Religion in Switzerland is predominantly Christianity. According to the national survey of the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, in 2024, Christians accounted for 54.7% of the resident population (aged fifteen years and older), of whom 30% were Catholics, 18.7% were Swiss Protestants, and 6% were followers of other Christian denominations (about half Orthodox and half other Protestants). The proportion of Christians has declined significantly since 1980, when they constituted about 94% of the population; during the same timespan, unaffiliated Swiss residents have grown from about 4% to 36.8% of the population, and people professing non-Christian religions have grown from about 1% to 7.5% of the population. In 2020, according to church registers, 35.2% of the resident population were registered members of the country's Catholic Church, while 23.3% were registered members of the Protestant Church of Switzerland.

Christianity was adopted by the Gaulish (mostly Helvetii) and Germanic (mostly Alemanni) ancestors of the modern Swiss, respectively, between the 4th- and 5th-century late Roman domination the former, and between the 6th- and 7th-century Frankish domination the latter, abandoning their indigenous Gallo-Roman and Germanic paganisms. The Old Swiss Confederacy which began to emerge in the 13th century remained entirely Catholic until the 16th century, when it became one of the centres of the Protestant Reformation and a majority of the Swiss joined the Protestant movement of Calvinism. Conflicts, and even civil wars, between Protestants and Catholics persisted until the Sonderbund War in 1847, after which freedom of conscience was established by law — only for Christians. Legal discrimination against Jews and some restrictions against the Catholic Church persisted, respectively, until the late 19th century the former and the end of the 20th century the latter. In the early 20th century, Switzerland had an absolute majority of Protestants (about 60%) and a large population of Catholics (about 40%); since the late 20th century and throughout the 21st century, the religious composition of the country has changed significantly, with a rise of the irreligious population, a sharp decline of Protestantism to about two tenths of the population, and a less sharp decline of Catholicism to about three tenths of the population.

Switzerland has no state religion, though most of its cantons (except for Geneva and Neuchâtel) recognise official churches (Landeskirchen), in all cases Catholic and Swiss Protestant, and in some cantons also the Old Catholic Church and Jewish congregations. These churches are financed by taxation of their adherents.Frey, HDS 2007.

Demographics Census statistics, 1900–2020 + Religious affiliations in Switzerland, census/structural survey 1900–2022* Census data Structural survey Religion 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 20202023 Christianity 99.4 98.7 98.4 98.3 98.0 97.8 98.8 97.5 93.7 89.2 80.5 71.8 61.255.9 —Catholicism 41.6 42.5 40.9 41.0 40.4 41.5 45.4 46.7 46.2 46.2 42.3 38.4 33.830.7 —Swiss Protestantism 57.8 56.2 57.5 57.3 57.6 56.3 52.7 48.8 45.3 39.6 33.9 27.8 21.819.5 —Other Christians – – – – – – 0.7 2.0 2.2 3.4 4.3 5.6 5.65.8 Islam – – – – – – – 0.2 0.7 1.6 3.6 4.9 5.46.0 Judaism – 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.20.2 Other religion 0.6 0.9 1.1 1.2 1.5 1.7 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.7 1.2 1.21.3 No religion – – – – – – 0.5 1.2 3.9 7.5 11.4 20.6 30.935.6 Not stated – – – – – – 0.2 0.4 1.2 1.1 3.6 1.1 1.10.9 Population 3,315,443 3,753,293 3,880,320 4,066,400 4,265,703 4,714,992 5,429,061 4,575,416 4,950,821 5,495,018 5,868,572 6,587,556 7,187,715 *1900–1960: total population (of any age) counted. 1970–2000: total population (age 15+) counted. Starting from 2010: extrapolated to the total population (age 15+).

Line chart of the trends, 1900–2020 Census/structural survey's statistics 1900–2020:

