Leiden Expat Center

Religion

About fifty-five percent of the Dutch population is a member of a religious community, in the Netherlands you will find a diversity of religions. The majority of those with a religous conviction is affiliated with a Christian church (the Roman Catholic church or the Protestant church), the Roman Catholic church being the largest. Approximately ten percent of the Dutch population practises other religions such as Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism.

In the Netherlands, being part of a religious community does not necessarily mean attending church on a frequent basis. Less than twenty percent of the religious community attends church regularly, studies have shown a decline in religious affinity over the years. Religion is regarded as a very personal affair, as is illustrated by the fact that sixty percent of self-proclaimed believers in the Netherlands are not affiliated with any organised religion. In general, the emphasis is on the positive aspects of religion and concepts of hell and damnation remain in the background. Twenty-five percent of non-religious people are believed to pray now and then, though in a more meditative, self-reflective sense.

Churches, mosques & synagogues in Leiden