Poland among the fastest secularizing countries in the world

Since 2016, Poland has been secularizing at the fastest pace in the world. Religion is losing its importance, especially among young people, according to recently published research. According to Professor Katarzyna Zielińska, a sociologist of religion from the Jagiellonian University, this is due, among other things, to the politicization of the Catholic Church, its approach to the faithful, and the pandemic.

Research by Professor Joerg Stolz of the University of Lausanne, published in Nature Communications (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-62452-z), analyzed how attitudes toward religion are changing across age groups. It turns out that young people around the world are now less religious than older people. However, Poland turned out to be the country where intergenerational differences in religiosity are the greatest (both in terms of participation in religious practices, the importance of religion in life, and a sense of belonging).

"Indeed, Poland now seems to be the fastest secularizing country in the world," Professor Stolz commented to PAP. In his opinion, this is related to the fact that our country is modernizing very quickly, undergoing significant economic and technological development. "This leads to secularization and translates into intergenerational differences in attitudes toward religion," the researcher added.

Referring to this research, sociologist of religion Dr. Katarzyna Zielińska, a professor at the Jagiellonian University, emphasized that Poland still lags behind Western Europe in terms of overall secularization. "Poland is still significantly more religious than most other European countries. Therefore, we have a delayed trajectory of changes regarding secularization," she noted.

Until recently, there was talk of "creeping secularization" in Poland, but in the last decade people's departure from religion has clearly accelerated.

"Since around 2016, we've seen a reversal in previous trends, a decline in the number of people who declare themselves believers and participate in religious practices. We've also seen an increase in the number of people who declare themselves non-believers," Professor Zielińska pointed out.

This is evident in census results: between 2011 and 2021, the percentage of people declaring themselves Catholics fell from 87 to 71 percent. Meanwhile, in recent years, according to CBOS research, the percentage of people declaring themselves non-believers has increased from a few percent to 14 percent.

But why is secularization in Poland progressing now? Professor Zielińska explained that the Catholic Church's high position is linked to the country's history. For hundreds of years, it served as a vehicle for national identity and a representative of the nation before regimes, especially during the partitions and communism. In the Polish People's Republic, although it united the opposition, it was also treated relatively leniently by the authorities – partly in exchange for helping to calm social tensions. The Church remained strong even after 1989, when many politicians in power felt obligated to repay it for its role in the Polish People's Republic.

In her opinion, however, the perception of the Catholic Church's role has changed significantly in the last decade – especially during the United Right's government (2015–2023). She added that the Church became deeply involved politically at the time, siding with the ruling party. It spoke out against the LGBT+ community and was perceived as co-responsible for tightening abortion laws. "The women's strikes had a very clear anticlerical, secularist dimension," Professor Zielińska pointed out.

"The Church has always been politically engaged, but in the 2015–2023 period, this involvement ceased to be accepted in some Catholic circles. Warnings were raised that such close ties between the Church and a single political party could adversely affect its standing," concluded the Jagiellonian University sociologist.

Another factor was the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted the habit of regular religious participation—previously typical of Polish religiosity. Believers who previously couldn't imagine missing Mass stopped attending church during the lockdowns and often never returned.

According to the sociologist, more and more people have also begun to feel the need for change in the way the Church communicates with the faithful and society. She explained that during the communist era, when other European countries were secularizing and forcing changes on their churches, there was no pressure for reform in Poland. "As a result, we still have a traditional Church, where the priest is the most important figure, and the laity are only there to help," said Professor Zielińska. She added that young people are discouraged from this institution because they believe the Church is unresponsive to their needs and voices.

People are also leaving the Church, outraged by its response to sexual abuse scandals. "Many religiously committed people may believe that the Church is failing to fulfill its mission," the researcher assessed.

According to her, changing gender roles and the greater participation of women in the labor market are also contributing to secularization. Women in Poland—who have traditionally been more religious than men—are now secularizing faster. And yet, they were traditionally responsible for raising children in the faith.

Another factor is the breakdown of traditional religious socialization: fewer and fewer parents, especially in large cities, send their children to religious education at school, which weakens the transmission of religious knowledge and practices.

Asked whether secularization in Poland would continue to reach the level of Western European countries, Professor Zielińska replied that it was difficult to predict. "Much depends on how the Catholic Church responds to the processes taking place in society. The international situation is also important – including the war beyond the eastern border. History shows that in crisis situations, when there is a lack of existential security, religion often becomes an attractive solution," she concluded.

Ludwik Tomal (PAP)

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