Religion by cantons

+ Religion in Switzerland by canton, 2018 (absolute majorities with coloured background)ArmsCantonPopulation (numbers)PercentagesTotalCatholicProtestantCatholicProtestantProtestant +CatholicUnaffiliated +other*Zürich1,520,968387,325425,14525.528.053.446.6Bern1,034,977164,866541,14815.952.368.231.8Vaud799,145250,543205,77531.425.757.142.9Aargau678,207215,984161,31731.823.855.644.4St. Gallen507,697226,264104,85144.620.765.234.8Genève499,480219,47762,76943.912.656.543.5 Luzern409,557245,39741,67359.910.270.129.9Ticino353,343235,5705,35666.71.568.231.8Valais343,955261,96320,04276.25.882.018.0Fribourg318,714197,55941,53462.013.075.025.0Basel-Landschaft288,13271,54185,38824.829.654.545.5Thurgau276,47285,10493,62830.833.964.635.4Solothurn274,74886,51858,52231.521.352.847.2Graubünden198,37989,76866,53645.333.578.821.2Basel-Stadt194,76624,78326,38012.713.526.373.7Neuchâtel176,85064,25851,37836.329.165.434.6Schwyz159,16595,79418,39060.211.671.728.3Zug126,83761,99917,07048.913.562.337.7Schaffhausen81,99117,15529,19020.935.656.543.5Jura73,41955,0007,02374.99.684.515.5 Appenzell Ausserrhoden &Innerrhoden71,37927,94223,51339.132.972.1 27.9Nidwalden43,22328,3634,33665.610.075.624.3Glarus40,40313,38313,76833.134.167.232.8Obwalden37,84126,9442,93771.27.879.021.0Uri36,43328,5821,69178.54.683.116.9Switzerland8,546,0813,182,0822,109,36037.224.761.938.1 * Includes other Christians, Muslims and other religions.

Religion by ethnic origin, sex, age, and education According to the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, based on cumulative data collected between 2013 and 2017, there were significant differences in the religious affiliations of the five most common ethno-national groups in Switzerland: Swiss nationals were mostly Christians (73%), evenly divided between Catholics (37%), Swiss Protestants (31%) and other Christians (5%); the vast majority of Italian and Portuguese nationals living in Switzerland were Catholics (77% and 74%, respectively); half of German nationals in Switzerland were unaffiliated, while Christians were minority accounting for 47%; and Frenchmen in Switzerland were mostly unaffiliated (55%), while only 38% of them were Christians. Among other major groups, individuals from the Balkans were predominantly Muslim (61%), while 26% identified as Christians. Turks also showed a strong Muslim majority (73%), whereas those from North Africa and the Middle East were overwhelmingly Muslim (80% and 61%, respectively). By contrast, Sub-Saharan Africans were mostly Christian (67%), as were people from Other EU countries (54%), Asia (16%), and the Americas and Caribbean (54%). Residents of Asian origin displayed greater diversity: 16% Christians, 23% unaffiliated, and about 13% Muslims. Those of American and Caribbean origin were primarily Christian (54%) but also had a notable share of unaffiliated individuals (41%).

+ Major ethno-national groups in Switzerland by religion, 2013–2017 (majority in light green) Religion Swiss Italians Germans Balkans* Portuguese French Spaniards Turks Other EU North African** Subsaharan African Middle eastern*** Asian American & Caribbean Oceanian Other (unspecified) Christianity 72.9 80.9 47.0 26.0 76.7 38.5 65.8 2.1 54.2 2.9 66.8 9.4 15.5 53.8 25 11.8 –Catholicism 36.7 76.9 22.6 5.0 73.9 33.5 62.8 0.3 32.8 0.5 21.1 4.2 9.7 38.8 9.9 2.7 –Swiss Protestantism 31.2 0.6 20.3 0.1 0.4 2.3 0.6 0.2 5.5 0.2 10.2 0.8 1.9 5.8 4.7 3.5 –Other Christians 5.0 3.4 4.1 20.9 2.4 2.7 2.4 1.6 15.9 2.2 35.5 4.4 3.9 9.2 10.4 5.6 Islam 2.4 1.2 1.4 61.1 0.3 2.7 0.6 72.9 1.8 79.8 18.9 61.4 12.9 0.7 1 72.9 Judaism 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.9 0.1 0.1 0.5 0.4 0.8 3 0.1 0.9 0.9 0 Other religion 0.9 0.4 0.2 0.5 0.4 1.1 0.4 1.2 0.7 0.8 1.6 2 47.2 1.5 1.6 4.7 No religion 22.4 16.1 50.0 10.8 20.3 54.6 31.1 22.3 41.7 15.9 9.7 22.3 22.9 41.4 70.6 10.1 Not stated 1.2 1.4 0.7 1.5 2.4 2.4 1.8 1.4 1.1 2 2.2 1.9 1.4 1.7 0.7 0 *Includes people with origins from Albania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo. ** Includes people with origins from Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. *** Includes people with origins from Irak, Iran, Israel, Yemen, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman UAE, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Palestine.

