Only 13 percent of Spain's Catholics say they practice faith

Madrid, Spain, Jan 13, 2012 / 06:05 pm (CNA/Europa Press) - New data shows that despite over 70 percent of Spaniards identifying themselves as Catholic, only 13.6 percent say they practice their faith and attend services on Sunday and holy days.


A new study from the Center for Sociological Studies in Spain showed the number of those who claim to be Catholic remains practically unchanged from last year, with just a small 0.2 percent decrease.


According to the data, of all those polled by the survey who claim to be believers – both Catholics (73.4 percent) and those of other religions (1.9 percent) – 58.2 percent “almost never” attend Mass, up from 57.8 percent last year.


Respondents who said they attend religious services – excluding weddings, First Communions or funerals – “several times a year” increased from 16.4 percent to 17.7 percent, while those who practice their faith “once a month” fell from 10.1 percent to 7.3 percent.


The poll also showed that believers of other religions decreased from 2.5 percent to 1.9 percent, while those who claim to be non-believers fell from 15 percent to 14.7 percent.