Only few Dutch people go to church or mosque regularly

Nearly 6 in 10 of the Dutch population say they are religious. Only very few of them go to church, to a mosque or other religious assemblies every week, however.

Religions in the Netherlands, 2005/2006

Nearly six out of ten Dutch are religious

In 2005/2006, 58 percent of Dutch people said they belonged to a religion or believed in a certain ideology. This is the equivalent of more than 9 million people. Roman Catholics are the largest group with 29 percent. Nearly 20 percent are Protestant, and 5 percent are Muslims. The remaining 5 percent include Jews and Hindus, among other groups. Around 42 percent of the population say they do not belong to a religion.

Attendance of religious services and assemblies, 2005/2006

One fifth of believers attend church or mosque weekly

Only 20 percent of the more than 9 million believers in the Netherlands go to a church, mosque or other place of worship weekly. This is the equivalent of around 1.8 million people. Protestants are the most faithful churchgoers of the three largest groups of believers. Nearly one third of them go to church once or more a week;  27 percent of Muslims go to a mosque at least once a week. Only 7 percent of Roman Catholics attend mass every weekend, 57 percent go hardly ever or never go to church.

Church and mosque attendance by religion, 2005/2006

Muslim worshippers mainly men

Going to the mosque is a male business: 36 percent of Muslim men attend mosque at least once a week, compared with onlyy 16 percent of Muslim women. There are hardly any differences in church attendance between men and women among Catholic and Protestant churchgoers.

Marieke van Herten