Religious information by country

Database (WCD) 2010 and International Religious Freedom Report for 2012 of the U.S. Department of State. The article Religions by country has a sortable table from the Pew Forum report.
Reliable data on religious demography is difficult to obtain because an official nationwide census has not been conducted in decades. U.S. government estimates indicate a population of approximately 30.4 million, with Sunni Muslims comprising 80% of the population, Shia Muslims making up about 19%, and other religious groups comprising less than 1%. The Ismailis, who self identify as a Shia denomination, comprise approximately 5% of the total population. Leaders of minority religious communities estimate there are 350 Sikh families and 30 Hindu families. Estimates of the Bahá'í and Christian communities are less clear because neither group practices openly for fear of persecution. Reportedly, the Christian community is between 500 and 8,000 persons and the Bahá'í community is approximately 2,000 persons. In addition, there are small numbers of practitioners of other religions. There is one known Jewish citizen.
There are three active gurdwaras (Sikh places of worship) in Kabul and 10 in other parts of the country; there were 64 gurdwaras throughout the country before the mujahideen era, when many were seized. There are five remaining Hindu mandirs (temples) in three cities: two in Kabul, one of which shares a wall with a mosque, one in Jalalabad, one in Helmand, and one in Kandahar. Afghanistan's last known Jew maintains Kabul's sole synagogue, and there are also three defunct synagogues in Herat, which are no longer in use for lack of a Jewish community. There are no public Christian churches. Afghan Christians worship alone or in small congregations in private homes. Many Afghan Christians converted while living as refugees in third countries. Chapels and churches for noncitizens of various faiths are located on several military bases, Provincial Reconstruction Teams, and at the Italian embassy in Kabul. Buddhist foreigners are free to worship in Hindu temples. Followers of the Bahá'í Faith have practiced in the country for approximately 150 years. The community is predominantly based in Kabul, although some Bahá'ís remain in Kandahar.
According to the 2011 census, the population is 2.8 million. It is difficult to assess the size of religious groups because nearly 20% of respondents declined to answer the optional census question about religious affiliation. Several religious leaders challenge the census results. According to the census, Sunni Muslims constitute nearly 57% of the population, Roman Catholics 10%, Orthodox Christians (the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania) nearly 7%, and Bektashi (a form of Shia Sufism) 2%. Other groups present include Bahá'ís, Jehovah's Witnesses, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The State Committee on Cults reports more than 230 religious groups, organizations, foundations, and educational institutions operating in the country.
The population is 37.1 million according to January estimates from the Office of National Statistics. Over 99% is Sunni Muslim. Groups together constituting less than 1% of the population include Christians, Jews, and a small community of Ibadi Muslims residing in the province of Ghardaia. Some religious leaders estimate there are only a few hundred Jews. Unofficial estimates of the number of Christians in Algeria vary between 30,000 and 70,000. For security reasons, due mainly to civil conflict, Christians concentrated in the cities of Algiers, Annaba, and Oran in the mid-1990s. According to Christian leaders, evangelical Christians, including Seventh-day Adventists, account for the largest number of Christians. Most evangelicals live in the Kabylie region. Next in size are the Methodists and members of other Protestant denominations, followed by Roman Catholics. A significant proportion of Christian foreign residents, whose numbers are difficult to estimate, are students and illegal immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa seeking to reach Europe. One religious leader estimates there are between 1,000 and 1,500 Egyptian Coptic Christians living in the country. There are no statistics on the number of religious conversions; however, according to the Minister of Religious Affairs, 150 foreigners converted to Islam and 50 citizens converted to Christianity in 2011. Christian leaders estimate that dozens of Algerians have converted to Christianity in the past two years. Officials from the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Endowments (MRA) report that there are approximately 16,000 mosques and 24,000 imams in Algeria.
The government estimates the population to be 78,000. There are no official statistics on religious affiliation, but observers estimate that approximately 90% of the population is Roman Catholic. Smaller religious groups include Muslims, Hindus, Jews, Anglicans, Seventh-day Adventists, Bahá'ís, and members of the Unification Church. There are also small numbers of members of other Christian groups, including the New Apostolic Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and Jehovah's Witnesses. The population consists largely of immigrants from Spain, Portugal, and France; citizens constitute 37% of inhabitants. Immigrants are generally also Catholic.
