The world’s most and least religious countries

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Holidaymaker posing on the peak of a mountain in Norway and people carrying banners in Sri Lanka

Among the countries where citizens see themselves as religious there is Sri Lanka

The countries where citizens seem themselves as religious (and not religious) have been revealed.According to the results of three polls from WIN/Gallup International, five countries – Ethiopia, Malawi, Niger, Sri Lanka and Yemen – are the world’s most religious countries, with a record 99 per cent of citizens feeling religious.

The surveys asked respondents whether they felt religious or not.

Ethiopia, a rugged and land-locked country in Africa, is made up of many different faiths including 32 million Ethiopian Orthodox Christians and 25 million Muslims, according to their national census.

Before China was declared a Communist state, Taoism was one of the country’s most popular religions

It is also known to be one of the world’s first Christian countries, having adopted Christianity as the state religion since the 4th Century.The survey has revealed that the world’s most religious regions are Africa and the Middle East, with south-east Asian countries like Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia not far behind.

But what are the world’s least religious countries?

China topped the poll, with only 7 per cent of people saying they felt religious.

Since 1949 Communism, an ideology which promotes state atheism, has been the ruling ethos of China.

Ninety-eight per cent of the people living in Mauritania describe themselves as religious

It’s no surprise then, that decades of Communist rule has returned this result.Before Mao Zedong declared China a Communist state in 1949, Taoism was one of the country’s most popular religions.

However, after a campaign to destroy non-Communist religions, the numbers of Taoists has significantly reduced and it has become more difficult to accurately assess such statistics.

Alongside China, the UK has been named as the tenth least religious country in the world.

The survey showed that only 30 per cent of Britons feel religious.

According to a 2016 British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey on religious affiliation, 53% of respondents indicated ‘no religion’, 41% indicated they were Christians and 6% indicated with non-Christian religious such as Islam, Hinduism and Judaism.

Hong Kong is among the least religious countries in the world

The 10 most religious countries

Ethiopia – 99 per cent feel religious

Malawi – 99 per cent

Niger – 99 per cent

Sri Lanka – 99 per cent

Yemen – 99 per cent

Burundi – 98 per cent

Djibouti – 98 per cent

Mauritania – 98 per cent

Somalia – 98 per cent

Afghanistan – 97 per cent

The survey showed that only 30 per cent of Britons feel religious

The 10 least religious countries

China – 7 per cent feel religious

Japan – 13 per cent

Estonia – 16 per cent

Sweden – 19 per cent

Norway – 21 per cent

Czech Republic – 23 per cent

Hong Kong – 26 per cent

Netherlands – 26 per cent

Israel – 30 per cent

United Kingdom – 30 per cent

Sourse

Photo screensaver Dmytro Strykhar / Religious Tourism