Religion Sharp decline in local religious groups in Switzerland

Over the last two decades, the number of local religious groups in Switzerland has decreased by seven percent. The average age of participants has risen, according to a study published in the journal "Social Change in Switzerland".

Reformed and Catholic churches in particular have lost many local groups. The number of mosques in the Muslim community in Switzerland has also fallen slightly, although the number of regular attendees has increased, according to the magazine on Tuesday.

Evangelical-charismatic communities and Pentecostal movements are on the rise worldwide. In Switzerland, more than 200 new groups of this type have emerged since 2008, it continued. However, the number of local communities and regular participants from 2008 to 2022 has remained stable, as just as many groups have disappeared again.

According to the study, the proportion of the population that regularly attends church services or ceremonies also fell. It fell from 11.6 to 9.5 percent in Switzerland during the study period. Half of the regular attendees are now over 60 years old.

According to the study, the average age of spiritual leaders has also risen from 50.8 to 53.8 years. This ageing trend is not only evident in the recognized Christian churches, but also in the evangelical communities and among Muslims, Jews, Buddhists and Hindus in Switzerland.

Based on two full surveys and representative polls, a team of sociologists of religion from various Swiss universities examined the number of local religious groups in Switzerland between 2008 and 2022.

SDA