The Least Religious Countries In The World

10. Norway - 62%

When asked if religion was an important part of their lives, only 62% of Norwegians responded that it was. However, as is the case in many highly industrialized countries, a large number of Norwegians still culturally identify with Christianity without practicing the religion. There is no state religion in Norway.

9. Vietnam - 63%

63% of residents of Vietnam consider religion to be of no importance in their daily lives, as per a recent WIN/Gallup polling. Perhaps the prevalence of Marxist-Leninist ideology in the country and the influence of Communist rule in Vietnam is responsible for the atheistic stance of most of Vietnam's population. Among the religious believers in the country, Buddhism is the religion of the majority of those practicing a belief system, followed by Catholic Christians, and other, smaller minorities.

8. Hong Kong - 63%

The religious beliefs of the people of Hong Kong are minimally rooted in a strong faith-based system, with 63% of the population considering themselves irreligious. This special administrative region of China appears, however, to be slightly more religious than China itself, which is the least religious country in the world. Despite having a high percentage of atheists (34%), Hong Kong allows every citizen to practice their own religion without state interference in the same aspect of life.

7. Australia - 63%

Religion is not an important part of life for many of Australia's citizens. This especially rings true for the country's young people. However, among those that are religious, the largest groups are Roman Catholic Christianity and Protestant Christianity.

6. Belgium - 64%

The Belgian people are not religious, with around 64% of the country living their lives without religious affiliation. While the dominant religion in Belgium has historically been Christianity, the practicing population has been on a decline for a while now.

5. Azerbaijan - 64%

The Central Asian country of Azerbaijan is the world's fifth least religious country. However, despite the majority of the population calling themselves irreligious some organized religions are still popular in the country, including both Shia and Sunni Islam.

Denmark is one of the best countries to be an atheist, as a large segment of the Danish population are atheists themselves. Only 19% of the population of this country assign importance to religion in their day-to-day lives, as per the data revealed by a recent WIN/Gallup poll. For these people, religion only plays a ceremonial role in their society. Hence, an individual can enjoy the Christmas celebrations in the country without the need to believe in origin of the festival.

4. United Kingdom - 69%

Religiosity appears to be diminishing in the United Kingdom, with only 30% of the population affirming that religion plays an important role in their daily lives. A recent Times poll discovered that almost 1 in 5 Britons are atheists. Out of 1,550 adults surveyed in Britain, 19% claimed to be atheists, 7% were Agnostic, and 3% identified themselves as humanists. An interesting survey by HuffPost UK revealed that more than half of all Britons believe religion does more harm than good, and just 8% of British residents surveyed considered themselves to be ‘"very religious".

3. Czech Republic - 72%

The Czechs are considered to be one of the least religious populations in the world, with concurrently very low church attendance and lack of formal affiliation within the greater part of the Czech population to any church. The Czech Republic is also one of the most secular countries in the world. Only 28% of the country’s population regards religion as an important part of their daily lives. However, the idea that Czechs are complete non-believers in not entirely true. Even though most are not strict followers of any formal religion, many believe in magic and alternative, or "invisible", religions. For example, a significant number of Czechs believe in the powers of the fortune tellers, and in the magical properties of lucky charms.

2. Sweden - 73%

Sweden is also one of the least religious countries in the world, with 73% of Swedes denying that religion has any involvement in their everyday lives. Even though the Swedish Church claims that 6.3 million Swedes are affiliated to the Church, only 5% of the people are regular churchgoers. However, Christian traditions like the Lucia remain popularly celebrated across the country. In more recent years, the country has also witnessed a growth in Islamic mosque and Jewish synagogue attendance, attributed to the large numbers of immigrants arriving into this country.

1. China - 90%

China is the least religious country in the world, with 90% of residents claiming no religious affiliation. The WIN/Gallup poll reveals that a meager 10% proportion of the Chinese population believes religion to play an important role in their daily lives. Though the Chinese state officially recognizes the five religions of Buddhism, Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, and Taoism, the state claims to permits its citizens to practice any religion of their own while also encouraging atheism. However, the Communist Party of China holds the right to persecute organized religions in the country, given that they deem the practice of such to be a threat to the country’s regime or a threat to the religious freedoms of other Chinese citizens.