Sweden the 'Least' and Thailand the 'Most Religious' In The World, Gallup

In a global survey, Swedes' religious beliefs are dramatically contrasted with most other countries, with more than six out of ten people across 65 countries calling themselves "religious", according to thelocal.

In a study by the polling firm WIN/Gallup International, as part of its 2014 End of Year Survey, with data on religious beliefs, it has been found that out of 63,398 people, only China, Hong Kong and Japan have a greater proportion of atheists than Sweden.

 "It's a little bit surprising because we have a lot of members," Gunnar Sjöberg, head of communication for the Swedish Church tells The Local.

 "But then to be a member is not just to do with your personal beliefs. Many Swedes are supporting the social work we are doing, so that is one reason we have a lot of members. People know we need the church in Sweden even if they are not believers," he adds.

In the U.S., 56 percent of respondents confirm that they are religious. About 33 percent said they are not, while 6 percent call themselves atheists. According to christianpost, most people in the survey---about five in ten----across Western Europe call themselves "not religious" or "a convinced atheist".

While there are over 3,500 churches in Sweden and the Swedish Church (Svenska Kyrkan) explains that it has 6.3 million members out of the country's 10 million. Most of the children of Swedish Church members are enrolled at birth. But Statistics Sweden says that only five percent of Swedes attend church regularly, while one out of three couples choose a civil marriage.

Due to the swelling numbers of immigrants in the last decade, there are more mosque-goers than before. Christians still play a large role, with popular traditions such as Lucia, in which children role-play a female saint.

The most religious country globally in the latest WIN/Gallup poll is Thailand, in which nine out of ten respondents call themselves religious. It is followed by Bangladesh, Georgia and Morocco in the joint second position.

Jean-Marc Leger, President of the WIN/Gallup International Association, agrees that religion is the most important player in most people's lives.

 "We see that the total number of people who consider themselves to be religious is actually relatively high. Furthermore, with the trend of an increasingly religious youth globally, we can assume that the number of people who consider themselves religious will only continue to increase."

Gunnar Sjöberg adds: "In Sweden compared to other countries, religious beliefs are very personal, people don't talk about religion a lot in everyday life. But when we speak to people about whether or not they pray, they often say 'yes'".

In another global study on religion released by Pew Research Center earlier this month, the total number of religiously unaffiliated people in the world is recorded at16 percent, while it projects that by 2050, the share will fall to 13 percent. Over three-quarters of the American population dub themselves Christian, even though the share is predicted to go down to two-thirds by 2050.