In short
In 2021, about 74.5% of people in Italy identified as Catholic, according to CESNUR, making Italy one of the most Catholic countries in Western Europe by identity. Atheists or agnostics were about 15.3%, non-Catholic Christians 4.1%, and Muslims 3.7%. But regular practice has fallen sharply: only about 15.8% of Italians were regular churchgoers in 2024, and weekly attendance at places of worship fell below 10 million people in 2023 for the first time since at least 2001, according to ISTAT. Italy remains culturally Catholic, but identity increasingly outruns practice.
- In 2021, about 74.5% of people in Italy identified as Catholic, according to CESNUR.
- Atheists or agnostics were about 15.3% in 2021, the second-largest group after Catholics (CESNUR).
- Only about 15.8% of Italians were regular churchgoers in 2024, according to ISTAT.
- Weekly attendance at places of worship fell below 10 million people in 2023 for the first time since at least 2001, then edged up to 10.2 million in 2024 (ISTAT).
Italy has long been the heartland of the Roman Catholic Church, home to the Vatican and shaped for centuries by Catholic culture. That identity endures: in 2021, about 74.5% of people in Italy identified as Catholic, according to CESNUR, the Center for Studies on New Religions. Yet the gap between identity and practice has grown wide. Only about 15.8% of Italians were regular churchgoers in 2024, and weekly attendance at places of worship fell below 10 million people in 2023 for the first time since at least 2001, according to ISTAT. Atheists and agnostics are now the second-largest group at about 15.3%. The figures below draw on CESNUR, ISTAT, and the Pew Research Center, the most authoritative sources on Christianity in Italy.
Key findings at a glance
| Metric | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catholics in Italy | 74.5% | 2021 | CESNUR |
| Atheists or agnostics | 15.3% | 2021 | CESNUR |
| Non-Catholic Christians | 4.1% | 2021 | CESNUR |
| Muslims | 3.7% | 2021 | CESNUR |
| Regular churchgoers | 15.8% | 2024 | ISTAT |
| Weekly attendance at places of worship | 10.2 million | 2024 | ISTAT |
Still a Catholic country by identity
By self-identification, Italy remains overwhelmingly Catholic. Roughly three in four people in Italy call themselves Catholic, one of the highest shares in Western Europe. This cultural Catholicism is deeply woven into national life, from festivals and family rites to the national calendar and public holidays.
In 2021, about 74.5% of people in Italy identified as Catholic, according to CESNUR.
In 2021, non-Catholic Christians made up about 4.1% of people in Italy, according to CESNUR.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catholics | 74.5% | 2021 | CESNUR |
| Non-Catholic Christians | 4.1% | 2021 | CESNUR |
| Atheists or agnostics | 15.3% | 2021 | CESNUR |
| Muslims | 3.7% | 2021 | CESNUR |
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The collapse of regular practice
Identity is one thing; weekly practice is another. While three in four Italians identify as Catholic, only a small minority attend church regularly, and that minority has been shrinking. Weekly attendance at places of worship crossed a symbolic threshold, dropping below 10 million people for the first time in over two decades.
In 2024, only about 15.8% of Italians were regular churchgoers, according to ISTAT.
Weekly attendance at places of worship fell below 10 million people in 2023 for the first time since at least 2001, then edged up to 10.2 million in 2024, according to ISTAT.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular churchgoers | 15.8% | 2024 | ISTAT |
| Weekly attendance at places of worship | 10.2 million | 2024 | ISTAT |
| Weekly attendance below 10 million (first since 2001) | under 10 million | 2023 | ISTAT |
Other faiths and the non-religious
Beyond the Catholic majority, the largest group is not another religion but the non-religious. Atheists and agnostics together form the second-largest bloc, ahead of Muslims and non-Catholic Christians. This reflects a broader Western European trend in which the religiously unaffiliated are growing even in traditionally Catholic countries.
In 2021, about 15.3% of people in Italy were atheist or agnostic, the second-largest group after Catholics, according to CESNUR.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atheists or agnostics | 15.3% | 2021 | CESNUR |
| Muslims | 3.7% | 2021 | CESNUR |
| Non-Catholic Christians | 4.1% | 2021 | CESNUR |
| Christians who attend services at least monthly (Western Europe median) | 22% | 2018 | Pew Research Center |
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 (Catholics, atheists or agnostics, non-Catholic Christians, and Muslims) come from CESNUR, the Center for Studies on New Religions, which maintains the standard annual picture of religion in Italy. The practice figures (regular churchgoers and weekly attendance at places of worship) come from ISTAT, the national statistics institute. Comparative 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 for each metric and label it.
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