Being non-religious or a minority Christian in Spain

Terms used

• Semana Santa — Semana Santa is Holy Week before Easter, with processions and public holidays across Spain.
• Concertado — A concertado school is privately run but state-funded; many are Catholic.
• IRPF — The IRPF is Spain's personal income tax.
• IBI — The IBI is the annual local property tax.
• FEREDE — FEREDE is the federation of Evangelical religious entities in Spain.
• Notorio arraigo — Notorio arraigo is official recognition that a religion has deep roots in Spain.
• Registro de Entidades Religiosas — The Registro de Entidades Religiosas is the Ministry of Justice register of legally recognised religious groups.

Key rules

• Private belief: Being non-religious is common, and nobody expects you to state or practise a faith.
• Religion classes: Catholic religion classes must be offered in public schools but are optional.
• Holidays: Many public holidays are Catholic, so expect closures and processions around them.
• Registration check: You can confirm a religious group is legally registered with the Ministry of Justice register.
• Finding a group: Evangelical and Orthodox congregations are easiest to find in cities and expat coastal areas.

The short picture

Spain is secularised, but its structure is Catholic. Nobody will ask about your faith in daily life, and being non-religious is normal. Yet the calendar, many schools and some public ceremonies follow Catholic tradition. Evangelical and Orthodox congregations exist across the country, especially among immigrant communities.

How religious is Spain?

Recent national surveys show about 55% to 60% of residents call themselves Catholic. Of those, roughly 20% say they practise. About 36% to 40% say they are non-believers, agnostic or atheist, and about 2% to 3% follow other religions. The non-religious share keeps growing.

So you can keep your beliefs private, and most people will not think twice.

Where Catholic tradition shows up

• Holidays. Many public holidays are Catholic: Epiphany (6 January), Easter Thursday or Good Friday, Assumption (15 August), All Saints, Immaculate Conception and Christmas. Local patron-saint days are holidays too. Semana Santa processions and local fiestas can change traffic and opening hours.
• Schools. Public schools must offer Catholic religion classes, but they are optional. Pupils who opt out may get alternative activities or a values subject, and the rules have changed with each education law. Many state-funded concertado schools are Catholic, so check a school's own policy.
• Money. On the income tax return (IRPF), taxpayers can tick a box to send a share of their tax to the Church. Ticking it does not raise your bill. The Church is also exempt from some taxes, such as IBI on places of worship.
• Symbols. Crosses and religious imagery remain in some public buildings, and officials sometimes attend religious ceremonies.

The state itself is non-confessional. Protestants, Jews and Muslims have cooperation agreements dating from 1992.

Evangelical and Orthodox communities

Evangelical churches are widespread. There are about 4,000 places of worship and an estimated 1.5 million members and attendees, including many Latin American and Romanian immigrants. FEREDE, the federation of Evangelical entities, represents them.

Orthodox Christians number an estimated 1 to 1.5 million, mostly Romanian, with Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Russian and Greek communities. Most belong to the Romanian Orthodox Church. The Orthodox have no state agreement but hold notorio arraigo status. These figures are estimates.

How to find a congregation

• Evangelical: FEREDE lists member churches by region.
• Orthodox: parishes are mostly national (Romanian, Russian, Greek, Serbian, Bulgarian). Many have their own websites and messaging groups.
• English-language services: Anglican chaplaincies and international evangelical churches meet in expat areas such as the Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca, the Balearics, the Canaries, Madrid and Barcelona.
• Other routes: search the denomination plus your town, ask at your consulate or an international school, or check expat forums.
• To check that a group is legally registered, use the Registro de Entidades Religiosas kept by the Ministry of Justice.

Choice is best in cities and expat coastal areas. It is thinner in rural inland Spain. Congregations open, close and change language often, so contact them directly before you go.

The decision and FAQ below can help you choose how to approach religion in daily life.

Choosing between options

How do you want to approach religion in everyday life in Spain?

• Stay non-religious and keep it private: You have no faith or do not practise. Spain is a secularised country with a Catholic cultural structure, and about 36% to 40% of residents say they are non-believers, so you will fit in easily.

• Join a minority Christian congregation: You are Evangelical, Orthodox or Anglican. Evangelical and Orthodox congregations exist, especially among immigrant communities, and you can find them through FEREDE (the Evangelical federation), national parishes or English-language chaplaincies.

• Take part in Catholic culture without being Catholic: You want to join local life. Many public holidays, fiestas and Semana Santa processions are Catholic in origin, so joining them is a social choice, not a religious one.

If you want a worshipping community, search for your denomination plus your town, and confirm the group is on the Registro de Entidades Religiosas. If not, you do not need to do anything: nothing in daily life requires you to be Catholic. For children, ask the school about its religion class policy, as Catholic religion classes are optional in public schools.

Frequently asked questions

How many people in Spain say they are Catholic or non-religious?

About 55% to 60% of residents describe themselves as Catholic, and about 36% to 40% say they are non-believers, agnostic or atheist. Only around 20% of Catholics say they practise. The non-believer share has grown steadily, so being non-religious is common and unremarkable.

How big are the Evangelical and Orthodox communities in Spain?

Evangelicals are estimated at over 1.5 million members and attendees, with about 4,000 places of worship. Orthodox Christians number about 1 to 1.5 million, mostly Romanian, with Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Russian and Greek communities. Many members are immigrants from Latin America and Eastern Europe.

How can I check that a church or religious group is legally registered?

You can check the Registro de Entidades Religiosas, kept by the Ministry of Justice, which confirms whether a group is legally registered. Evangelical churches are also listed by region by FEREDE, the Evangelical federation. Orthodox parishes are often national communities with their own websites.

Where can I find English-speaking church services in Spain?

English-language services, including Anglican chaplaincies and international evangelical churches, are mostly held in expat areas such as the Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca, the Balearics, the Canaries, Madrid and Barcelona. Search for the denomination plus your town, or ask at your consulate or an international school. Rural inland areas have far fewer options.