Christians now make up less than half of France’s population

Catholic Mass at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart (Sacré-Cœur) on Montmartre in Paris. Photo: UOJ

Data from a global study on religious diversity published in February 2026 show that Christians no longer make up a majority of France’s population, reflecting major shifts in the country’s religious makeup, Pew Research Center reports.

According to the study, about 46% of people in France now identify as Christian, while 43% say they have no religious affiliation, and around 9% identify as Muslim – a group whose numbers have been growing in recent years. As a result, France has reached a point where no single religious group holds a majority.

The report notes that this is not so much a story of growing religious diversity as of a rising number of people with no religious affiliation. At the same time, the category of Christians includes not only practicing believers but also those who identify with Christianity on a cultural level, pointing to an even lower level of actual church life.

Experts stress that France has become one of the few countries with no clear religious majority. Unlike other highly diverse societies, the key factor here is not the coexistence of many faiths, but the gradual weakening of religious identity itself.

Analysts say these changes reflect a broader process unfolding across Europe, tied to the declining role of Christianity in public and cultural life. In these conditions, the Church faces the challenge not only of dialogue with other religions, but also of reaching a growing share of society that does not identify with any faith.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that violence against Christians remains high across Europe.

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