In short
In 2024, 51% of South Koreans reported no religion, making the non-religious a slim majority for the first time. Christianity remains the largest faith at 31% (20% Protestant, 11% Catholic), ahead of Buddhism at 16%, according to Korea Research. Practice tells a harder story: Catholic Sunday Mass participation averaged only 13.5% in 2023, and weekly Mass attendance fell about 35% between 2019 and 2022 during the pandemic, according to the Korean Catholic Bishops Conference.
- In 2024, 51% of South Koreans reported no religion, while 31% were Christian (20% Protestant, 11% Catholic) and 16% Buddhist (Korea Research).
- Catholic Sunday Mass participation averaged 13.5% in 2023, up 1.7 points from 2022, according to the Korean Catholic Bishops Conference.
- Weekly Mass attendance fell about 35% between 2019 and 2022, driven by the pandemic (CBCK).
- Catholics made up 11.3% of the population, the largest Catholic community on record (CBCK).
South Korea is one of the most religiously dynamic countries in East Asia, but its religious center of gravity is shifting. In 2024, 51% of South Koreans reported no religion, making the non-religious a slim majority, while 31% identified as Christian (20% Protestant, 11% Catholic) and 16% as Buddhist, according to the Korea Research 2024 Religious Awareness Survey. Affiliation, however, is only half the picture. Actual church attendance is far lower: Catholic Sunday Mass participation averaged just 13.5% in 2023, and weekly Mass attendance fell about 35% between 2019 and 2022 during the pandemic, according to the Korean Catholic Bishops Conference, whose figures are registered parish records rather than survey estimates. The numbers below draw on Korea Research and the CBCK, the most authoritative sources on religious practice in South Korea.
of South Koreans report no religion
of South Koreans are Christian (20% Protestant, 11% Catholic)
of the population are Catholic, the largest on record
Key findings at a glance
| Metric | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Koreans reporting no religion | 51% | 2024 | Korea Research (2024 Religious Awareness Survey) |
| Christian (Protestant and Catholic combined) | 31% | 2024 | Korea Research (2024 Religious Awareness Survey) |
| Protestant | 20% | 2024 | Korea Research (2024 Religious Awareness Survey) |
| Catholic | 11% | 2024 | Korea Research (2024 Religious Awareness Survey) |
| Buddhist | 16% | 2024 | Korea Research (2024 Religious Awareness Survey) |
| Catholic Sunday Mass participation | 13.5% | 2023 | Korean Catholic Bishops Conference |
A mostly non-religious country
South Korea has crossed a symbolic threshold. In the 2024 Religious Awareness Survey by Korea Research, a slim majority of the population reported having no religion at all. Christianity, split between Protestant and Catholic communities, is now the largest religious group, ahead of Buddhism. These shares are self-declared survey estimates, so they measure how people identify rather than how they practice.
In 2024, 51% of South Koreans reported no religion, making the non-religious a slim majority, according to Korea Research.
In 2024, 31% of South Koreans identified as Christian, split into 20% Protestant and 11% Catholic, according to Korea Research.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| No religion | 51% | 2024 | Korea Research (2024 Religious Awareness Survey) |
| Christian (total) | 31% | 2024 | Korea Research (2024 Religious Awareness Survey) |
| Protestant | 20% | 2024 | Korea Research (2024 Religious Awareness Survey) |
| Catholic | 11% | 2024 | Korea Research (2024 Religious Awareness Survey) |
| Buddhist | 16% | 2024 | Korea Research (2024 Religious Awareness Survey) |
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How many Catholics attend Mass
Affiliation says little about lived practice. The Korean Catholic Bishops Conference publishes annual statistics from registered parish records, and they show that only a minority of Catholics attend Sunday Mass. Even so, the Catholic community reached its largest recorded share of the population.
Sunday Mass participation among Catholics averaged 13.5% in 2023, up 1.7 points from 2022, according to the Korean Catholic Bishops Conference.
Catholics made up 11.3% of the population, the largest Catholic community on record, according to the Korean Catholic Bishops Conference.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday Mass participation (Catholic) | 13.5% | 2023 | Korean Catholic Bishops Conference |
| Change in Mass participation vs 2022 | up 1.7 points | 2023 | Korean Catholic Bishops Conference |
| Catholics as a share of the population | 11.3% | 2023 | Korean Catholic Bishops Conference |
A pandemic that emptied pews
The pandemic hit Catholic practice in South Korea hard. Public Masses were suspended or restricted for long stretches, and many worshippers did not return once churches reopened. The Korean Catholic Bishops Conference documents a steep fall in weekly attendance across those years.
Weekly Mass attendance fell about 35% between 2019 and 2022, driven by the pandemic, according to the Korean Catholic Bishops Conference.
By 2023, Sunday Mass participation had begun to recover, averaging 13.5%, up 1.7 points from 2022, according to the Korean Catholic Bishops Conference.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decline in weekly Mass attendance | about 35% | 2019-2022 | Korean Catholic Bishops Conference |
| Sunday Mass participation | 13.5% | 2023 | Korean Catholic Bishops Conference |
| Recovery in participation vs 2022 | up 1.7 points | 2023 | Korean Catholic Bishops Conference |
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-affiliation shares come from the Korea Research 2024 Religious Awareness Survey, which reports self-declared identity rather than practice. The Catholic Mass attendance figures and the Catholic share of the population come from the annual statistics of the Korean Catholic Bishops Conference, which are registered parish records rather than survey estimates. Where survey and parish figures differ, we keep them separate and label each with its source and data year.
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