The number of people turning their backs on organised religion in Switzerland has been growing for years. A new survey reveals how little importance religion holds for the Swiss population today. More than half of those surveyed say they do not believe in God. For years, Swiss churches have been losing worshippers, and last year was no exception. This may have been influenced by the numerous sexual abuse cases which were made public and have damaged the reputation of religious institutions. According to the data published on Thursday by the Swiss Pastoral Sociological Institute (SPI), the Catholic Church in Switzerland experienced the largest exodus of believers in 2023: 67,497 people abandoned the church compared to 34,561 in 2022. The Catholic Church is not alone. In 2023, a record number of people (39,233) left the Protestant Reformed Church (30,102 people left in 2022). The results of the second edition of the survey “How are you, Switzerland?”, commissioned by the Swiss ...
