Where the church stands in France
France is often described as the most secular country in Western Europe. Christian identity remains on paper for around half the population, but practising faith is far rarer — evangelicals are roughly one percent, and many towns of ten thousand people have no evangelical church at all.
The most vital growth is in the cities and among immigrant communities: African and Caribbean congregations, and a slow but real increase in French evangelical church plants. France is not a nation that has heard and refused so much as one that has largely forgotten.
Signs of hope
Steady church planting in the cities, and vibrant African and Caribbean diaspora congregations reviving French Christianity from the margins.
The honest difficulty
Deep secularism, cultural suspicion of religious conviction, and whole regions with no evangelical presence.
What "Less-reached" means
There is a church, but it is small relative to the population, or the Christian identity is far more widespread than active faith. Much of the nation can still live a whole life without meeting a follower of Jesus.
In France the majority religious context is Christianity (nominal, ~48%), no religion (~40%). The largest population still considered without meaningful Gospel access is the North African and West African diaspora communities.
How to pray for France
Prayer is not a substitute for going; it is how going begins. Take one of these for a week rather than all of them for a day.
- Pray for French towns with no evangelical church of any kind.
- Ask God to bless African and Caribbean congregations sending the Gospel back into France.
- Pray for young French believers to stay and plant rather than leave.
- Pray for North African immigrant communities — reachable in Paris as they are not in Algiers.
Questions people ask about France
Is France an unreached nation?
France is classified as less-reached. There is a church, but it is small relative to the population, or the Christian identity is far more widespread than active faith. Much of the nation can still live a whole life without meeting a follower of Jesus. Roughly 48% of the population identifies as Christian and about 1% as evangelical, with an estimated 32 of its 105 people groups still considered unreached. Figures are rounded estimates and vary by source and year.
How many Christians are there in France?
About 48% of France's roughly 66 million people identify as Christian — approximately 32 million people. Around 1% are evangelical. The largest group still without meaningful Gospel access is the North African and West African diaspora communities.
How can I pray for France?
Pray for French towns with no evangelical church of any kind. Ask God to bless African and Caribbean congregations sending the Gospel back into France. Pick one of these, pray it for two minutes a day for a week, and ask one other person to pray it with you.