In short
At the end of 2024, about 47% of the population in Germany were non-affiliated (46.8% exactly), for the first time more than the Catholic (23.7%) and Protestant (21.5%) churches combined (45%), according to fowid. In 1950, almost 96% still belonged to one of the two big churches. The rise is driven by church exits and demographic change. The East/West divide is large: in West Germany only 3.9% were non-affiliated in 1970, while in East Germany the share reached about 70% by 1989. A broader secular measure puts the figure at 56% for 2022/2023.
- At the end of 2024, about 47% of the population were non-affiliated, for the first time more than the Catholic and Protestant churches combined (45%), according to fowid.
- In 1950, almost 96% of the population still belonged to one of the two big churches, so the non-affiliated were a small minority (fowid).
- The East/West divide is large: in West Germany only 3.9% were non-affiliated in 1970, while in East Germany it reached about 70% by 1989 (bpb).
- A broader secular measure puts the figure at 56% overall for 2022/2023, 73% in East Germany and 53% in West Germany (fowid).
Germany was long a majority-Christian country, but that has flipped. At the end of 2024, about 47% of the population were non-affiliated, for the first time more than the Catholic (23.7%) and Protestant (21.5%) churches combined, according to fowid. As recently as 1950, almost 96% of the population belonged to one of the two big churches. This shift is driven by church exits and demographic change. It is important to distinguish the narrower term non-affiliated (about 47%), which refers to formal church membership, from a broader secular measure (about 56%), which also captures lived distance from faith. Note that the fowid data are a mixture of reliable data and estimates. The figures below draw on fowid, the bpb, and the church statistics of the DBK and EKD.
Key findings at a glance
| Metric | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-affiliated (now the largest group) | 46.8% | 2024 | fowid |
| Both big churches combined | 45% | 2024 | fowid |
| Church members in 1950 | almost 96% | 1950 | fowid |
| Non-affiliated West Germany 1970 | 3.9% | 1970 | bpb |
| Non-affiliated East Germany around 1989 | about 70% | 1989 | bpb |
| Secular measure overall | 56% | 2023 | fowid |
The 2024 milestone: the non-affiliated are now the largest group
The key turning point came at the end of 2024: for the first time, more people in Germany were non-affiliated than Catholic and Protestant combined. fowid builds its landscape figures on the DBK and EKD data and states clearly that they are a mixture of reliable data and estimates of varying quality.
At the end of 2024, about 47% of the population in Germany were non-affiliated, 46.8% exactly, for the first time more than the two big churches combined, according to fowid.
At the end of 2024, about 45% of the population combined belonged to the Catholic (23.7%) or the Protestant church (21.5%), according to fowid.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-affiliated | 46.8% | 2024 | fowid |
| Catholic | 23.7% | 2024 | fowid |
| Protestant | 21.5% | 2024 | fowid |
| Muslim (organised count) | 3.9% | 2024 | fowid |
| Other religions | 4.1% | 2024 | fowid |
Build a daily prayer habit
Pray Focus helps you pray every day by gently locking distracting apps during your prayer time.
The long decline since 1950
The rise of the non-affiliated is not a snapshot but the result of decades of change. In 1950, Germany was still almost entirely shaped by the churches; after that, church exits and demographic change loosened that bond step by step.
In 1950, almost 96% of the population still belonged to one of the two big churches, so the non-affiliated were a small minority at the time, according to fowid.
At the end of 2024, about 47% of the population were non-affiliated, according to fowid, an all-time high after decades of increase.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share in one of the big churches | almost 96% | 1950 | fowid |
| Non-affiliated West Germany | 3.9% | 1970 | bpb |
| Non-affiliated West Germany | 15.5% | 1987 | bpb |
| Non-affiliated (total) | 46.8% | 2024 | fowid |
| Both big churches combined | 45% | 2024 | fowid |
East and West: a deep divide
No other factor shapes non-affiliation in Germany as strongly as the division of the country. In the old West Germany, church attachment stayed high for a long time, while in the GDR a large majority were already non-affiliated before 1989. That gap still echoes today.
In West Germany, only 3.9% of the population were non-affiliated in 1970, according to the bpb.
In East Germany, a majority were already non-affiliated before reunification, about 70% by 1989, according to the bpb.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-affiliated West Germany 1970 | 3.9% | 1970 | bpb |
| Non-affiliated West Germany 1987 | 15.5% | 1987 | bpb |
| Non-affiliated East Germany around 1989 | about 70% | 1989 | bpb |
| Secular measure East Germany | 73% | 2023 | fowid |
| Secular measure West Germany | 53% | 2023 | fowid |
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 and the historical figures come from fowid, which builds on the church statistics of the Deutsche Bischofskonferenz and the EKD and states clearly that its data are a mixture of reliable data and estimates. The East/West figures come from the bpb. Note the distinction between the narrower term non-affiliated (about 47%), which measures formal church membership, and the broader secular measure (about 56% for 2022/2023), which captures lived distance from faith. Where data years differ, we use the most recent published year and label it.
Non-religious but looking for a moment of quiet? Pray Focus pairs distraction-free time with yourself with a free library of Scripture-based and traditional prayers by theme, open to anyone who wants to slow down.
Learn to pray.Make it a daily habit.
One email at a time, at your pace
Join our free email course and learn simple, time-tested ways to pray, with one small thing to try each time, so prayer slowly becomes part of your day.
- 8 short lessons: the Daily Examen, Lectio Divina, ACTS and more
- One tiny exercise each time, so praying becomes a habit
- Gentle and practical, never preachy. Free, forever.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
Related articles
Church Statistics
Church Attendance Statistics: Weekly Attendance Now vs Two Decades Ago (2025)
Weekly church attendance in the US has fallen from about 42% two decades ago to roughly 30% today. Here is what Gallup, Pew, PRRI, and the Hartford Institute actually found, including a first rise in congregation attendance in 25 years.
Church Statistics
Christianity in America: Statistics and Trends (2025)
About 62% of US adults identify as Christian, down from 78% in 2007 but broadly stable since 2019. Here is what Pew, PRRI, and Gallup actually found on belief, prayer, attendance, and the decline that appears to have leveled off.
Church Statistics
Global Christianity Statistics: How Many Christians (2025)
About 2.65 billion Christians worldwide in 2025, still the largest faith, with 68.9% now in the Global South. Here is what Gordon-Conwell, Pew, and the Vatican actually found on the size and shape of world Christianity.