According to the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, based on cumulative data collected between 2019 and 2023, notable shifts can be observed in the religious composition of major ethno-national groups in Switzerland. Swiss nationals remained predominantly Christian (65%), divided between Catholics (33%), Swiss Protestants (27%), and other Christians (5%), though the share of unaffiliated individuals increased to around 31%. Italians and Portuguese continued to be largely Catholic (67% and 66%, respectively), while Germans were mainly unaffiliated (57%) and less than half identified as Christians (40%). French residents were also predominantly unaffiliated (63%), with less than one-third identifying as Christians (29%). Among other major groups, individuals from the Balkans were overwhelmingly Muslim (58%), with about one-quarter Christians. Turks also showed a strong Muslim majority (64%), as did North Africans (73%) and Middle Easterners (61%). Sub-Saharan Africans, by contrast, remained mostly Christian (67%), while people from Other EU countries were more evenly split between Christians (47%) and unaffiliated (49%). Asians showed a more balanced distribution, with 13% Christians, 37% unaffiliated, and 14% Muslims. People from the Americas and Caribbean were primarily Christian (45%), though a substantial proportion (51%) declared no religion.

+ Major ethno-national groups in Switzerland by religion, 2019–2023 (majority in light green) Religion Swiss Italians Germans Balkans* Portuguese French Spaniards Turks Other EU North African** Subsaharan African Middle eastern*** Asian American & Caribbean Oceanian Other (Unspecified) Christianity 64.6 70 40.1 24.5 68 29.4 52.3 2 46.7 2.2 66.8 8.7 13.3 45.4 22.9 11.6 –Catholicism 33 66.5 18.9 4.9 65.8 25.7 49.1 0.3 26.4 0.3 17.4 3.6 8.4 30.8 10.7 2.9 –Swiss Protestantism 27 0.5 16.8 0.1 0.4 1.6 1 0.2 3.6 0.2 8.5 1.1 1.5 5.5 3.9 0.00 –Other Christians 4.6 3 3.8 19.5 1.8 2.1 2.2 1.5 16.7 1.7 40.9 4 3.4 9.1 8.3 8.7 Islam 2.6 3.5 2.1 58.4 0.5 4 1.4 64.1 2.4 73.4 18.1 61.1 18 0.8 1.4 70 Judaism 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.00 0.8 0.1 0.1 0.4 0.00 0.8 1.7 0.00 0.7 0.00 0 Other religion 0.9 0.4 0.6 0.1 0.2 0.7 0.2 0.6 0.6 0.3 0.6 1.4 37.2 1.2 2.7 4.1 No religion 30.8 25 57 15.7 29.9 63.7 45 32 49.1 22.1 12.1 25.5 30.2 50.9 73 14.3 Not stated 0.9 1 0.6 1.2 1.4 1.4 1 1.2 0.8 2 1.6 1.6 1.3 1 0.00 0 *Includes people with origins from Albania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo. ** Includes people with origins from Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Lybia and Egypt. *** Includes people with origins from Irak, Iran, Israel, Yemen, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman UAE, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Palestine.

+ Religion in Switzerland by origin, sex, age and education, 2018 (majority in coloured background) Sociodemographic characteristics Christianity Catholic Swiss Protestant Other Christian Islam Other religion No religion Not stated rowspan=9 Female 66 36 24 6 5 2 26 1 Male 62 35 22 5 6 1 30 1 Age 15-24 (youth) 62 34 21 7 8 2 27 1 Age 25-64 (middle-aged) 60 34 20 6 6 2 31 1 Age 65+ (elderly) 79 40 35 4 1 1 17 2 Compulsory education 64 41 17 6 12 3 20 1 High school degree 69 36 27 6 4 1 26 1 University degree 58 31 22 5 3 2 36 1 rowspan=9 Female 71 36 30 5 2 1 24 2 Male 67 34 28 5 3 1 28 1 Age 15-24 (youth) 66 35 25 6 5 1 27 1 Age 25-64 (middle-aged) 65 34 26 5 3 1 29 2 Age 65+ (elderly) 81 38 38 5 0 1 17 1 Compulsory education 71 40 26 5 5 2 20 2 High school degree 71 35 31 5 2 1 25 1 University degree 64 32 28 4 2 1 32 1 rowspan=9 Female 50 35 5 10 14 3 31 2 Male 47 35 4 8 14 3 35 1 Age 15-24 (youth) 48 34 3 11 21 3 27 1 Age 25-64 (middle-aged) 46 33 4 9 13 3 36 2 Age 65+ (elderly) 69 54 7 8 9 2 18 2 Compulsory education 53 42 2 9 22 4 20 1 High school degree 51 37 5 9 14 2 32 1 University degree 42 27 7 8 5 3 49 1