The government estimates the population to be approximately 20 million. The last official census was in 1970. The majority of the population is Christian. The Roman Catholic Church estimates that 55% of the population is Catholic, while the government estimates that 70% is. The National Institute for Religious Affairs estimates 25% of the population combines Christian and traditional beliefs; 10% is Protestant, including Methodists, Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, Congregationalists (United Church of Christ), and Assemblies of God; and 5% belongs to Brazilian evangelical churches. A small portion of the rural population practices animism or indigenous religious beliefs. There is a small Muslim community, unofficially estimated at 80,000 to 90,000, most of whom are migrants from West Africa or of Lebanese origin. Some Muslim sources put these figures closer to 500,000, but it is not possible to confirm the estimate. There are approximately 450 to 500 Jews, primarily Israelis.
According to a U.S. government estimate in July, the population of Antigua and Barbuda is 89,000. According to the 2001 census, 74% of the population is Christian. The Anglican Church is the largest religious group, accounting for 26% of the population. The Methodist, Moravian, and Roman Catholic churches account for less than 10% each. The United Evangelical Association, an organization that includes most independent evangelical churches, claims 25% of the population, and Jehovah's Witnesses number more than 1,000 members. Non-Christians include an estimated 1,000 to 1,500 Rastafarians, more than 200 Muslims, nearly 200 Hindus, and approximately 50 members of the Bahá'í Faith. There are also approximately 200 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
According to the 2010 census of the National Institute of Statistics and Census, the population is approximately 40.1 million. A 2008 study by the National Council of Scientific and Technical Research and the National Agency for the Promotion of Science and Technology estimates Roman Catholics constitute 76% of the population, and Baptists, Jews, Muslims, Jehovah's Witnesses, Lutherans, Methodists, and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) each total less than 5% of the population. Leaders of diverse religious groups note the recent growth of evangelical Protestant communities. While exact numbers are difficult to confirm (and national census data does not track religious affiliation), the Jewish population is approximately 250,000-300,000, generally considered the largest Jewish population in Latin America. Similarly, the Muslim population, an estimated 400,000 to 1 million, is also the largest in Latin America.
According to preliminary results of the 2011 census, the population is 2.8 million. Approximately 90% of citizens belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church. Other religious groups constituting less than 5% each of the total population include Roman Catholics, Armenian Uniate (Mekhitarist) Catholics, Orthodox Christians, evangelical Christians, Molokans, Pentecostals, Seventh-day Adventists, Baptists, charismatic Christians, Jehovah's Witnesses, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Yezidis, Jews, Sunni Muslims, Shiite Muslims, and pagans.
Yezidis are concentrated primarily in agricultural areas northwest of Yerevan around Mount Aragats, and Armenian Catholics live primarily in the north. Most Jews, Mormons, and Orthodox Christians reside in Yerevan, along with a small community of Muslims, most of whom are Shiites, including Iranians and temporary residents from the Middle East.
According to November 2012 data from the Bureau of Statistics, the population is 22.8 million. According to the 2011 census, 61% of citizens consider themselves Christian, including 25% Roman Catholic and 17% Anglican, while 22.3% report having no religious affiliation. Buddhists constitute 2.5% of the population, Muslims 2.2%, Hindus 1.3%, and Jews 0.5%.
The census indicated that indigenous persons constitute 2.5% of the population (approximately 548,370 people) and that 1% of indigenous respondents practice traditional indigenous religions. Affiliation with a traditional indigenous religion is higher in very remote areas (6%) than in all other areas (less than 1%). Around 60% of indigenous respondents identify themselves as Christian and around 20% report having no religious affiliation.
The population is approximately 8.4 million, according to a 2011 Statistics Austria report. Religious groups and the Austrian Integration Fund estimate that Roman Catholics constitute 64% of the population and Muslims 6%. Religious groups constituting less than 5% each include the Lutheran Church; the Swiss Reformed Church (Evangelical Church-Augsburg and Helvetic confessions); Eastern Orthodox churches (Russian, Greek, Serbian, Romanian, and Bulgarian); Jehovah's Witnesses; other Christian churches; the Jewish community; and other non-Christian religious groups.
The population as estimated by the State Statistics Committee in 2012 is 9.3 million. According to 2011 data from the SCWRA, 96% of the population is Muslim, with the remainder consisting primarily of members of the Russian Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic Churches, other Christians, Jews, and nonbelievers. Approximately 65% of the Islamic population is Shia and 35% Sunni.
