Religion in Sweden - Religion in Sweden Today

Religion in Sweden Today

The constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respects this right in practice. The Government at all levels seeks to protect this right in full and does not tolerate its abuse, either by governmental or private actors. The rights and freedoms enumerated in the constitution include the rights to practice one's religion and protection of religious freedom. The laws concerning religious freedoms are generally observed and enforced at all government levels and by the courts in a non-discriminatory fashion. Legal protections cover discrimination or persecution by private actors.

In 2000, 82.9% of Swedes belonged to the Church of Sweden. By the end of 2009, this figure was 71.3%. The percentage of Swedes belonging to the Church of Sweden is decreasing yearly by more than one per cent.

The Church of Sweden services are sparsely attended (hovering in the single digit percentages of the population). The reason for the large number of inactive members is partly that until 1996, children became members automatically at birth if at least one of their parents was a member. Since 1996, only children that are baptised become members. In 2009, nearly 72,000 Swedes left the Church of Sweden, considerably more than in 2008 when 50,504 Swedes left the Church of Sweden. Some 275,000 Swedes are today members of various free churches (where congregation attendance is much higher), and, in addition, immigration has meant that there are now some 92,000 Roman Catholics and 100,000 Eastern Orthodox Christians living in Sweden. Due to immigration, Sweden also has a significant Muslim population. As many as 500,000 are Muslims by tradition and between 80,000–400,000 of these are practicing Muslims. (See also Islam in Sweden)

Eight recognized religious denominations, in addition to the Church of Sweden, raise revenues through member-contributions made through the national tax system. All recognized denominations are entitled to direct government financial support, contributions made through the national tax system, or a mix of both. Certain Christian religious holy days are national holidays. School students from minority religious backgrounds are entitled to take relevant religious holidays.

No recognition or registration is required to carry out religious activity. Religious groups that want to receive government aid may apply for it. The Government considers the number of members in the group and its length of establishment, but applies no specific criteria.

Education about all major world religions is compulsory in public schools. Parents may send their children to religious charter schools, all of which receive school vouchers, provided they adhere to government guidelines on core academic curriculum.

The Office of the Ombudsman against Ethnic Discrimination investigates claims of discrimination "due to race, skin color, national or ethnic origin, or religion." Discrimination on religious grounds is illegal, including discrimination in the work place and in the provision of public and private services.

According to the most recent Eurobarometer Poll 2005,

• 23% of Swedish citizens responded that "they believe there is a god".

• 53% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force".

• 23% answered that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, god, or life force".

Phil Zuckerman, an Associate Professor of Sociology at Pitzer College, writes that several academic sources have in recent years placed atheism rates in Sweden between 46% and 85%, with one source reporting that only 17% of respondents self-identified as "atheist".

Sweden ranks aside with France, South Korea, Japan, Czech Republic and the Netherlands on having a large minority or even majority of its citizens who have no religion. An article on Sweden's official website asserts that that just three out of 10 Swedes state that they have confidence in the church. The article lists the following facts about religion in Sweden:

• Only 1 in 10 Swedes thinks religion is important in daily life.
• Around 7 out of 10 children are christened in the Church of Sweden.
• Just over 5 out of 10 weddings take place in church.
• Almost 9 out of 10 Swedes have Christian burials.
• Islam has around 130,000 adherents in Sweden (more according to Muslim sources).