190:
181:, there was a brief increase in religious affiliation in the Czech Republic. Overwhelming opposition to Communist rule in the country led to the adoption of church affiliation as a political statement, and the 1991 census demonstrated a significant jump in religiosity compared to its status under Communist rule in the 1970s and 1980s. Over time, however, irreligion was shown to have maintained its prevalence in the Czech Republic. Today, the Czech Republic is one of the most irreligious countries in the world.
432:
197:
In the 2021 census, 57.4% of Czechs identified as not having a religion or as an irreligious believer. In 1998, only 43.0% of Czechs believed in an afterlife, and this number shrank to 36.1% in 2006. Other supernatural beliefs still remain prevalent. As many as 69.7% of Czechs believed in
169:
by the Soviet Union in 1968, after which state atheism was strictly enforced. During the final years of
Communist rule in Czechoslovakia, popular opinion was indifferent to religious disagreements, favoring neither religious belief nor Marxist atheism.
189:
165:
played a major role in developing and spreading atheism in the country, alternatively promoting and criticizing the dogmatic atheism of
Marxism. This period of independent thought ended with the
149:
atheism. The country eventually fell under
Communist dictatorship, freethought groups were exterminated, and the translation of western philosophy into Czech was replaced by Marxist propaganda.
548:
130:
developed as part of the newfound national identity, and freethought was suppressed by imperial authorities. After achieving independence, Czechoslovakia enacted laws that protected the
474:
495:
Tomáš, BubĂk; VáclavĂk, David (February 26, 2020). "Freethinkers and atheists in the Czech Lands in the 20th century". In BubĂk, Tomáš; Remmel, Atko; VáclavĂk, David (eds.).
98:
rule. A majority of people in the Czech
Republic are irreligious or otherwise unaffiliated, and the country is considered to be one of the most irreligious in the world.
106:
Irreligion among Czechs first became notable in the 1860s with the arrival of freethought in the region. Czech freethought was influenced in particular by
960:
552:
583:
166:
711:
641:
478:
445:
508:
848:
686:
955:
527:
Hamplová, Dana; Nešpor, Zdeněk R. (2009). "Invisible
Religion in a "Non-believing" Country: The Case of the Czech Republic".
450:
131:
768:
178:
138:
was popular among the irreligious, serving as a manual on how to navigate Czech institutions without church affiliation.
549:"Obyvatelstvo podle náboĹľenskĂ© vĂry a pohlavĂ podle vĂ˝sledkĹŻ sÄŤĂtánĂ lidu v letech 1921, 1930, 1950, 1991, 2001 a 2011"
909:
145:
sphere of influence in the 1940s, the popularity of positivist freethought among irreligious Czechs fell in favor of
924:
876:
773:
576:
551:[Population by religious belief and sex by 1921, 1930, 1950, 1991, 2001 and 2011 censuses]. Archived from
881:
833:
733:
886:
763:
743:
723:
626:
803:
914:
934:
919:
866:
818:
813:
738:
843:
753:
631:
621:
616:
611:
929:
871:
808:
788:
758:
696:
656:
646:
205:
Below is a table with statistics of irreligious and unaffiliated Czechs in each census from 1921 to 2021.
904:
748:
162:
793:
706:
701:
691:
676:
671:
666:
651:
636:
606:
569:
437:
838:
828:
798:
783:
778:
728:
681:
592:
823:
718:
504:
174:
127:
199:
123:
107:
38:
118:
movements that sought to both resist and improve religious ideas in the new country. As
529:
158:
154:
119:
87:
949:
150:
115:
153:
was not enforced as it was in some other
Communist countries. Czech writers such as
142:
91:
79:
427:
111:
83:
28:
90:. The history of irreligion in the Czech Republic dates back to 19th century
500:
95:
561:
146:
75:
188:
114:. These ideas of freethought and anti-clericalism were adopted by
565:
475:"2021 Census: Population by religious belief and by regions"
202:
in 1998, although the number dropped to 53.0% by 2006.
