Limburg the only Dutch province that still has more religious people than not

Limburg is now the only province in the Netherlands where a majority of residents identify with a religion, according to new data from Statistics Netherlands (CBS). Nationwide, the share of people who consider themselves religious has continued to decline.

In 2025, 42 percent of Dutch residents aged 15 and older identified with a church, religion, or philosophical group, down from 44 percent in 2024. Only 16 percent identified as Roman Catholic, 12 percent as Protestant, 6 percent as Muslim, and 7 percent with another faith, while the remaining 58 percent reported no religious affiliation.

Women are generally more likely than men to belong to a religious community, particularly among the elderly: 64 percent of women over 75 identify as religious, compared with 54 percent of men.

Across provinces, Limburg stands out. Between 2021 and 2025, an average of 58 percent of Limburg residents identified with a religion. In other provinces, the proportion is significantly lower: Groningen and Drenthe just above 33 percent, and Noord-Holland around 35 percent.

Limburg’s religious population is predominantly Roman Catholic, with 46 percent of residents identifying as Catholic, the highest share in the country. In contrast, Zeeland has the largest proportion of Protestants, at nearly 25 percent. Other provinces show regional variation: northern Overijssel and parts of Gelderland have more Protestants, while Twente, southwest Overijssel, and areas around Nijmegen have more Catholics. Muslims are concentrated mainly in Flevoland, Zuid-Holland, and Noord-Holland, especially in and around major cities such as Amsterdam and The Hague.

Religious attendance varies sharply by faith. Nationwide, 13 percent of people 15 and older attended a house of worship at least once a month in 2025. Among Protestants, 53 percent attend monthly, while only 14 percent of Catholics do. Among Muslims, 48 percent regularly attend a mosque.

Despite Limburg having the highest share of religious residents, only 8 percent attend services monthly. By comparison, Zeeland records the highest attendance at 18 percent, followed by Flevoland at 18 percent and Overijssel at 17.2 percent. Noord-Brabant has the lowest attendance at 8.2 percent.

Older people are more likely to identify as religious. In 2025, 59 percent of those 75 and older were religious, compared with 30 percent of 18- to 25-year-olds. Roman Catholics and Protestants are older on average—58 and 54 years old, respectively—while Muslims average 38 years. Nonreligious residents average 45 years.