Religion
Denominations | Population | % of total |
---|---|---|
Catholicism | 5,558,901 | 54.5 |
Roman Catholics | 5,289,521 | 51.9 |
Greek Catholics | 268,935 | 2.6 |
Protestantism | 1,985,576 | 19.5 |
Calvinists | 1,622,796 | 15.9 |
Lutherans | 304,705 | 3.0 |
Baptists | 17,705 | 0.2 |
Unitarians | 6,541 | 0.1 |
Other Protestants | 33,829 | 0.3 |
Orthodox Christianity | 15,298 | 0.1 |
Other Christians | 24,340 | 0.2 |
Judaism | 12,871 | 0.1 |
Other religions | 13,567 | 0.1 |
Total religions | 7,610,553 | 74.6 |
No religion | 1,483,369 | 14.5 |
Did not wish to answer | 1,034,767 | 10.1 |
Unknown | 69,566 | 0.7 |
total | 10,198,315 | 100.00 |
The majority of Hungarians became Christian in the 11th century. Hungary remained predominantly Catholic until the 16th century, when the Reformation took place and, as a result, first Lutheranism, then soon afterwards Calvinism, became the religion of almost the entire population. In the second half of the 16th century, however, Jesuits led a successful campaign of counterreformation among the Hungarians. Orthodox Christianity in Hungary has been the religion mainly of some national minorities in the country, notably, Romanians, Rusyns, Ukrainians, and Serbs.
Faith Church, one of Europe's largest Pentecostal churches, is also located in Hungary. Hungary has historically been home to a significant Jewish community.
According to 2001 census data, the largest religion in Hungary is Catholicism (54.5% — Roman Catholicism 51.9%; Greek Catholicism 2.6%). There is a significant Calvinist minority (16% of the population) and smaller Lutheran (3%),Baptist (0.2%), orthodox(0.015%) and Jewish (0.1%) minorities. However, these census figures are representative of religious affiliation rather than practice; fewer than 12% of Hungarians attend religious services at least once a week and fewer than 50% at least once a year, while 30% of Hungarians do not believe in God.
Read more about this topic: Demographics Of Hungary
Famous quotes containing the word religion:
“Men are like plants; the goodness and flavor of the fruit proceeds from the peculiar soil and exposition in which they grow. We are nothing but what we derive from the air we breathe, the climate we inhabit, the government we obey, the system of religion we profess, and the nature of our employment.”
—Michel Guillaume Jean De Crevecoeur (17351813)
“Surely the day will come when color means nothing more than skin tone, when religion is seen uniquely as a way to speak ones soul; when birth places have the weight of a throw of the dice and all men are born free, when understanding breeds love and brotherhood.”
—Josephine Baker (19061975)
“As soon as a religion comes to dominate, it has as its opponents all those who would have been its earliest disciples.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (18441900)