Religion

Over time, Sweden's religious landscape has expanded in diversity. From the 12th until the early 20th century, nearly all of the people in Sweden were Christians; but, throughout the late 20th and early 21st centuries, that number has been quickly declining.

Christianity first arrived in Sweden in the ninth century, primarily as a result of increased trade. The old Nordic cults were gradually superseded. A few centuries later, all kings became Christians, and Christianity was accepted as the state religion. The church belonged to the Catholic Church until 1527, when it became the Swedish state church, a Protestant organization founded on Lutheran doctrines, as a result of Martin Luther's Protestant Reformation, which converted the majority of Germanic Europe.

Up until the dawn of the twenty-first century, the Lutheran Church of Sweden served as the nation's official religion. The religious landscape in Sweden has changed significantly in recent years, with Christians making up roughly 61.3% of the overall population in 2020 (of which 55.2% are members of the Church of Sweden), as well as an increasing number of non-Christians (34.8%) and followers of other religions.

The Lutheran Church of Sweden, which was the state church until 2000, is by far the largest Christian denomination, but its registered membership is steadily declining. In 2020, 55.2% of the population will be members, down from 2.5 percentage points in 2018. Free churches, the Catholic Church, and Eastern Orthodox Churches are some smaller Christian denominations. Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and Jews make up the majority of adherents to other religions.