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Religion in Austria

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St Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna

Among religions in Austria, Roman Catholic Christianity is predominant. According to the 2001 census, 73.6% of the country's population adhered to this denomination.[1] As of 2009, the most recent year for which figures are available, the number of Catholics is about 66 % of the population.[2][3] There is a much smaller group of Lutherans, totaling about 4.7% of the population in 2001. Since the 2001 census these two largest religious groups in Austria recorded losses in the number of adherents. The Roman Catholic Church reported a drop of more than 200,000 adherents or 5% of the total Austrian population,[2] while the Lutheran church reported a drop of 50,000 adherents and now represents less than 4 % of the Austrian population.[4]

A Mosque in Telfs.

In contrast, the number of Muslims in Austria has increased in recent years, and with 4.2% of the population calling themselves Muslim, Muslims overtook Lutherans as the second largest religious group. There are also minor communities of Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jews in Austria.[5][6]

History

Austria was greatly affected by the Protestant reformation, to the point a majority of the population became Protestant. The prominent position of the Habsburgs in the Counter-Reformation, however, saw Protestantism all but wiped out, restoring Catholicism as the dominant religion once more. The significant Jewish population (around 200,000 in 1938), mainly residing in Vienna, was reduced to just a couple of thousand through mass emigration in 1938 (more than 2/3 of the Jewish population emigrated from 1938 until 1941), and the following Holocaust during the Nazi regime. Immigration in more recent years, primarily from Turkey and the former Yugoslavia, has led to an increased number of Muslims and Serbian Orthodox Christians.[6]

Changes in church adherence and attendance

Main Denominations in Austria [2][7]
year population Catholics % Lutherans [8] %
1951 6,933,905 6,170,084 89.0 % 429,493 6.2%
1961 7,073,807 6,295,075 89.0 % 438,663 6.2%
1971 7,491,526 6,548,316 87.4 % 447,070 6,0%
1981 7,555,338 6,372,645 84.3 % 423,162 5,6%
1991 7,795,786 6,081,454 78.0 % 338,709 5.0%
2001 8,032,926 5,915,421 73.6 % 376,150 4.7%
2005 8,250,000 5,662,782 68.5 % - -
2008 8,350,000 5,579,493 66.8 % 328,346 3.9%
2009 8,376,761[9] 5,533.517[10] 66.0 % 325,314[11] 3.9%

Since the second half of the 20th century, the number of churchgoers has dropped. Data for the end of 2005 from the Austrian Roman Catholic church lists 5,662,782 members or 68.5% of the total Austrian population, and a Sunday church attendance of 753,701 or 9% of the total Austrian population[12]. Data for the end of 2008 published by the Austrian Roman Catholic church shows a further reduction to 5,579,493 members or 66.8% of the total Austrian population, and a Sunday church attendance of 698,527 or 8% of the total Austrian population.[13]. A further reduction was recorded in 2009 to 5,533,517 adherents of which 683,807 attend sunday mass [14].

The Lutheran church also recorded a significant drop in adherents between 2001 and 2009.

Data

Austrian religious adherents (2005)
Catholic Protestant Muslim Other Unspecified None
68.5% 4.7% 4.2% 3.5% 2.0% 17.1%

Poll results

According to the 2005 Eurobarometer Poll,[15] based on a limited sample:

  • 54% of Austrian citizens responded "they believe there is a God".
  • 34% answered "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force".
  • 8% answered "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, God, or life force".

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "Religion in Austria on CIA World Factbook". Retrieved December 13, 2006.
  2. ^ a b c Statistics Catholic Church in Austria 2003 - 2008
  3. ^ Statistik Austria: [1]
  4. ^ Statistical overview in German
  5. ^ "Religion in Austria on CIA World Factbook". Retrieved April 21, 2007.
  6. ^ a b "Religion in Austria on Sacred Destinations". Retrieved April 21, 2007.
  7. ^ Statistik Austria: [2] ()
  8. ^ Statistical Data 2001 - 2008 in German
  9. ^ Austrian Population 4. Quarter 2009, retrieved 14 January 2010
  10. ^ [3] In german - 5.53 Millions Menschen sind katholisch retrieved 14 January 2010 provisional data
  11. ^ [4] Austrian Lutheran Church Website Statistics retrieved 11 February 2010
  12. ^ "Kirchliche Statistik der Diozösen Österreichs (Katholiken, Pastoraldaten) für das Jahr 2005". Retrieved April 21, 2007.
  13. ^ "Kirchliche Statistik der Diozösen Österreichs (Katholiken, Pastoraldaten) für das Jahr 2008". Retrieved November 1, 2009.
  14. ^ [ http://www.katholisch.at/site/article_blank.siteswift?so=all&do=all&c=download&d=article%3A107%3A10 title= Kirchliche Statistik der Diozösen Österreichs (Katholiken, Pastoraldaten) für das Jahr 2009 - PDF document]
  15. ^ "Eurobarometer on Social Values, Science and technology 2005 - page 11" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-05-05.
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