Number of worshippers on decrease

Two in five people in Switzerland say they pray every day. A survey in the weekly magazine, Hebdo, also shows that the number of people attending worship have been decreasing over the past three decades.

Two in five people in Switzerland say they pray every day. A survey in the weekly magazine, Hebdo, also shows that the number of people attending worship have been decreasing over the past three decades.

The report points out that nearly a quarter of the communicants say prayers at table with their children. But 10 per cent of those questioned say they never pray. The figures appear to confirm that the number of worshippers among Catholics and Protestants is continuing to drop.

In the 1960s, 18 per cent of Catholics and 34 per cent of Protestants said they considered themselves non-communicants. In 1998, the figures soared to 38.5 and 50.7 per cent respectively.

The survey was carried out on behalf of the Protestant Churches in Switzerland and is based on data collected in more than 1,500 interviews between 1998 and 1999.

It says almost 50 per cent of those polled never or rarely attend church services. The number of regular church goers dropped by 10 per cent over the past 10 years.

The survey shows that 85 per cent of people consider themselves close to Christian faith. Only five per cent feel close to Islam.

The number of those who believe in God dropped slightly over the past ten years to 71 per cent.

swissinfo and agencies