# Share of the resident population with dominant religious denomination

A map of a former edition of the Atlas of Switzerland, the national atlas published by ETH Zurich. It opens only in the desktop atlas (version 4) for Windows and macOS, not in the web atlas; see the links below.

- Map: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/share-of-the-resident-population-with-dominant-religious-denomination/
- Short title: Dominant denomination
- Map id: 610
- Categories: Portrait of Switzerland › Society and Culture
- Keywords: Religion
- Published: 2019-04-15
- Last revised: 2023-01-27
- Content language: English
- Other languages: [Deutsch](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/de/thema/anteil-der-wohnbevoelkerung-mit-dominierender-konfession.md), [Français](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/fr/theme/part-de-la-population-residante-par-confession-dominante.md), [Italiano](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/it/tema/quota-di-popolazione-residente-per-confessione-dominante.md)

## Description

Confessional balance in Switzerland has changed radically over the past 40-odd years: Evangelical reformeds – who were still in the clear majority in 1950 (56%) – have become a minority (2017: 23.9%). Since 1970, Catholics have formed the biggest religious community (2017: 35.9%); this is mainly the result of immigration in the second half of the 20th century. The proportion of the increasing variety of other religions is also on the rise (1980: 3.2%; 2017: 7.5%). The number of Muslims, in particular, has grown sharply: In 2017 a total of 380,000 people profess Islam, against 152,200 in 1990.

Religious affiliation is much more than in the past a question of personal choice. This is shown by the number of people who free themselves from their 'inherited' religion and declare that they do not belong to any religious confession (1970: 1.1%; 2017: 26%).

The historically based confessional character of the Cantons continues to exist, despite internal migration and immigration from abroad. In Central Switzerland and in the Cantons of Freiburg, Valais, Ticino, Appenzell Innerrhoden and Jura, well over three quarters of the population are Catholic; the only strongly evangelical reformed Canton is Berne (50.2%). Traces of this regional confessional pattern are found in various spheres of life, e.g. in party-political structures or in demography (e.g. number of children per woman, divorces).

## Sources

- FSO (2003): Statistisches Jahrbuch der Schweiz. Neuchâtel: Verlag Neue Zürcher Zeitung

## Data sources

- Atlas of Switzerland: [Administrative Einheiten 1:500.000 (Gemeinden, Bezirke, Kantone)](http://www.atlasderschweiz.ch/)
- BFS/OFS/UST/FSO (2016): [Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz](http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/infothek/nomenklaturen/blank/blank/gem_liste/03.html). Neuchâtel: BFS
- FSO: Wohnbevölkerung am wirtschaftlichen Wohnsitz nach Region und Religion. 1970-2000
- Landesverwaltung Fürstentum Liechtenstein (2000): [Volkszählungen 1970-2000](https://www.llv.li/inhalt/115425/amtsstellen/volkszahlung)
- swisstopo [J160089] (2010): [Gemeindegrenzen GG25](https://shop.swisstopo.admin.ch/de/products/landscape/boundaries3D)
- swisstopo [J160089] (2010): [Landeskarte 1:500.000](https://shop.swisstopo.admin.ch/de/products/maps/national/lk500)

## Data owners

- [Atlas of Switzerland (AoS)](http://www.atlasderschweiz.ch/)
- [Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO)](https://www.bfs.admin.ch/)
- [Landesverwaltung Fürstentum Liechtenstein (LLV)](https://www.llv.li/)
- [Swiss Federal Office of Topography (swisstopo)](http://www.swisstopo.admin.ch/)

## Citation

The terms of use ask to name the Atlas of Switzerland and the data owners, and to keep the source references in exports, screenshots and embeds. Cite the map as:

> Atlas of Switzerland (2023): Share of the resident population with dominant religious denomination. ETH Zürich. Map data © AoS, FSO, LLV, swisstopo. https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/share-of-the-resident-population-with-dominant-religious-denomination/

## Links

- Map page, with the description and sources and a button that opens the map in the desktop atlas: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/share-of-the-resident-population-with-dominant-religious-denomination/
- Open the map in the desktop atlas (version 4), where it is installed: adsglobe://map/610
- Download of the desktop atlas (version 4) for Windows and macOS: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/ads4-download/

## Related maps

- [Share of the resident population with dominant language](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/share-of-the-resident-population-with-dominant-language.md) (id 104, former edition, desktop atlas only)
- [Persons of Evangelical Reformed denomination as a percentage of the resident population](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/persons-of-evangelical-reformed-denomination-as-a-percentage-of-the-resident-population.md) (id 607, former edition, desktop atlas only)
- [Persons of Roman Catholic denomination as a percentage of the resident population](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/persons-of-roman-catholic-denomination-as-a-percentage-of-the-resident-population.md) (id 608, former edition, desktop atlas only)
- [Persons of Evangelical Methodist denomination as a percentage of the resident population](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/persons-of-evangelical-methodist-denomination-as-a-percentage-of-the-resident-population.md) (id 619, former edition, desktop atlas only)
- [Persons of Orthodox denomination as a percentage of the resident population](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/persons-of-orthodox-denomination-as-a-percentage-of-the-resident-population.md) (id 604, former edition, desktop atlas only)
- [Persons of the New Apostolic denomination as a percentage of the resident population](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/persons-of-the-new-apostolic-denomination-as-a-percentage-of-the-resident-population.md) (id 620, former edition, desktop atlas only)

For the use and citation of maps and data, see the [terms of use](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/terms-of-use/).