Rastafarian: an afro-centrist ideology and movement based on Christianity that arose in Jamaica in the 1930s; it believes that Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930-74, was the incarnation of the second coming of Jesus. This failure to participate in religious services has led to a downsizing of the Catholic church in recent years. Shintoism - A native animist tradition of Japan, Shinto practice is based upon the premise that every being and object has its own spirit or kami.

Though there is no official religion, Catholicism is the dominant religion in Spain.

Now, almost one million pilgrims travel from all over Spain to see the statue in the church of Nuestra Señora del Rocío, or Our Lady of the Dew. Orthodox churches are highly nationalist and ethnic. When you compare this figure to our data above, you’ll see that there are approximately 33 million Catholics in Spain, 7 million agnostics, 4.5 million atheists, and only about 1.2 million people practicing something other than Catholicism. People believe that Saint James was responsible for this miracle. Its sacred texts include the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament (or the Christian Gospels). Those who identify as irreligious can be undecided about spirituality, or they may not believe in anything at all. Jehovah's Witnesses structure their faith on the Christian Bible, but their rejection of the Trinity is distinct from mainstream Christianity. Buddhism ascribes to a karmic system of rebirth. Source: CIA World Factbook - This page was last updated on December 7, 2019, Roman Catholic 68.9%, atheist 11.3%, agnostic 7.6%, other 2.8%, non-believer 8.2%, unspecified 1.1%. Atheism: the belief that there are no deities of any kind.

The majority of these inhabitants are immigrants who hail from Morocco and other African countries.

A study carried out by the same institution in October 2019 showed that the percentage of Catholics has decreased overall, from 72.9% to 68.3%, in a period of seven years.

It emphasizes compassion for all living things, seeks liberation of the human soul from reincarnation through enlightenment, and values personal responsibility due to the belief in the immediate consequences of one's behavior.

Alawites are a closed, secretive religious group who assert they are Shia Muslims, although outside scholars speculate their beliefs may have a syncretic mix with other faiths originating in the Middle East. Formulated in the 1860s, it holds that God lives in all of us and strives to convert society into a paradise on earth, populated by believers transformed into intelligent moral beings with a high social conscience. During the Franco regime, non-religion was prohibited; after Franco’s death, atheism, agnosticism, and irreligion all saw dramatic spikes that have continued to increase.

Culture wars and discussions now have more to do with politics than religion, and the huge lack of popularity of typically religious-related issues like Creationism prevent them from being used in such conflicts.

Confucianism has strongly influenced the culture and beliefs of East Asian countries, including China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Vietnam. When you compare this figure to our data above, you’ll see that there are approximately 33 million Catholics in Spain, 7 million agnostics, 4.5 million atheists, and only about 1.2 million people practicing something other than Catholicism. Additionally, the number of Nuns also dropped 6.9% during that period to 54,160 in the period 2000-2005. Bahais are an open community, located worldwide, with the greatest concentration of believers in South Asia.

Haitian and Louisiana Voodoo, which have included more Catholic practices, are separate from West African Vodun, which has retained a focus on spirit worship.Non-religious     Agnosticism: the belief that most things are unknowable. Of the 26.5% of the population that falls into this religious grouping, 11.1% are atheist, 6.5% are agnostic, and 7.8% are irreligious. Alawis live mostly in Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey. Cultural Catholics are often baptized as Catholic, but few complete confirmation by their teenage years.

Zoroastrianism - Originating from the teachings of Zoroaster in about the 9th or 10th century B.C., Zoroastrianism may be the oldest continuing creedal religion. Spain’s bank holidays and festivals are almost exclusively centered around Catholic saints and sacred days, though the religious aspect of these events is often only in name and not in practice.

His government controlled all media and police forces, and it mandated the teaching of Catholicism in all schools, public and private.

The estimated population of Spain currently stands at roughly 47.2 million.

About 12,000 Jews also live in Spain. Most establishments are closed on Sundays. Aside from occasional weddings, funerals, and holidays, they do not attend regular mass.

Baha'i - Founded by Mirza Husayn-Ali (known as Baha'u'llah) in Iran in 1852, Baha'i faith emphasizes monotheism and believes in one eternal transcendent God. According to the general Western European secularization, today Agnosticism and Atheism enjoy a certain amount of social prestige and status.