497:
Freethought and
Atheism in Central and Eastern Europe
895:
857:
599:
193:Age composition of irreligion in Czechia, 2011
577:
8:
584:
570:
562:
207:
469:
467:
465:
461:
136:Advisor for Citizens with No Confession
94:and saw additional developments during
53: Believers without religion (9.6%)
141:As Czechoslovakia found itself in the
21:Religion in the Czech Republic (2021)
7:
522:
520:
490:
488:
446:Demographics of the Czech Republic
14:
430:
72:Irreligion in the Czech Republic
961:Religion in the Czech Republic
451:Religion in the Czech Republic
132:separation of church and state
1:
179:Dissolution of Czechoslovakia
84:lack of religious affiliation
47: Other Christians (2.4%)
59: Other religions (1.2%)
281:Believers without religion
126:in the early 20th century,
977:
167:invasion of Czechoslovakia
110:and his interpretation of
231:
228:
225:
222:
219:
216:
213:
210:
122:sought independence from
65: Undeclared (30.1%)
642:Bosnia and Herzegovina
194:
956:Irreligion by country
593:Irreligion in Europe
438:Czech Republic portal
192:
858:States with limited
555:on 21 January 2022.
481:on 21 January 2022.
163:VĂtÄ›zslav GardavskĂ˝
503:. pp. 58–83.
195:
943:
942:
421:
420:
175:Velvet Revolution
968:
896:Dependencies and
600:Sovereign states
586:
579:
572:
563:
557:
556:
545:
539:
538:
524:
515:
514:
492:
483:
482:
477:. Archived from
471:
440:
435:
434:
433:
208:
128:anti-clericalism
64:
58:
52:
46:
36:
26:
976:
975:
971:
970:
969:
967:
966:
965:
946:
945:
944:
939:
897:
891:
877:Northern Cyprus
859:
853:
774:North Macedonia
595:
590:
560:
547:
546:
542:
526:
525:
518:
511:
494:
493:
486:
473:
472:
463:
459:
436:
431:
429:
426:
200:fortune tellers
187:
124:Austria-Hungary
108:Herbert Spencer
104:
69:
68:
67:
66:
62:
60:
56:
54:
50:
48:
44:
42:
34:
32:
24:
12:
11:
5:
974:
972:
964:
963:
958:
948:
947:
941:
940:
938:
937:
932:
927:
922:
917:
912:
907:
901:
899:
898:other entities
893:
892:
890:
889:
884:
879:
874:
869:
863:
861:
855:
854:
852:
851:
849:United Kingdom
846:
841:
836:
831:
826:
821:
816:
811:
806:
801:
796:
791:
786:
781:
776:
771:
766:
761:
756:
751:
746:
741:
736:
731:
726:
721:
716:
714:
709:
704:
699:
694:
689:
684:
679:
674:
669:
664:
662:Czech Republic
659:
654:
649:
644:
639:
634:
629:
624:
619:
614:
609:
603:
601:
597:
596:
591:
589:
588:
581:
574:
566:
559:
558:
540:
530:Social Compass
516:
509:
484:
460:
458:
455:
454:
453:
448:
442:
441:
425:
422:
419:
418:
415:
412:
409:
406:
403:
400:
397:
394:
391:
388:
385:
382:
379:
376:
372:
371:
368:
365:
362:
359:
356:
353:
350:
347:
344:
341:
338:
335:
332:
329:
325:
324:
321:
318:
315:
312:
309:
306:
303:
300:
297:
294:
291:
288:
285:
282:
278:
277:
274:
271:
268:
265:
262:
259:
256:
253:
250:
247:
244:
241:
238:
234:
233:
230:
227:
224:
221:
218:
215:
212:
186:
183:
173:Following the
159:Milan Machovec
120:Czechoslovakia
103:
100:
88:Czech Republic
61:
55:
49:
43:
33:
23:
19:
18:
17:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
973:
962:
959:
957:
954:
953:
951:
936:
933:
931:
928:
926:
923:
921:
918:
916:
913:
911:
910:Faroe Islands
908:
906:
903:
902:
900:
894:
888:
885:
883:
882:South Ossetia
880:
878:
875:
873:
870:
868:
865:
864:
862:
856:
850:
847:
845:
842:
840:
837:
835:
832:
830:
827:
825:
822:
820:
817:
815:
812:
810:
807:
805:
802:
800:
797:
795:
792:
790:
787:
785:
782:
780:
777:
775:
772:
770:
767:
765:
762:
760:
757:
755:
752:
750:
747:
745:
742:
740:
737:
735:
734:Liechtenstein
732:
730:
727:
725:
722:
720:
717:
715:
713:
710:
708:
705:
703:
700:
698:
695:
693:
690:
688:
685:
683:
680:
678:
675:
673:
670:
668:
665:
663:
660:
658:
655:
653:
650:
648:
645:
643:
640:
638:
635:
633:
630:
628:
625:
623:
620:
618:
615:
613:
610:
608:
605:
604:
602:
598:
594:
587:
582:
580:
575:
573:
568:
567:
564:
554:
550:
544:
541:
537:(4): 581–597.
