Only half of Luxembourg's residents consider themselves religious.
According to a recent study by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (STATEC), only 24% think that religion plays an important role in society.
While modern society does not leave much room for faith, STATEC nevertheless thinks it is unlikely that we are heading towards a future without religion or the Catholic Church.
In 2008, three-quarters of respondents stated that they consider themselves religious. 13 years later, in 2021, this figure had dropped to 48%. "We're very clearly experiencing what is called secularisation," STATEC Director Serge Allegrezza explains. Organised religions are on the decline, which means that the feeling of belonging to a certain religion has substantially diminished. "Compared to the rest of Europe, Luxembourg is among the countries where religion has the least importance," according to Allegrezza.
Interestingly, the STATEC director believes that this is connected to the fact that Christianity is closely tied to Luxembourgish culture. "For younger generations without a Christian background, their religious and cultural identities are closely intertwined," Allegrezza says. Compared to Christian cultures, Muslim or Hindu communities are quicker to identify themselves as religious.
Religious practice has been on the decline across Europe for decades and the connection between the concepts of morality and religion is also no longer a given.
20% of Luxembourg's population consider themselves as Atheists, compared to 15% who believe in a "personal God." Allegrezza does not believe that religion is going to disappear, "the study shows that 40% of the population believe in something supernatural, some type of God. There is a need to have faith in something. This is why I think it's wrong to say that God is dead."
The religion of today has also become more personalised. It is, for instance, not rare for someone to practice Yoga but also have an interest in Sufism.
As for the Catholic church in Luxembourg, the general vicar of Luxembourg's archdiocese, Patrick Muller, says that it should focus on the community again, as membership is no longer "automatic" but a matter of personal conviction.