Christians mainly live in Baku and other urban areas. Approximately 20,000 Jews live in Baku, with smaller communities throughout the country. Other small religious groups include Lutherans, Roman Catholics, Baptists, Molokans, Seventh-day Adventists, and Bahá'ís. Since independence in 1991, a number of religious groups considered by the government to be foreign or "nontraditional" have established a presence, including Salafist Muslims, Pentecostal and other evangelical Christians, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Hare Krishnas. There is a significant number of foreign resident Christian communities in Baku.
According to the official census of 2010, the total population is approximately 353,700. The census also reported that more than 90% of the population professes a religion. Protestant Christian denominations make up a majority and include Baptists (35%), Anglicans/Episcopalians (15%), Pentecostals (8%), Church of God (5%), Seventh-day Adventists (5%), and Methodists (4%). Fourteen% of the population is Roman Catholic.
Smaller religious communities are also active and include Greek Orthodox Christians, Jews, Bahá'ís, Jehovah's Witnesses, Rastafarians, Muslims, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). A small number of Bahamians and resident Haitians, particularly those living in the Family Islands, practice Obeah, a version of Voodoo. Some members of the small resident Guyanese and Indian populations practice Hinduism.
The 2010 census lists the overall population as 1.2 million, with citizens making up slightly less than half of the population. Citizens are 99% Muslim, while Jews, Christians, Hindus, and Bahá'ís constitute the remaining 1%. Muslims comprise 70.2% of the total population of citizens and noncitizens. The government does not publish statistics regarding the sectarian breakdown between Shia and Sunni citizens; however, Shia are widely believed to represent a majority of the country's citizen population.
There are approximately 350 licensed Sunni mosques, while the number of licensed Shia places of worship includes 863 mosques and 589 matams (religious cultural centers). In newer residential developments such as Hamad Town and Isa Town, which often have mixed Shia and Sunni populations, there tends to be a disproportionate number of Sunni mosques. Foreigners, mostly from South Asia and from other Arab countries, constitute an estimated 54% of the population. Approximately half of resident foreigners are non-Muslim, including Hindus, Buddhists, Christians (primarily Roman Catholic, Protestant, Syrian Orthodox, and Mar Thoma from South India), Bahá'ís, and Sikhs.
According to the 2011 census, Sunni Muslims constitute 90% of the population and Hindus make up 9.5% of a total population of 152.5 million. The remainder of the population is predominantly Christian (mostly Roman Catholic) and Theravada-Hinayana Buddhist. Ethnic and religious minority groups often overlap and are concentrated in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and northern districts. Buddhists are predominantly found among the indigenous (non-Bengali) populations of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Bengali and ethnic minority Christians live in communities across the country, concentrating in Barisal City, Gournadi in Barisal District, Baniarchar in Gopalganj, Monipuripara in Dhaka, Christianpara in Mohakhal, Nagori in Gazipur, and Khulna City. There also are small populations of Shia Muslims, Bahá'ís, animists, and Ahmadiyya Muslims. Estimates of their numbers varied from a few thousand to 100,000 adherents per group.
Most noncitizen residents are of Bangladeshi descent and practice Islam. Separately, there are approximately 30,000 registered Rohingya refugees and between 250,000 and 450,000 unregistered Rohingya practicing Islam in the southeast around Cox's Bazar.
The population is approximately 287,700, according to a U.S. Government source. According to the 2000 census, more than 95% of the population is Christian. The most recent census indicates that the two largest groups are Anglicans (28%) and Pentecostals (18%), followed by Seventh-day Adventists (5%), Methodists (5%), and Roman Catholics (4%). There are small numbers of Baptists, Moravians, and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
The number of non-Christians is small. There are 4,000 Muslims, most of whom trace their ancestry to the Indian state of Gujarat. A few immigrants from Guyana, Trinidad, South Asia, and the Middle East, as well as approximately 200 native-born persons, constitute the rest of the growing Muslim community. There are three mosques and an Islamic center. Other religious groups include Jews, Rastafarians, Hindus, Buddhists, and Bahá'ís.
According to the National Statistics Committee, the population is 9.5 million. There are no authoritative figures on religious affiliation. The National Academy of Science reports that 57.3% of the population belongs to the BOC, 34.5% to the Roman Catholic Church, and 3.1% to Protestant groups, based on a poll of those who regularly attend worship services. However, according to a 2011 survey by the Information and Analytical Center of the Presidential Administration, approximately 80% of citizens belong to the BOC, 10% to the Roman Catholic Church, and 2% to other religious groups. Smaller religious groups include Muslims, Jews, Greek Catholics ("Uniates"), and Orthodox groups other than the BOC. Jewish groups state that between 30,000 and 40,000 persons are Jewish. Other registered groups include the Old Believers, Lutherans, Jehovah's Witnesses, Apostolic Christians, Hare Krishnas, Bahá'ís, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Messianic and Reform churches, Presbyterians, Armenian Apostolics, Latin Catholics, and members of Christ's Church and the St. Jogan Church.
