Why France?
Contrary to what many people believe, France is not a Christian country. A complicated history with the Catholic church has left it as primarily atheist, skeptical of organized religion. While over 40% of the population still identify as Catholic, this is largely cultural – only about 5% go at least once a month to mass. Islam (10%) is growing, with France representing the largest Muslim population in Europe. Evangelical Christians are less than 2% of the population and must contend with a government so secular that God has been pushed out of view in everyday life: many laws are in place to prohibit signs or sharing of faith in workplaces, schools, and any public space.
And yet, France has a unique place in the world and in God’s Kingdom. It is a major global power, a leader in engineering, renowned for history, art, music, culture, food and more – its worldwide influence is undebatable. It has topped the list of the most visited countries on the planet for decades. French is the official language of dozens of countries with over 300 million French-speakers around the world.
Why Give to France?
Aren’t there places that are more in need?
Take a closer look and you’ll see why we mobilize generosity for French ministries.
We believe that God has a special plan for France, and support the work of the true Church of Christ – all those who have made Jesus Lord and Savior of their lives – whether through the more outspoken Evangelical movements or through other Protestant and Catholic works.
Evangelicals In France
For the first time since the 1950s, French Protestants make up close to 3% of the population – driven largely by growth in the Evangelical population (representing 1.6% of the population). While churches are being planted at an increasing rate, as of 2023, there is still an average of just one Evangelical church for every 25,000 inhabitants in France.
The goal of most denominations is to see one church for every 10,000 inhabitants – making the Gospel accessible to all French people. For a complete breakdown of church statistics and information, please visit the CNEF website.
Spirituality
Faith and Beliefs
53% of the country declares having no religion. Between 2009 and 2020, secularization has increased from 45% to 53% only in the 18-49 age bracket.
Catholicism remains the leading religion (29% of the population) followed by Islam (10%) with a growing number of believers. Islam followers in France represent the largest Muslim population of Europe.
Other Christian denominations (protestant, evangelical, etc.) are also rising to 9%.
Occult sciences. According to a 2020 study, the occult is an increasingly popular phenomenon. 58% of the interviewed persons said they believed in at least one of the “parascience” disciplines, namely:
It has also been steadily increasing for at least the last twenty years: belief in astrology and fortune-telling has risen by 8 points since 2000, reaching 41% and 26% respectively.
As a result, more than a quarter of French people have consulted a specialist (26%) at least once in their lives.
Religious Practice
Only 8% of Catholics regularly attend a place of worship.
Just over 20% of other Christians, Muslims and Buddhists regularly attend a place of worship, and 34% of Jews.
69% of the population do not have a Bible.
Intergenerational transmission of faith
Intergenerational religious transmission processes shape the religious landscape over the long term:
91% of people raised in Muslim families follow their parents’ religion.
84% among Jews
67% among Catholics
69% among other Christians
There are 100,000 mediums in France and about 2,500 pastors (40 mediums for every 1 pastor).
The French spend 4 billion EUR every year on spiritism.
YET…
The number of evangelicals in France has multiplied by almost 15 in the last 70 years! Praise God!
From 50,000 in 1950, today, there are over 745,000 evangelicals of all ages with regular activity in 2,700 local churches (parishes) in metropolitan France.
Evangelicals are currently in the majority within French Protestantism in terms of the number of regular churchgoers (they account for three-quarters) and the number of local churches.
35 additional local churches are established every year. That’s one every 10 days!
This phenomenon is not confined to major urban centers. It’s happening just about everywhere in France.
At this moment, there is in average 1 Evangelical Protestant church per 25,000 inhabitants in France. The members of the National Counsel of French Evangelicals have set themselves a target of 1 per 10,000.
There are currently 45 known evangelical unions or denominations, 33 of which are members of the Conseil National des Évangéliques de France.
History of Christianity in France
Explore the fascinating history of Christianity in France, from its ancient roots to the present day. Uncover the struggles, triumphs, and transformations that have shaped the spiritual landscape of France.