http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worl...countries/
EXCERPT: The world's most populous country is also the globe's least religious. [...] 90 percent of all Chinese consider themselves to be atheists or not to be religious. [...] China [...is...] followed by countries in Europe — about three fourth of all Swedish and Czech also said that they were either atheists or not religious. Although China's society has deep religious traditions, decades of Communist rule have installed a widespread atheistic materialism that still surprises many visitors.
[...] Western Europe and Oceania are the only regions where about 50 percent of the population or more either consider themselves to be atheists or not religious, as well. [...] With 65 percent, Israel has surprisingly many citizens who consider themselves not religious or to be atheists.
[...] The survey's authors found that people younger than 34 tend to be more religious than older respondents. This is particularly surprising from a U.S. perspective where an increasing number of younger citizens do not identify with any religion at all — contrary to older Americans.
[...] According to their analysis, education plays a smaller role in determining the religiousness of an individual than income. "Among those with a medium high and high income less than 50 percent say they are religious, against 70 percent of those with low, medium low and medium income." [...]
This list of the world's least religious nations does not indicate a decline of belief. Worldwide, six out of 10 people say that they are religious. Most believers can be found in Africa and the Middle East [...] followed by Eastern Europe, America and Asia. "With the trend of an increasingly religious youth globally, we can assume that the number of people who consider themselves religious will only continue to increase...."
EXCERPT: The world's most populous country is also the globe's least religious. [...] 90 percent of all Chinese consider themselves to be atheists or not to be religious. [...] China [...is...] followed by countries in Europe — about three fourth of all Swedish and Czech also said that they were either atheists or not religious. Although China's society has deep religious traditions, decades of Communist rule have installed a widespread atheistic materialism that still surprises many visitors.
[...] Western Europe and Oceania are the only regions where about 50 percent of the population or more either consider themselves to be atheists or not religious, as well. [...] With 65 percent, Israel has surprisingly many citizens who consider themselves not religious or to be atheists.
[...] The survey's authors found that people younger than 34 tend to be more religious than older respondents. This is particularly surprising from a U.S. perspective where an increasing number of younger citizens do not identify with any religion at all — contrary to older Americans.
[...] According to their analysis, education plays a smaller role in determining the religiousness of an individual than income. "Among those with a medium high and high income less than 50 percent say they are religious, against 70 percent of those with low, medium low and medium income." [...]
This list of the world's least religious nations does not indicate a decline of belief. Worldwide, six out of 10 people say that they are religious. Most believers can be found in Africa and the Middle East [...] followed by Eastern Europe, America and Asia. "With the trend of an increasingly religious youth globally, we can assume that the number of people who consider themselves religious will only continue to increase...."