Portuguese young people as to religion: a global characterization

Abstract

In 1983 the IED (Institute of Studiesfor the Development) achieved, in the continental Portugal, a deep research on the situation and problems of the Portuguese youth from 15 up to 24. One of the questions put forward concerned the position of young people as to religion, in a country traditionally considered as catholic. There was a seminar on this issue (the papers of which are now published in this number of Análise Social), in which the behaviour of young people towards religion was analysed deeply. In this article one aims to the complete systematization of the global characterization data concerning the Portuguese youth from 15 up to 24. The regional distribution and the habitat, the evolution per age groups, the scholastic qualifications, the access to a job and the unemployment are among the variables used to characterize Portuguese youth.