Religion in Portugal

Portugal has many different kinds of religions, but the most common one is Christianity, especially Roman Catholicism. In fact, more than 80% of people in Portugal identify as Christian, making it the largest religion in the country. Besides Christianity, there are also smaller groups of people who follow other religions such as Protestantism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism.

Church of the Holy Cross in Coimbra.

Portugal is a place where people of all religions can live together freely. The government does not favor any one religion, and everyone has the right to practice their beliefs or choose not to follow any religion at all. This idea of freedom is written into the country’s laws, ensuring that all people are treated equally no matter what they believe.

The variety of religions in Portugal shows the rich culture and history of the country. From ancient traditions to newer beliefs, Portugal’s religious landscape is always changing and growing, reflecting the many people who call it home.

Overview

In Portugal, most people are Catholic, according to the 2021 Census. However, not all of them go to church regularly. Many still want their children to be baptized, get married in a church, or have special services when they pass away.

Portugal is known as one of the more religious countries in Europe. Many people strongly believe in God and find religion important in their lives. Even though the government and the church are separate, Catholic traditions still influence many parts of Portuguese life, including schools and healthcare. Churches often bless new buildings like bridges and highways. The Catholic Church in Portugal has special rights in the country's laws.

Main article: Catholic Church in Portugal

Demographics

According to the 2021 Census, most people in Portugal are Catholic. About 80% of people aged 15 and older say they are Catholic, which is very similar to the 81% recorded in 2011. About 5% follow other types of Christianity, such as Protestant, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Orthodox. Just over 1% follow non-Christian religions, like Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist. Around 14% say they do not follow any religion.

There are some differences in religion across regions. Catholicism is strongest in places like the Azores, Madeira, and the North region. Areas such as the Setúbal Peninsula and the Algarve have lower percentages of Catholics and more people who follow other Christian religions, other religions, or no religion at all.

There are also differences based on where people live and their background. People who were born in Portugal are more likely to be Catholic than people who moved to Portugal from other countries. Women are also more likely to be Catholic than men. Older people tend to be more religious than younger people, and people with less education are more likely to be Catholic than those with more education.

Religion by municipality - 2021 Census

Percentage of Catholics by municipality

Percentage of members of other Christian denominations by municipality

Percentage of members of other religions by municipality

Percentage of non-religious by municipality

Religion in Portugal - Census 2021
Religion	Number	Percent
Christianity	7,444,786	84.77%
- Catholicism	7,043,016	80.20%
- Protestantism	186,832	2.13%
- Jehovah's Witnesses	63,609	0.72%
- Orthodoxy	60,381	0.69%
- Other Christian	90,948	1.04%
Non-Christian religions	99,984	1.14%
- Islam	36,480	0.42%
- Hinduism	19,471	0.22%
- Buddhism	16,757	0.19%
- Judaism	2,910	0.03%
- Other non-Christian	24,366	0.28%
No religion	1,237,130	14.09%
Note: Question asked to the population aged 15 and older

Religion in Portugal, by region - Census 2021
Region	Total	Christianity		- Catholicism		- Other Christian		Non-Christian religions		No religion
Region	Total	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
North	3,080,860	2,800,199	90.9%	2,713,422	88.1%	86,777	2.8%	13,901	0.5%	266,760	8.7%
Central	1,423,683	1,279,951	89.9%	1,231,231	86.4%	48,720	3.5%	7,708	0.5%	136,024	9.6%
West and Tagus Valley	689,934	587,923	85.2%	552,908	80.1%	35,015	5.1%	6,470	0.9%	95,541	13.8%
Greater Lisbon	1,719,646	1,293,834	75.2%	1,176,264	68.4%	117,570	6.8%	45,350	2.6%	380,462	22.1%
Setúbal Peninsula	671,313	488,905	72.8%	438,668	65.3%	50,237	7.5%	10,709	1.6%	171,699	25.6%
Alentejo	395,346	312,510	79.0%	298,525	75.5%	13,985	3.5%	6,533	1.7%	76,303	19.3%
Algarve	390,103	297,366	76.2%	257,046	65.9%	40,320	10.3%	7,951	2.0%	84,786	21.7%
Azores	195,788	183,186	93.6%	179,395	91.6%	3,791	1.9%	521	0.3%	12,081	6.2%
Madeira	215,227	200,912	93.3%	195,557	90.9%	5,355	2.5%	841	0.4%	13,474	6.3%
Note: Question asked to the population aged 15 and older

Religion	Male	Female
Catholicism	76.8%	83.1%
Other Christian	4.0%	5.1%
Non-Christian religions	1.4%	0.9%
No religion	17.8%	10.9%

Religion	15-24	25-34	35-44	45-54	55-64	65-74	75+
Catholicism	70.9%	66.9%	74.4%	81.0%	85.4%	88.3%	91.7%
Other Christian	5.2%	6.2%	6.2%	4.9%	3.9%	3.2%	2.6%
Non-Christian religions	1.3%	2.9%	1.9%	1.0%	0.5%	0.4%	0.2%
No religion	22.5%	24.1%	17.5%	13.2%	10.2%	8.0%	5.5%

Religion	No formal education	Basic education	Upper secondary	Post secondary	Higher education
Catholicism	83.5%	86.6%	73.5%	68.2%	71.6%
Other Christian	5.9%	3.7%	6.4%	8.6%	4.1%
Non-Christian religions	2.3%	0.7%	1.6%	1.3%	1.3%
No religion	8.3%	9.0%	18.4%	21.9%	23.0%

Religion	Rural areas	Urban areas
Catholicism	87.0%	75.9%
Other Christian	2.9%	5.6%
Non-Christian religions	0.6%	1.5%
No religion	9.5%	16.9%

History

18th century organs and ceiling inside Braga Cathedral

In Portugal, different religions have existed for a long time. The ancient people who lived in the area mixed their beliefs with those from the Romans. Later, Christianity became very important, especially in the north.

