Dutch attend religious services less frequently

Amsterdam, the Netherlands - The number of people attending religious services at least once per month in the Netherlands dropped by 4 per cent over a ten-year period, according to a study by the country's Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) released on Wednesday. The study of the country's main religious groups' observance, lifestyles and political outlook showed an overall drop in religious attendance, from 23 per cent in 1998 to 19 per cent in 2008, with falling attendance highest among Muslims.

Between 2004 and 2008, 35 per cent of Muslims visited a mosque at least once per month, down from 47 per cent in 1998 and 1999.

Half of the country's Muslims attended a mosque "never or only rarely," the CBS study showed.

In 2008, 23 per cent of Catholics visited a church at least once per month, down from 31 per cent in 1999. The percentage of Protestants attending church services at least once every four weeks fell only slightly, from 48 to 45 per cent.

Those who attend religious services regularly, the study showed, perceive themselves as healthier than those who do not.

Muslims, who make up 5 per cent of the population, are the only exception. They perceive themselves as less healthy than any other group in the Netherlands, religious or secular, according to the study.

To some extent, Muslims' perception of their own health was reflected in reality.

Around 60 per cent of Muslims are overweight, the CBS said. They also do sports less than the national average while smoking in higher numbers and visiting family doctors or specialists and using medication more frequently than other groups.

By contrast, alcohol consumption - prohibited in Islam - is much lower among Muslims than in any other group in the Netherlands.

Some 80 per cent of all Dutch males drink alcoholic beverages regularly, compared with 30 per cent of their Muslim counterparts.