According to Eurostat, the population is 11 million. The government does not collect or publish statistics on religious affiliation. A 2011 report by the King Baudouin Foundation estimates the religious affiliation of the population to be 50% Roman Catholic, 32% without affiliation, 9% atheist, 6% Muslim, 2.5% other Christian, 0.4% Jewish, and 0.3% Buddhist. Other religious groups include Hindus, Sikhs, Hare Krishnas, and Scientologists.
The 2012 official labor force survey reports the population is approximately 338,900. According to the 2010 census, the Roman Catholic Church is the largest religious group, accounting for 40% of the population. Pentecostals constitute 9% of the population, Seventh-day Adventists 6%, Anglicans 5%, Mennonites 4%, Baptists 4%, Methodists 3%, members of the Church of the Nazarene 3%, and Jehovah's Witnesses 2%. Smaller religious groups include The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Rastafarians, the Salvation Army, and Bahá'ís. Fifteen% do not belong to any religious group.
No religious group is a majority in any of the country's six districts. Catholics are found throughout the country. Mennonites and Pentecostals live mostly in the rural areas of the Cayo and Orange Walk districts, and members of other religious groups tend to be concentrated in Belize City.
The population is approximately 9.6 million, according to a U.S. government source. According to the 2002 census (the most recent official survey), the population is 27% Roman Catholic, 24% Muslim, 17% Voudon (Voodoo), 6% other indigenous religious groups, and 5% Celestial Christian. Groups constituting less than 5% each include Methodists, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Jehovah's Witnesses, Rosicrucians, Bahá'ís, Baptists, Pentecostals, the Unification Church, and Eckankar. Seven% claim no religious affiliation.
Many individuals who identify themselves as Christian or Muslim also practice Voodoo or other traditional religions. Most Muslims are Sunni and are concentrated in northern areas. The few Shia Muslims are primarily foreign residents and reside in Benin for commercial reasons. Southern areas are more heavily Christian.
A 2011 World Bank report indicates the population is approximately 738,000. According to a U.S. government estimate, approximately 75% of the population practices Drukpa Kagyu or Nyingmapa Buddhism, both of which are disciplines of Mahayana Buddhism. Most of the Nepali-speaking minority is Hindu, although there are small numbers of Christians and Buddhists. Hindus represent approximately 25% of the population. Hindu temples exist in southern areas. Christians are reportedly concentrated in towns and in the south.
According to unconfirmed estimates, there are between 3,000 and 15,000 Christians in the country. There are also reports of a few Muslims. Although priests of the animist Bon tradition often officiate at and include Bon rituals in Buddhist festivals, very few citizens adhere exclusively to this religion. The Sharchops ethnic group, which forms the majority of the population of eastern Bhutan, reportedly practices Tibetan Buddhism combined with elements of the Bon tradition and Hinduism. According to an April estimate by the Ministry of Labor and Resources, just over 55,000 Indian laborers are present in the country, most of whom are Hindu or Muslim.
According to a 2010 National Statistical Institute estimate, the population is10.4 million. In the 2001 census, the latest to collect information on religion, 78% identify themselves as Roman Catholic and 16% as Protestant or evangelical. Approximately 3% belongs to smaller Christian groups. There are a very small number of Muslims and Jews. According to a 2010 survey, in the four largest cities the population is 81% Catholic and 10% Protestant or evangelical, suggesting that people in urban areas are more likely to identify as Catholic than are those living in rural communities. Many indigenous communities, concentrated in rural areas, practice a mix of Catholic and spiritual traditions.
The population is 3.8 million, according to a June 2011 government statistics agency estimate. The country's territory is divided into two entities, the Federation and the RS, with a separate administrative district for Brcko. According to unofficial estimates from the statistics agency, Muslims constitute 45% of the population, Serbian Orthodox Christians 36%, Roman Catholics 15%, Protestants 1%, and other communities, including Jews, 3%. There is a strong correlation between ethnicity and religion: Bosniaks are generally associated with Islam, Bosnian Serbs with the Serbian Orthodox Church, and Bosnian Croats with the Roman Catholic Church. The Jewish community has approximately 1,000 members and maintains an historic place in society by virtue of centuries of coexistence with other religious communities and its active role in the Inter-Religious Council, which mediates among the four religious communities regarded as "traditional" (Muslim, Serbian Orthodox, Catholic, and Jewish).
