More and more people–there are millions of them around the world–believe, in their own words, that life definitely ends with death and that there is no God, no eternal life, and no divine providence. It seems that these beliefs, in spite of all their pessimism, are becoming increasingly widespread. In some countries it has become more fashionable than ever to openly declare oneself an atheist.
“There are obviously more atheists than ever before, both in absolute terms and as a percentage of the total number of people on the planet,” says Phil Zuckerman, professor of sociology and secular studies at Pitzer University in Claremont, California, USA, and author of The Secular Life. After surveying more than 50,000 people in 57 countries, Gallup International Research Center analysts say the number of people who consider themselves religious decreased from 77 percent to 68 percent from 2005 to 2011, while the share of self-described non-believers increased by 3 percent, pushing the percentage of convinced atheists to 13 percent.