Religious belonging and beliefs
Catholics’ religious practices by region
Wallonia | Flanders | Brussels | Kingdom | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1980 | 1990 | 1995 | 2006 | 1980 | 1990 | 1995 | 2006 | 1980 | 1990 | 1995 | 2006 | 1967 | 1980 | 1990 | 1995 | 2006 | |
christenings | 82,3 | 74,2 | 70,6 | 54 | 89,0 | 83,1 | 79,1 | 67,8 | 44,9 | 36,9 | 29,7 | 17,1 | 93,6 | 82,4 | 75,0 | 70,9 | 58 |
/ The total number of Belgian and non-Belgian children born in the region during the same year. | |||||||||||||||||
marriages | 73,4 | 58,1 | 55,1 | 28,6 | 81,5 | 64,5 | 54,5 | 29,7 | 44,7 | 28,1 | 6,3 | 25 | 86,1 | 75,7 | 59,1 | 52,0 | 28 |
/ Number of civil marriages during the same year (in light of the fact that the number of civil marriages had itself fallen from 65,000 per year in 1990 to 42,000 per year in 2010, the number of divorces having risen from 20,000 per year in 1990 to 29,000 per year in 2010 (with intermediate peaks at 35,000 per year), and also in the light of the fact that the proportion of civil marriages after divorce increases without this being translated in the number of Catholic religious celebrations). Instances of “legal cohabitation” (religious celebration of which is forbidden by law) rose from 5,000 in 2000 to 72,000 in 2010 (including 2,245 between same-sex couples), with the number of break-ups over the same period rising from 220 to 26,000. (Source: Statistiques fédérales belges, 2012) | |||||||||||||||||
funerals | 78,2 | 76,8 | 75,1 | 50 | 90,7 | 88,8 | 86,0 | 70 | 64,2 | 60,4 | 51,7 | 29,8 | 84,3 | 83,0 | 81,6 | 78,6 | 63 |
/ Number of deaths involving Belgians and non-Belgians in the region during the same year (excluding cremations) | |||||||||||||||||
practice | 21,5 | 14,6 | 11,2 | 6,8 | 32,2 | 21,3 | 15,2 | 14,4 | 12,0 | 8,8 | 7,6 | 6,2 | - | 26,7 | 17,9 | 13,1 | 7 |
/ The number of people supposedly engaging in Sunday worship. |
Source : L. Voyé, K. Dobbelaere, K. Abts, Autres temps, autres mœurs, Bruxelles, Ed. Racine-Campus, 2012.
% of entire population considering themselves or considered to be | ||
1981 | 2009 | |
Catholic | 72 | 50 |
Other Christian | 2,5 | 2,5 |
Jewish | 0,4 | 0,4 |
Muslim | 3 | 5 |
Buddhist | - | 0,3 |
Atheist | 2,5 | 9,2 |
Without affiliation | 21,5 | 32,6 |
Source : L. Voyé, K. Dobbelaere, K. Abts, Autres temps, autres mœurs, Bruxelles, Ed. Racine-Campus, 2012.
Changes in beliefs (% of entire population) | ||||
1981 | 1990 | 1999 | 2009 | |
God | 77 | 63 | 65 | 57 |
Life after death | 36 | 37 | 37 | 37 |
Heaven | 33 | 30 | 26 | 31 |
Hell | 18 | 15 | 13 | 14 |
Sin | 44 | 41 | 38 | 40 |
God’s image | ||||
- a person | 39 | 29 | 26 | 18 |
- a force or a spirit | 24 | 20 | 36 | 37 |
- no idea | 15 | 29 | 20 | 23 |
- do not believe in God | 8 | 14 | 16 | 21 |
- no answer | 14 | 8 | 2 | 1 |
Source : L. Voyé, K. Dobbelaere, K. Abts, Autres temps, autres mœurs, Bruxelles, Ed. Racine, 2012.
21 September 2012