The majority of Serbian Orthodox adherents live in the RS, and the majority of Muslims and Catholics in the Federation. Within the Federation distinct, Muslim and Catholic majority areas remain, with most Catholics in Herzegovina and areas of central Bosnia and most Muslims elsewhere in central Bosnia and Sarajevo. The Jewish community, similar to Protestants and most other small religious communities, has its largest membership in Sarajevo.
The 2012 census estimates the population at 2,030,000. The U.S. government estimates that approximately 70% of citizens are members of Christian groups, 6% are adherents of the traditional indigenous religion Badimo, and 1% belong to other religious groups. Approximately 20% espouse no religion.
Anglicans, Methodists, and members of the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa make up the majority of Christians. There are also congregations of Lutherans, Roman Catholics, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Seventh-day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Baptists, the Dutch Reformed Church, Mennonites, and other Christian denominations. According to a 2011 study by the Pew Research Center, there are approximately 8,000 Muslims, many of whom are of South Asian origin. There are small numbers of Hindus and Bahá'ís. Immigrants, including foreign workers, are more likely to be members of non-Christian religious groups than are native-born citizens.
According to the 2010 census, the population is 190.7 million. An estimated 64.6% of the population is Roman Catholic and 22% is Protestant. Approximately 60% of Protestants belong to Pentecostal churches, 18% belong to traditional Protestant churches, and 22% to other Protestant groups. Other Christian groups constituting less than 1% of the population include Jehovah's Witnesses and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
Other groups constituting less than 1% each include African and syncretic religious groups such as Candomble and Umbanda, Buddhists, Jews, Muslims, and Hindus. There is a small number of adherents of indigenous religious beliefs. There are different assessments of the number of Muslims. According to the 2010 census, there are approximately 35,200 Muslims, while the Federation of Muslim Associations of Brazil considers the number to be about 1.5 million. Other observers estimate there are approximately 400,000-500,000 Muslims. There are significant Muslim communities in the cities of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba, and Foz do Iguazu, as well as in smaller cities in the states of Parana, Rio Grande do Sul, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro. According to the Jewish Confederation of Brazil, there are more than 125,000 Jews, 65,000 of whom reside in São Paulo State and 40,000 in Rio de Janeiro State. Many other cities have smaller Jewish communities.
According to the Brunei Government's mid-year 2011 statistics, the country has a total population of 422,700, including temporary residents such as foreign workers. Approximately 83% of the population is Muslim, 7% Buddhist, and less than 4% is a combination of other faiths, including Christians (Protestants and Catholics), Hindus, Bahá'ís, Taoists, Sikhs, Nasranis, atheists, and others; 6% did not state a religious affiliation. The government categorizes Catholics as distinct from other Christians. There is an indigenous population that adheres to traditional animistic beliefs, although many have converted either to Islam or Christianity. According to the latest information available, there are 110 mosques and Islamic prayer halls, six Christian churches (three Roman Catholic, two Anglican, and one Baptist), three Chinese Buddhist temples, and one Hindu temple, all officially registered in the country. Several Christian congregations operate without registration.
The 2011 census reports the population is 7.4 million. According to the census, 76% of the population identifies itself as Orthodox Christian. Orthodox Christianity, Hanafi Sunni Islam, Judaism, and Roman Catholicism all hold a historic place in the country's culture. Muslims are the second largest religious group, estimated at 10% of the population. Groups together constituting about 2% of the population include Catholics, Armenian Christians, Jews, evangelical Protestants, and others. There are 115 registered religious groups in addition to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church (BOC).
Some religious minorities are concentrated geographically. Many Muslims, including ethnic Turks, Roma, and "Pomaks" (descendants of Slavic Bulgarians who converted to Islam under Ottoman rule) live in the Rhodope Mountains along the southern border with Greece. Ethnic Turkish and Roma Muslims also live in large numbers in the northeast and along the Black Sea coast. Nearly 40% of Catholics live in and around Plovdiv. The majority of the small Jewish community lives in Sofia and along the Black Sea coast. Protestants are widely dispersed, but are more numerous in areas with large Roma populations.
