Public Confidence Towards National Church Shoots Up, Membership Never Lower

Public trust towards the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Iceland’s national church, has not been higher since 2008, according to a recent Gallup poll.

According to the survey, 47 percent of respondents claim to have high, very high, or complete confidence in the institution.

This denotes a substantial shift from the latest measurement, conducted in September 2023, when only 28 percent of respondents claimed to have confidence in the church.

Additionally, public faith in the Bishop of Iceland has not been as high in 21 years, with the approval rating of current Bishop Guðrún Karl Helgudóttir measuring at 57 percent. Her predecessor, Agnes M. Sigurðardóttir, peaked with 45 percent approval in 2012.

While public confidence is high, national church membership is at an all-time low, Heimildin reports.

In December, 2025, 54.5 percent of nationals were registered in the national church, compared to 65.2 percent in December, 2019.