Atheists do not believe in a supreme being, deity, or god, whereas agnostics may believe in a god but not necessarily in a doctrine. Hinduism has many scriptures; the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Bhagavad-Gita are among some of the most important. Traditional beliefs     Animism: the belief that non-human entities contain souls or spirits. Other variants on Protestant Christianity, including Pentecostal movements and independent churches, may lack one or more of these elements, and their leadership and beliefs are individualized and dynamic. Basic Groupings    The two primary branches of Islam are Sunni and Shia, which split from each other over a religio-political leadership dispute about the rightful successor to Muhammad.

Only the more urban communities have Protestant churches. Shintoism has no fixed tradition of prayers or prescribed dogma, but is characterized by individual ritual. Franco’s regime ended with his death in the 1970s, and it was followed by a wave of liberalism and secularism that continued into the 21st century.

Shinto practitioners worship several particular kamis, including the kamis of nature, and families often have shrines to their ancestors' kamis. In regard to religion it is usually characterized as neither a belief nor non belief in a deity. Sunni Islam accounts for over 75% of the world's Muslim population. Learn Religions uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Confucianism: an ideology that humans are perfectible through self-cultivation and self-creation; developed from teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius.

Catholics believe the Pope is the divinely ordered head of the Church from a direct spiritual legacy of Jesus' apostle Peter.

The inside view of a church in Catalonia, Fifty-nine percent of Spaniards responded that “they believe in God.”, Twenty-one percent answered that “they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force”, And nineteen percent responded that “they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, God or life force.”. Adherents are required to evangelize and to follow a strict moral code.

However, only about one-third of Catholics in Spain are practicing members of the church. The Druze have a key presence in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel.

They were allowed to re-enter the country in the 19 century, although most of the current followers of Judaism arrived during the past century.

These differ in their views and observance of Jewish law, with the Orthodox representing the most traditional practice, and Reform/Liberal communities the most accommodating of individualized interpretations of Jewish identity and faith. Interestingly, Islam is the second-largest religion in Spain. Factbook > Countries > Spain > Demographics. Before the arrival of Christianity, the Iberian Peninsula was home to a multitude of animist and polytheistic practices, including Celtic, Greek, and Roman theologies. Muslims follow the religion of Islam, which is based on the teachings of God, whom they call Allah, and his prophet Muhammad. Jew first came to Spain with Romans, who invaded the country around 200 B.C. Santeria: practiced in Cuba, the merging of the Yoruba religion of Nigeria with Roman Catholicism and native Indian traditions. In addition to worshiping Christ, Catholics pray to his mother, Mary, and to hundreds of holy people, called saints, through whom God is said to have performed miracles. Variants    Ismaili faith: A sect of Shia Islam, its adherents are also known as "Seveners," because they believe that the rightful seventh Imam in Islamic leadership was Isma'il, the elder son of Imam Jafar al-Sadiq. Very few Spaniards identify as Buddhist, but many of the teachings of Buddhism, including the doctrines of karma and reincarnation, are perpetuated in the sphere of popular or New Age religion, blended with elements of Christianity and agnosticism. Modekngei: a hybrid of Christianity and ancient Palauan culture and oral traditions founded around 1915 on the island of Babeldaob. Adherents simultaneously worship Jesus Christ and Palauan goddesses. Today, though a minority, Zoroastrians remain primarily in Iran, India (where they are known as Parsi), and Pakistan. Today, almost 97 percent of Spain´s population is Roman Catholic, although Muslims and Jews in the country now practice their religions freely. Ismailis are located in various parts of the world, particularly South Asia and the Levant.

The estimated population of Spain currently stands at roughly 47.2 million. As the Visigoth kingdom descended into social and political turmoil, the Arabs—also known as the Moors—crossed from Africa into the Iberian Peninsula, conquered the Visigoths and claimed the territory. Like Italy, Spain is known as a graveyard for Protestant missionaries. The number of parish priests in Spain gradually diminished from 24,300 in 1975 to 19,307 in 2005. Other notable religions in Spain are Buddhism and non-Catholic Christianity, including Protestantism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Latter Day Saints, and Evangelicalism.

The core characteristics and beliefs of the world's major religions are described below.

Though the percentage of the devout has steadily decreased since the end of the Franco regime, recent academic studies have found not only higher fertility rates but higher rates of marital stability, economic growth, and educational attainment for practicing Catholics.

), Hinduism is an extremely diverse set of beliefs and practices with no single founder or religious authority.