The government estimates the population at 16.8 million. Approximately 61% is Muslim, the majority Sunni. Approximately 19% is Roman Catholic, 4% belongs to various Protestant groups, and 15% maintain exclusively indigenous beliefs. Statistics on religious affiliation are approximate because Muslims and Christians often adhere simultaneously to some aspects of indigenous religious beliefs.
Muslims reside largely in the northern, eastern, and western border regions, and Christians live in the center of the country. Persons practice indigenous religious beliefs throughout the country, especially in rural communities. The capital has a mixed Muslim and Christian population.
The population is 10.5 million, according to a U.S. government estimate. Although reliable statistics are not available, religious leaders estimate approximately 60% of the population is Roman Catholic, 20% belongs to indigenous religious groups, and 15% to Protestant groups. Muslims constitute 2 to 5% of the population, and live mainly in urban areas. Most Muslims are Sunni, although some belong to Shia groups.
The population is over 14.9 million, according to a July 2012 U.S. government estimate. An estimated 96% of the population is Theravada Buddhist. The vast majority of ethnic-Khmer Cambodians are Buddhist, and there is a close association between Buddhism, Khmer cultural traditions, and identity and daily life. According to the Ministry of Cults and Religion, the Mahayana school of Buddhism has approximately 19,550 followers and has 167 temples throughout the country.
Approximately 2.4% of the population, predominantly ethnic Chams, is Muslim, typically living in towns and rural fishing villages on the banks of the Tonle Sap Lake and the Mekong River, as well as in Kampot Province. There are four branches of Islam represented in the country: the Malay-influenced Shafi branch, practiced by as much as 90% of Muslims; the Saudi-Kuwaiti-influenced Salafi (Wahhabi) branch; the indigenous Iman-San branch; and the Kadiani branch. The remaining 1.6% of the population is Bahá'í, Jewish, ethnic Vietnamese Cao Dai, or members of various Christian denominations.
The government estimates the population to be 19.4 million. The 2005 census, the most recent available, indicates that 69.2% of the population is Christian, 20.9% Muslim, and 5.6% animist. Groups constituting less than 5% of the population include Jews and Bahá'ís. Census data indicates the Christian population is 38.4% Roman Catholic, 26.3% Protestant, 4% other Christian denominations, including Jehovah's Witnesses, and less than 1% Orthodox Christians.
Muslims and Christians live in every region, although Christians are concentrated primarily in the southern and western regions. Large cities have significant populations of both groups. The two Anglophone regions of the country are largely Protestant, and the eight Francophone regions are mostly Catholic. In the northern regions, the dominant Fulani (or Peuhl) ethnic group is mainly Muslim, but the overall population in those regions is fairly evenly divided among Muslims, Christians, and followers of indigenous religions, who are mostly located in rural areas. The Bamoun ethnic group of the West Region is predominantly Muslim. Many Muslims, Christians, and members of other faiths also adhere to some aspects of African animist beliefs.
The government statistical agency estimates the population is 35 million. According to the 2001 census, the most recent to ask about religious affiliation, approximately 77% of the population is Christian. Roman Catholics (44% of the population) constitute the largest group, followed by Protestant denominations (29%). The United Church and the Anglican, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Baptist, and Pentecostal churches are the largest Protestant groups. Approximately 2% of the population is Muslim and 1% is Jewish. Groups constituting 1% or less of the population include Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, Scientologists, Bahá'ís, and adherents of Shintoism and Taoism.
According to the 2001 census, 0.1% of the population identifies itself as followers of "aboriginal spirituality." Approximately 16% of the population claims no religious affiliation. Most recent immigrants are of Asian origin and generally adhere to religious beliefs different from the majority of native-born citizens. According to the 2006 census, "visible minorities" constitute 16.2% of the overall population, with 96% residing in major metropolitan areas across the country.
According to the 2010 census, the population is 498,000. Government statistics indicate that 77% is Roman Catholic, 10% Protestant, 2% Muslim, and 11% does not identify with any religion. The majority of Christians belong to the Catholic Church; the second largest Christian denomination is the Church of the Nazarene. Other Christian denominations include Seventh-day Adventists, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), members of the Assemblies of God, Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, and other Pentecostal and evangelical groups. There are small Bahá'í communities and a small but growing Muslim community with approximately 6,000 members.
The population is 4.5 million, according to a 2011 World Bank estimate. According to the 2003 census, the population is 51% Protestant, 29% Roman Catholic, and 15% Muslim. Others incorporate aspects of indigenous beliefs into Christian and Islamic practice.
