The Basque Government shall establish a Council of Religions of the Basque Country
The Basque Government will launch the Basque Council of Religions in the spring with the aim of managing religious diversity in the Basque Country. It will be born with an action plan based on coexistence and cooperative secularism.
The Department of Welfare, Youth and Demographic Challenges of theBasque Government has announced the creation of the Basque Council of Religions, which will bring together representatives of the main denominations currently in existence in the Basque Country, with the aim of promoting interreligious and intercultural coexistence on the basis of "religious pluralism and respect for the rights and duties of all its manifestations" and guided by the principle ofcooperative agility.
Counsellor Nerea Melgosa has explained that the regulation of the Basque Country's Council of Religions "will be approved in a few weeks at the Governing Council, which will holdits first meeting later this spring ".
This advisory body shall be the formal framework for initiatives and decisions that may affect religious and religious freedom in order to provide technical advice and participate in the design of public policies relating to religious diversity.
The Council shall also adopt a proactive model of knowledge of religious realities and the prevention of conflict situations in order to prevent situations that may lead to tension and prevent reactive responses or the socialization of hate speech.
Concrete action measures
For all these purposes, the Directorate for Diversity, Coexistence and Intergenerational Solidarity, with the advice of the Ellacuria Centre(an organization specializing in religious diversity), has designed an Action Plan for the next four years (2026-2029).
The plan includes specific lines of action, such as the autonomous planning of burialfor the adaptation of cemeteries and rites to different denominations, and the creation of a specific standard for the urban planning of places of worship, as well as the preparation of a calendar of holidays for all denominations in the Basque Country.
The Plan also provides for the development of a strategy to avoid stereotypes and prejudices about minority religions and religious pluralism in general.
The Basque Government also undertakes to guarantee the offer ofmenus adapted to religious food regulations in public centres, such as hospitals, residences and reception centres.
Lastly, efforts will be made to incorporate criteria for equality between women and men into the Basque Government's relations with religious institutions, especially in the subsidized processes and in the areas of institutional representation.
The Council aims to be a stable forum for dialogue and cooperation between the Basque public institutions (Basque Government, Member States and municipalities) and the various religious denominations present in the community.
In particular, eight religionsshall take part, with a declaration of notorious roots: Buddhist, Islamic, Catholic, Evangelical, Romanian Orthodox, Bahia, Jesus Christ of the Saints of the last few days and Jehovah's Witnesses, and other minority religions and institutions promoting interreligious dialogue.
Photo of religions in the Basque Country
According to the data provided by the Barometer on Religion and Beliefs of the Spanish State, in 2025, a social majority of the Basque population (53%) claims not to be attached to any religion and 42% acknowledge having religious beliefs. Among those who belong to any religion, Catholic adherence continues to prevail (34%).
Today, according to the Basque Country's Map of Religions, 6-7% of the population belongs to other non-Catholic denominations, such as 4.0% Muslim, 1.1% Evangelical and 1.0% Orthodox. This diversity is also expressed on the map of places of worship, with more than 300 active in 2024, excluding those of the Catholic Church.
Although some of this diversity is associated with recent migratory flows, it cannot be understood from this perspective alone. According to the Basque Government, there are persons of foreign origin who adhere to minority religions and identify with the main religions; 42.9% follow the Catholic religion, 17.9% follow the Muslim religion, 9.8% are evangelical and 8.4% are orthodox.
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