold fall in practice over 50 years. Only about 6% of Catholics attend Mass regularly, and 44% of self-identified Catholics never pray. The institution is shrinking too: active diocesan priests fell to about 11,500 in 2023, and about 5,000 churches are at risk of closure by 2030.
- In 2023, 50% of French adults reported no religion (atheists and agnostics), the first time the non-religious became a majority (IFOP).
- Catholics fell to 38% and Muslims stood at 8% of French adults in 2023 (IFOP).
- France has about 25 million declared Catholics but only about 2 million regular practitioners, a tenfold fall in practice over 50 years (IFOP).
- Active diocesan priests fell to about 11,500 in 2023, down from about 29,000 in 1970, and about 5,000 churches are at risk of closure by 2030 (IFOP, French Senate).
France was long the "eldest daughter of the Church," but that identity has faded dramatically. In 2023, for the first time, a majority of French adults reported no religion at all, describing themselves as atheists or agnostics, according to IFOP, the country"s leading polling institute. Catholics fell to 38% and Muslims stood at 8%. The gap between nominal Catholic identity and lived practice is now vast: about 25 million people still declare themselves Catholic, but only about 2 million practice regularly. The institution behind Catholicism is contracting too, with far fewer priests and thousands of churches at risk of closure. The figures below draw on IFOP, a 2024 French Senate report on religious heritage, and Pew Research Center, among the most authoritative sources on Christianity in France.
Key findings at a glance
| Metric | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| No religion (now a majority) | 50% | 2023 | IFOP |
| Catholic identity | 38% | 2023 | IFOP |
| Muslim | 8% | 2023 | IFOP |
| Regular Catholic practitioners | about 2 million | 2023 | IFOP |
| Regular Mass attendance (Catholic) | about 6% | 2023 | IFOP |
| Active diocesan priests | about 11,500 | 2023 | IFOP |
The non-religious become the majority
The headline turning point came in 2023: for the first time, a majority of French adults said they had no religion. IFOP recorded 50% describing themselves as atheists or agnostics, more than any single faith. Catholics fell to 38%, still the largest religious group but no longer a majority, while Muslims stood at 8%. It is a striking reversal for a country that was overwhelmingly Catholic within living memory.
In 2023, 50% of French adults reported no religion, describing themselves as atheists or agnostics, the first time the non-religious became a majority, according to IFOP.
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Catholic identity versus practice
Declaring oneself Catholic and living as a practising Catholic are now two very different things in France. About 25 million people still describe themselves as Catholic, but only about 2 million practice regularly, a tenfold fall in practice over the last 50 years. Weekly Mass attendance and personal prayer confirm the same picture: only about 6% of Catholics attend Mass regularly, and a large share of self-identified Catholics never pray at all.
France has about 25 million declared Catholics but only about 2 million regular practitioners, a tenfold fall in practice over 50 years, according to IFOP.
Only about 6% of Catholics in France attend Mass regularly, according to IFOP.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Declared Catholics | about 25 million | 2023 | IFOP |
| Regular Catholic practitioners | about 2 million | 2023 | IFOP |
| Regular Mass attendance (Catholic) | about 6% | 2023 | IFOP |
| Self-identified Catholics who never pray | 44% | 2023 | IFOP |
| Self-identified Catholics who pray at least weekly | 15% | 2023 | IFOP |
A shrinking institution: priests and churches
The decline in belief and practice is mirrored in the institution itself. The number of active diocesan priests has collapsed over half a century, and much of the country"s Catholic building stock is now under threat. A 2024 French Senate report warned that thousands of churches face closure, demolition, or decommissioning within a few years.
Active diocesan priests in France fell to about 11,500 in 2023, down from about 29,000 in 1970, according to IFOP.
About 5,000 Catholic churches are at risk of closure, demolition, or decommissioning by 2030, according to a 2024 French Senate report.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active diocesan priests | about 11,500 | 2023 | IFOP |
| Active diocesan priests (1970) | about 29,000 | 1970 | IFOP |
| Churches at risk of closure by 2030 | about 5,000 | 2024 | French Senate (2024 report) |
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 affiliation, practice, prayer, and clergy figures come from IFOP, France"s leading polling institute, which has tracked religious identity and practice for decades. The figure on churches at risk of closure comes from a 2024 report by the French Senate on the country"s religious heritage. Pew Research Center provides wider context on Christianity across Western Europe, where similar patterns of nominal identity and low practice recur. Where sources use "about" or rounded figures, we keep that wording rather than imply false precision.
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