The World Bank estimates the population at 11.53 million. Over 50% is Muslim, approximately 33% is Christian, and the remainder adheres to indigenous religious beliefs or has no religion. Most northerners practice Islam, and most southerners practice Christianity or indigenous religions, but population patterns are becoming more complex, especially in urban areas.
The majority of Muslims adheres to the Sufi Tijaniyah tradition. A minority of Muslims (5 to 10%) holds beliefs associated with Wahhabism or Salafism, and these numbers are increasing slowly. Approximately 25% of Christians are Roman Catholics, according to Catholic Church data. Most Protestants are members of evangelical Christian groups. Small groups of Bahá'ís and Jehovah's Witnesses are also present.
According to the 2012 census, the population is 16.6 million. Religious affiliation statistics from the 2012 census were not available at year's end. According to the 2002 census, 70% of the population over the age of 14 is Roman Catholic and 15% is "evangelical", a term referring to all non-Catholic Christian groups except The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Jehovah's Witnesses, Orthodox (Armenian, Greek, Persian, Serbian, and Ukrainian churches), and Seventh-day Adventist. Approximately 90% of "evangelicals" are Pentecostal. Anglican, Baptist, Episcopalian, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Reformed Evangelical, and Wesleyan groups constitute the remaining 10%. Bahá'ís, Buddhists, Jews, Muslims, and members of the Unification Church collectively constitute less than 5% of the population.
According to the 2002 census, 5% of the population self-identifies as "indigenous", of whom 65% identify as Catholic, 29% as Protestant, and 6% as "other."
According to Bureau of Statistics information as of 1 November 2010, the population of mainland China is 1,339,725,000. In its report to the United Nations Human Rights Council during its Universal Periodic Review in February 2009, the government stated that there were "more than 100 million followers of different religious faiths and the religious population is steadily increasing." However, accurate estimates of the numbers of religious believers vary widely depending on the source. For example, a 2007 survey conducted by East China Normal University states that 31.4% of citizens aged 16 and over, or 300 million people, are religious believers. The same survey estimates that there are 200 million Buddhists, Taoists, or worshippers of folk gods, although accurate estimates are difficult to make because many adherents practice exclusively at home.
According to the State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA), there are more than 21 million Muslims in the country; unofficial estimates range as high as 50 million. Hui Muslims are concentrated primarily in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and Qinghai, Gansu, and Yunnan provinces. Uighur Muslims live primarily in Xinjiang. According to Xinjiang Statistics Bureau data from 2010, there are approximately 10 million Uighurs in Xinjiang. The 2011 Blue Book of Religions, produced by the Institute of World Religions at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), a research institution directly under the State Council, reports the number of Protestant Christians to be between 23 and 40 million. A June 2010 SARA report estimates there are 16 million Protestants affiliated with the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM). According to 2010 Pew Research Center estimates, there are 67 million Protestant Christians, of whom 23 million are affiliated with the TSPM. According to SARA, more than six million Catholics worship in sites registered by the Catholic Patriotic Association (CPA). The Pew Center estimates that there are nine million Catholics on the mainland, 5.7 million of whom are affiliated with the CPA. In addition to the five nationally recognized religions, local governments have legalized certain religious communities and practices, such as Orthodox Christianity in Xinjiang, Heilongjiang, Zhejiang, and Guangdong provinces. Some ethnic minorities retain traditional religions, such as Dongba among the Naxi people in Yunnan and Buluotuo among the Zhuang in Guangxi. Worship of the folk deity Mazu reportedly has been reclassified as "cultural heritage" rather than religious practice. Prior to the government's 1999 ban on Falun Gong, a self-described spiritual discipline, it was estimated that there were 70 million adherents.
The population is 47 million, according to a 2011 World Bank estimate. The government does not keep statistics on religious affiliation, and estimates from religious leaders varied. The Roman Catholic Bishops’ Conference estimates that 90% of the population is Catholic, while the Colombian Evangelical Council (CEDECOL) states that approximately 15% of the population is Protestant. According to a 2007 press report, 80% of the population is Catholic, 14% is non-Catholic Christian, 2% is agnostic, and the remaining 4% belongs to other religious groups, including Islam and Judaism. Other observers estimate that the non-Catholic population consists of five million members of Protestant, including evangelical, groups; 261,000 Seventh-day Adventists; 150,000 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church); 10,000 Muslims, and 5,000 Jews. There is also a small population of adherents to animism and various syncretic beliefs.