During the time when Muslims ruled parts of Portugal, Christianity was less strong in the south but still important in the north. Christianity helped unite people as they worked to reclaim their land.

Catholic procession in Prozelo

When Portugal became a country, its first king made a strong partnership between the government and the Christian Church. This partnership lasted for many years, with the Church getting much land and power.

Later, there were times when the government and the Church argued or had less power over each other. In the 1900s, the government took away some of the Church's rights, like controlling schools. But in the 1930s, a new leader who was very religious made the Church important again.

After 1974, Portugal became a democracy, and the Church and government were separated again. Today, while many people still call themselves Christian, fewer people attend church regularly than before.

Religious practices

The way people practice their religion in Portugal can be very different depending on where you live. In the northern part of the country, which has strong Catholic traditions, many people used to go to church regularly. In the south, where there were fewer churchgoers, the numbers were much lower. In the area around Lisbon, about a third of people went to church often.

The image of Our Lady of Fátima present in the Chapel of the Apparitions, Cova da Iria, at the Sanctuary of Fátima

Catholicism has always been very important in Portugal, and you can see this in many villages where churches are built in important places like town squares or on hilltops. Some of these churches were built a long time ago during Portugal’s history as a big empire. Even though many churches are not used much anymore because there aren’t enough priests, they are still special places for people to honor their village saints.

People in Portugal have also celebrated religious festivals and special days outside of regular church services, especially in the countryside. One of the most famous events happened in a small village called Fátima in 1917, when many people believed they saw a vision of the Virgin Mary. This place now attracts many visitors every year.

While the official church did not support some folk beliefs such as witchcraft or magic, many people still held these ideas, especially in smaller villages. Beliefs about evil spirits and protections against them were common, and some people thought certain individuals could bring bad luck. Even as people moved to cities and became more educated, these old beliefs sometimes still appeared in everyday life.

Other Christians

Protestantism

For most of Portugal’s history, only Roman Catholics were allowed to live there. Other Christian groups were not allowed to practice their faith freely. This changed when the British began settling in Portugal in the 1800s. They brought with them other Christian groups like the Anglican Church, Methodists, Congregationalists, Baptists, and Presbyterians. After Portugal became a constitutional monarchy in 1834, a small Anglican chapel was opened in Lisbon.

The first Portuguese-speaking Protestant church began in 1838 on the island of Madeira, thanks to a Scottish missionary. More churches were created over the years. By the early 1990s, there were only about 50,000 to 60,000 Anglicans and Protestants in Portugal. After the Revolution of 1974, laws changed to allow all religions to practice freely. Today, there are around 200,000 evangelical Protestants and more than 75,000 non-evangelical Protestants in Portugal.

Eastern Orthodoxy

Small groups of Eastern Orthodox Christians live in Portugal, mostly from Eastern European countries. These groups are organized under churches based in nearby countries. Some of these include the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Spain and Portugal, the Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Western Europe, and others. There is also a smaller group called the Lusitanian Catholic Orthodox Church, but it is not recognized by the main Eastern Orthodox churches.

Other religions

Baháʼí Faith

Main article: Baháʼí Faith in Portugal

People first learned about the Baháʼí Faith in Portugal in 1926. The first group of Baháʼís was formed in Lisbon in 1946. By 1962, they had formed a bigger group to lead their community. In 2010, there were about 2,100 Baháʼís in Portugal.

Sikhism

Main article: Sikhism in Portugal

Many people from Punjab, India moved to Portugal in the 1990s to work in farming, tourism, and making things. Many opened Indian restaurants. There are about 35,000 Sikhs in Portugal, mostly living in Lisbon, Porto, and Albufeira, where they have special places for worship called Gurdwaras.

Hinduism

Main article: Hinduism in Portugal

The Lisbon Mosque

Since the mid-1990s, many people from Nepal have moved to Portugal for work. There are also Hindus from India, especially from places like Mozambique and Goa. Today, there are about 19,471 Hindus in Portugal, living mainly in and around Lisbon and Porto.

Judaism

Main article: History of the Jews in Portugal

The Jewish community in Portugal had only a few hundred people in the early 1990s, mostly foreigners. Portugal did not have many Jewish services until the Lisbon Synagogue opened in 1904. Some villages in northern Portugal still have people called Marranos, whose families hid their Jewish beliefs for many years.

Islam

Main article: Islam in Portugal

Most Muslims in Portugal came from countries like Mozambique and Guinea-Bissau, or from places like Morocco more recently. In 2019, there were about 65,000 Muslims in Portugal. The biggest mosque is the Lisbon Mosque. Most follow a group called Sunnis.

Buddhism

There are between 50,000 and 80,000 people in Portugal who practice or are interested in Buddhism. A new Buddhist place for worship called Sumedharama opened near Lisbon in 2010. There is also a beautiful garden called Bacalhôa Buddha Eden near Bombarral, inspired by Buddhist teachings.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

There are about 45,576 members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Portugal, with 67 groups meeting together. In 2019, they finished building their first temple in Portugal.

Irreligion

In Portugal, a smaller group of people do not follow any religion. About 1.2 million people, or around 14% of the country, say they have no religious beliefs, according to the 2021 census. This includes those who describe themselves as atheist, agnostic, or simply without religion.