PRAGUE — On a small farmer’s market in the heart of Prague, Mája sells vegan delicacies. She hopes to inspire others to lead a plant-based lifestyle. To Mája, veganism is more than what’s on her plate: She views it as a tool through which her spirituality is manifested.

Mája, who only wanted to be identified by her first name, identifies as non-religious. Instead, she considers herself a believer in love, kindness and equality.

The country of Czechia, known until recently as the Czech Republic following its split from Slovakia, is a stark contrast to many countries where religion shapes societal norms and family structures. Czechia used to be predominantly Catholic, but has undergone a dramatic secularization, leaving many with the question of what institution or institutions the Eastern European nation is built upon. 

The 2021 census, conducted by the Czech Statistical Office, provides data on household size and demonstrates a clear trend: The decrease of people residing together. With almost 68% of households comprising one or two individuals, Czechia mirrors a broader European pattern of individualization. Along with the decline in household size, a significant number of families decide to remain childless. According to the data, nearly half of one-family households had no dependent children. 

Data also reveals that young Czechs are the least religious in Europe — with 91% indicating they are non-religious. These numbers demonstrate the emphasis on individual lifestyles and careers over parenthood, a phenomenon increasingly common in secular societies.

According to the censuses data, Catholicism was the religion of 39.1% of the Czechs in 1991 and has declined to 9.3% in 2021.

“There's a tendency in secular societies to become very unstable,” said Dr. Paul Marshall, a professor of Religious Freedom at the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University, a Media Project board member and Religion Unplugged contributor. “The government occupies so much of the social space. Another general feature as countries secularize is that they stop having children. So, this also means families can disappear. If that means the family is mother, father, and the children.”

Expert opinion differs from those of young adults in Prague. While the aforementioned data may seem negative, the figures regaridng marriage, divorce and birth rates is better than that of other European countries. Despite high numbers of people identifying as non-religious, the country has a higher marriage rate and lower divorce rate than other European countries with high numbers of people who do not identify with a faith tradition.

Mája said she feels happy about starting a family in the future, but views marriage as unimportant.

“Of course! I would love to have my own little house and family and children and a dog,” she said. “I don't need marriage to be happy. It’s not really an important part of life for me. I don’t need that.”

Czechia also has a lower divorce rate than both Sweden and Estonia, the other two least religious countries in the European Uunion. Additionally, Czechia is ranked 10th on a list of 31 European countries in terms of marriage rate. These findings, in combination with high irreligiosity, indicate religion is not the fundamental institution driving the Czech society. 

Mája said the government is the most important institution. Meanwhile, Bára, a young woman working at the market, said she thinks the economy and family are the fundamental institutions in Czech society today.

“Many young people want to be rich and free,” said Bára, who only wanted to give her first name for this interview.  

According to the “Central European Journal of Contemporary Religion,” the growth of atheism in Czechia is influenced by an interplay of historical and sociopolitical factors. A long-standing anti-Catholic sentiment from the communist era laid the groundwork for skepticism against organized religion.

“Religion is useful to manipulate people,” Mája said.

The authors of the study suggest distrust grew during the Cold War, which ended in 1989, which adopted an anti-religious stance — promoting atheism as part of its ideological ideas. This post-World War II era reinforced a culture of skepticism towards organized religion, which shaped the Czech population's attitude towards spirituality.

Following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Czechia became one of the most secular countries in Europe. Pew Research indicates consistently low levels of religiosity compared to other post-communist nations. The transition to a democratic society allowed for a more open expression of secular beliefs. It allowed Czechs to explore their spirituality, yet many have opted for non-organized spirituality or irreligiosity.

The fertility rate of 1.7 per woman indicates the Czech population is slowly dying. Data shows the natality rate has declined starting in the late 20th century. However, the birth rate has begun to increase in the last decade. Despite widespread secularization, young adults may be bringing life back to the family institution.

“Religious people already have higher fertility intentions in adolescence than less religious people,” said Dr, Jasmin Passet-Wittig said in a study released last year. “From the age of around 30, the desired number of children decreases slightly for everyone, but for religious people this decrease starts from a higher level.”

Anna Nilsson, Isabel Vasquez and Mariana Alvarez were all students who took part in the 2024 European Journalism Institute that took place last summer and co-sponsored by The Media Project and The Fund for American Studies.