Nationally, 94% of the population claims to be Roman Catholic. However, the majority of Barcelona’s young, Catalan-born population, neglect church. In fact, church-going is generally the domain of the older generations and those from Latin America. There are 208 churches representing the Catholic faith, 71 for Evangelists and 21 for Jehovah’s Witnesses. Catalonia’s large North African and Pakistani population provide a sizable Muslim community, with numerous Islamic centers. There are also 13 places of worship for Buddhists.

Other than Christmas, Easter Sunday and Saint’s Week, important events in the calendar include Saint George’s Day (Sant Jordi), the Patron Saint of Catalonia, on 23rd April, Saint John’s Day (Sant Joan), 23rd June and Three Kings (Los Reyes) on 5th January, which is traditionally when Christmas presents are given. Many of Barcelona’s Pakistani and North African inhabitants observe the Muslim rite of Ramadan and fast for one month each year.