Losing Their Religion: A Comparative Analysis of the Decline of Religion in Catalonia, Basque Country and Galicia,

During the Francoist period, the close and mutually beneficial alli- ance between the church and the state provoked skepticism toward clergy among many believing Catholics. Consequently, for more than four decades of secularism, since the end of dictatorship, the role that religion played within daily lives of Spaniards has diminished notably. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the present religious com- position in Spain, with an emphasis onminority nations, i.e. regions of Catalonia, Basque County and Galicia, from a comparative perspective. By using Barómetro (1979-2021) from The Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (CIS), but also by including data obtained from regional research centers (e.g., Institut d’Estadística de Catalunya (IDESCAT), Eu- skobarómetro and Instituto Galego de Estatística (IGE)) this study aims to determine whether there is a correlation between secularism and anti-Castilian sentiment within minority nations, or whether the decline of religion in Spanish society is parallel to a broader secularization process occurring in Europe in the last century