The article examines the top 10 countries with the largest atheist/agnostic populations, according to the following resource:
Zuckerman, Phil. “Atheism: Contemporary Rates and Patterns”, chapter in The
Cambridge Companion to Atheism, ed. by Michael Martin, Cambridge University Press:
Cambridge, UK (2005).
The definition of atheism varies from theorist to theorist. However, it is widely seen as the belief of no god or higher being. Agnostics believe that there is something but do not what is out there. Unlike with atheists, they can be persuaded with actual factual proof.
1. China:
China has 103,907,840 to 181,838,720 atheists/agnostics living in the country. This calculates to approximately 8-14% of the total population. This became prevalent during the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. Before that, the Chinese were predominately Buddhist (90%).
2. Japan:
Japan has 81,493,120 to 82,766,450 atheists/agnostics living in the country. This calculates to approximately 64-65% of the total population.
3. Russia:
Russia has 34,507,680 – 69,015,360 atheists/agnostics living in the country. This calculates to approximately 24-48% of the total population. Atheism was first employed by Stalin in what is called military atheism. He violently attacked religious and disenfranchised churches.
4. Vietnam:
Vietnam has 66,978,900 atheists/agnostics living in the country. This calculates to approximately 81% of the total population. The constitution of Vietnam, enacted in 1980 allowed people the freedom of worship.
5. Germany:
Germany has 33,794,250 – 40,388,250 atheists/agnostics living in the country. This calculates to approximately 41-49% of the total population. It is home to Emmanuel Kant and Karl Marx, who both were atheists/agnostics. Kant widely criticized religious morality.