Fewer Canadians have a religious affiliation
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The number of people reporting no religious affiliation has been gradually rising. In 2003, 16% of women aged 15 and older reported no religious affiliation; by 2008, that share had climbed to 20%. A higher proportion of men reported no affiliation: 22% in 2003 and 26% in 2008.
However, 42% of women and 31% of men surveyed in 2008 said their religious or spiritual beliefs were 'very important' to the way they live.
Forty percent of all women identified as Catholic, while 24% said they followed one of the other Christian denominations. About 5% of women in Canada reported affiliation with the Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, or Sikh religions.
Women's attendance at religious services has been falling for two decades. In 2008, 31% of women attended a religious service at least once a month, down from 37% in 1998 and 46% in 1988. For men, attendance fell to 26% in 2008 from 37% in 1988.
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