536:
532:
531:
523:
521:
517:
512:
510:9781032173795
506:
502:
498:
491:
489:
485:
480:
476:
470:
468:
466:
462:
456:
452:
449:
447:
444:
443:
439:
428:
423:
416:
413:
410:
407:
404:
401:
398:
395:
392:
389:
386:
383:
380:
377:
374:
373:
369:
366:
363:
360:
357:
354:
351:
348:
345:
342:
339:
336:
333:
330:
327:
326:
322:
319:
316:
313:
310:
307:
304:
301:
298:
295:
292:
289:
286:
283:
280:
279:
275:
272:
269:
266:
263:
260:
257:
254:
251:
248:
245:
242:
239:
236:
235:
209:
206:
203:
201:
191:
184:
182:
180:
176:
171:
168:
164:
160:
156:
152:
151:State atheism
148:
144:
139:
137:
133:
129:
125:
121:
117:
113:
109:
101:
99:
97:
93:
89:
85:
81:
77:
73:
40:
30:
22:
16:
887:Transnistria
661:
553:the original
543:
534:
528:
496:
479:the original
328:No religion
204:
196:
185:Demographics
172:
140:
135:
105:
74:pertains to
71:
70:
29:Unaffiliated
20:
15:
925:Isle of Man
860:recognition
834:Switzerland
769:Netherlands
375:Not stated
155:Ivan Sviták
134:. The book
116:progressive
92:freethought
80:agnosticism
39:Catholicism
950:Categories
804:San Marino
764:Montenegro
744:Luxembourg
724:Kazakhstan
627:Azerbaijan
457:References
414:3,162,540
408:4,662,455
396:1,665,617
367:5,027,794
361:3,604,095
355:6,039,991
349:4,112,864
320:1,005,788
112:positivism
915:Gibraltar
739:Lithuania
501:Routledge
211:Religion
96:Communist
935:Svalbard
920:Guernsey
867:Abkhazia
819:Slovenia
814:Slovakia
789:Portugal
647:Bulgaria
424:See also
402:901,981
343:519,962
337:834,144
331:716,515
314:760,316
177:and the
844:Ukraine
794:Romania
754:Moldova
712:Ireland
707:Iceland
702:Hungary
692:Germany
687:Georgia
677:Finland
672:Estonia
667:Denmark
652:Croatia
637:Belgium
632:Belarus
622:Austria
617:Armenia
612:Andorra
607:Albania
390:22,889
384:31,033
378:10,871
273:Number
267:Number
261:Number
255:Number
249:Number
243:Number
237:Number
147:Marxist
102:History
86:in the
76:atheism
31:(47.8%)
930:Jersey
872:Kosovo
839:Turkey
829:Sweden
809:Serbia
799:Russia
784:Poland
779:Norway
759:Monaco
729:Latvia
697:Greece
682:France
657:Cyprus
507:
161:, and
143:Soviet
82:, and
63:
57:
51:
45:
41:(9.3%)
37:
35:
27:
25:
905:Ă…land
824:Spain
749:Malta
719:Italy
417:30.1
411:44.7
399:16.2
370:47.8
364:34.5
358:59.0
352:39.9
232:2021
229:2011
226:2001
223:1991
220:1950
217:1930
214:1921
505:ISBN
405:8.8
393:0.3
387:0.3
381:0.1
346:5.8
340:7.8
334:7.2
323:9.6
317:7.3
952::
535:56
533:.
519:^
499:.
487:^
464:^
311:–
308:–
305:–
302:–
299:–
296:–
293:–
290:–
287:–
284:–
276:%
270:%
264:%
258:%
252:%
246:%
240:%
157:,
78:,
585:e
578:t
571:v
513:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
