Just over half (51%) of French people do not believe in God, according to an Ifop * poll for the Association of Information Journalists on Religions (Ajir) published Thursday.
To the question
"Do you personally believe in God?"
, 51% of respondents answered “no” (compared to 44% in 2011 and 2004).
66% of the French believed in God in 1947, according to an Ifop poll at the time.
In detail, the most believers are among those 65 years and over (58%) then among the 18-34 years (48%).
Read also Do believers really not need to come together to pray, as Castaner says?
Has the Covid-19 epidemic brought them closer to a religious practice?
“No”
, say the interviewees, at 91%. Only 9% answer in the affirmative. Asked about the fire at Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral in 2019, 79% replied that this event did not awaken in them any
"religious feeling"
or
"spiritual fiber"
. But 21% feel the opposite. Another lesson: the French speak less and less about religion in family: they are 38%, against 58% in November 2009. And only 29% speak about it with their friends (49% in 2009). The study is also interested in their opinion on Pope Francis; 41% think that he defends
the values of Catholicism
"rather well"
, 44% that
he defendshe defends them
"neither good nor bad"
and 15%
"Rather bad"
.
Read also France, one of the least religious countries in the world
In addition, 68% of French people think that religions "can help to transmit to young people points of reference and positive values: respect for others, tolerance, generosity, responsibility".
They were 77% to think so in 2009. For 54% of the people questioned,
“all religions are equal”
(62% in 2007).
For 47% of French people,
“the message and values of Christianity are still relevant today”
.
And for 47%,
“religions can make a positive contribution to major societal debates: bioethics, moralization of the economy, family”
(against 51% in 2009).
* The survey was conducted from August 24 to 25 with a sample of 1,028 people, representative of the French population aged 18 and over by self-administered online questionnaire, according to the quota method.