Skip to main content
Home

Main navigation

  • Top stories
  • Health
  • Crime
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Tech
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Weird
  • 1-1-2
Image
Bible-706658
Rosary on an open bible (Picture: Wikimedia Commons/James Chan) cross, jesus, roman catholic - Credit: Rosary on an open bible (Picture: Wikimedia Commons/James Chan)
Politics
Statistics Netherlands
religion
Christianity
Islam
Judaism
Hinduism
Buddhism
atheism
Dutch youth
Wednesday, 22 February 2017 - 15:20
Share this:
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
  • reddit

Fewer young Dutch religious

The proportion of young Dutch between the ages of 15 and 25 years who see themselves as religious and belong to a church or religious group, decreased from 49 percent in 2010 to 41 percent in 2015, Statistics Netherlands said on Wednesday.

The decrease was the strongest among young adults, aged 18 to 25, decreasing from 48 percent in 2010 to 40 percent in 2015. But a decrease could also be seen among teenagers, aged 15 to 18 years. In this group the proportion of religious teens dropped from 51 percent to 45 percent in five years.

Most Dutch young people (59 percent) do not consider themselves religious. 17 percent are Roman Catholic, 11 percent belong to the Protestant church and 8 percent are Muslim. The other 5 percent believe in other faiths like Judaism, Hinduism or Buddhism.

Just because young people see themselves as religious, does not necessarily mean they attend church, mosque or other forms of religious meetings on a regular basis. 31 percent of the religious young people go to a religious gathering at least once a month. Church attendance is best among young Protestants, 56 percent of which go to church at least once a month. Islam comes in second place with 36 percent of Muslim youth attending mosque at least once a month. Only 6 percent of young Catholics go to mass regularly.

Follow us:

Latest stories

  • Louis van Gaal returns to Ajax as board advisor
  • Dutch suspect among eight held in €157 million cocaine bust in Ireland
  • Dutch plan to regulate mid-market home leases will lower rent, but also supply: expert
  • XR to court over water cannon use during A12 protests; verdict on October 13
  • All trains to and from Schiphol Airport cancelled for several hours
  • One killed, two missing after boat capsizes in Noord-Brabant

Top stories

  • One killed, two missing after boat capsizes in Noord-Brabant
  • Teen parents convicted of leaving baby to die in underground Amsterdam dumpster
  • Amsterdam restaurant crowned best restaurant in the world by Tripadvisor
  • Rwandan man arrested in Netherlands for acts of genocide in 1994
  • Municipalities want to cut financial support to many Ukrainian refugees
  • More hospitality businesses buckling under high costs and debts

© 2012-2023, NL Times, All rights reserved.

Footer menu

  • Privacy
  • Contact
  • Partner content