Some religious groups are concentrated in certain geographical regions. Most of those who blend Catholicism with elements of African animism are Afro-Colombians and reside on the Pacific coast. Most Jews reside in major cities, most Muslims on the Caribbean coast, and most adherents of indigenous animistic religions in remote rural areas. A small Taoist commune is located in a mountainous region of Santander Department.
The World Bank estimates the population at 735,000. It is 99% Sunni Muslim. The several hundred non-Sunni residents include Shia Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, Jehovah's Witnesses, Roman Catholics, and Protestants.
The very few non-Sunni places of worship include Shia mosques, a Hindu temple, and one Christian church on each of the three islands. The best known is the Catholic Church in Moroni, for which the surrounding "Quartier du Cathedral" neighborhood is named. Its parishioners are nearly entirely foreign residents, who worship freely.
The population is four million, according to government estimates. A 2010 government report estimates over 80% is Christian, of which an estimated 40% is Roman Catholic, 51% Protestant, and the remaining Kimbanguist (a Christian-inspired Congolese faith), Salvationist, Jehovah's Witnesses, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Approximately 28% of Protestants are evangelical. An estimated 11% of the population is atheist, and 2% is Muslim. The remainder includes other unspecified religious groups. A significant portion of the population combines traditional beliefs and practices with Christianity and other religious beliefs. There are an estimated 726,000 Muslim foreign migrant workers and 180 mosques, serving both citizens and migrant workers.
The population is 4.6 million, according to a U.S. government source. A 2011 University of Costa Rica survey estimates that 47% identify themselves as practicing Roman Catholics, 23% as non-practicing Catholics, 16% as evangelical Protestants, 6% as belonging to other religions, and 8% as having no religious affiliation.
Approximately 92% of Protestants are Pentecostal and 8% are Baptist. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) estimates its membership at 35,000. The Lutheran Church estimates it has 5,500 members. The Jewish Zionist Center estimates that there are 2,800 Jews. Approximately 1,000 Quakers live in the cloud forest town of Monteverde, Puntarenas, and an additional 1,000 persons attend Quaker meetings as nonmembers throughout the country. Although they represent less than one% of the population, Jehovah's Witnesses have a strong presence on the Caribbean coast. Seventh-day Adventists operate a university that attracts students from throughout the Caribbean Basin. The Unification Church has its headquarters for Latin America in San Jose. Other religious groups include followers of Islam, Taoism, Krishna Consciousness, Scientology, Tenrikyo, and the Bahá'í Faith. Indigenous peoples are more likely than non-indigenous peoples to practice animism.
The population is approximately 4.3 million, according to the 2011 census. Approximately 86% is Roman Catholic, 4% Serbian Orthodox, and 1.5% Muslim. Other groups constituting less than 5% of the population include Jews, Protestants, and members of other Christian groups. Nearly 4% self-identifies as nonreligious or atheist. Religious affiliation correlates closely with ethnicity. Members of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC), predominantly ethnic Serbs, live primarily in cities and areas bordering Serbia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Most members of other minority religious groups reside in urban areas. Most immigrants are Roman Catholic ethnic Croats from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
According to the country's National Office of Statistics’ 2012 publication on demographics, the population is approximately 11 million. There is no independent authoritative source on the size or composition of religious groups. The Roman Catholic Church estimates that 60 to 70% of the population is Catholic, but only 4 to 5% regularly attend mass. Membership in Protestant churches is estimated at 5% of the population. Baptists and Pentecostals are likely the largest Protestant denominations. Jehovah's Witnesses report approximately 95,400 members; Methodists estimate 35,000; Seventh-day Adventists 33,000; Anglicans, 22,000; Presbyterians, 15,000; Quakers, 300; and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), 50. The Jewish community estimates 1,500 members, of whom 1,200 reside in Havana. According to the Islamic League, there are 6,000 to 8,000 Muslims residing in the country, although only an estimated 1,000 are Cubans. Other religious groups include Greek and Russian Orthodox, Buddhists, and Bahá'ís.
Many people, particularly in the Afro-Cuban community, consult with practitioners of religions with roots in West Africa and the Congo River basin, known as Santeria. These religious practices are commonly intermingled with Catholicism, and some even require Catholic baptism for full initiation, making it difficult to estimate accurately the total membership of these syncretistic groups.
According to the October 2011 census, which contains no data on religious affiliation, the population of the government-controlled area is more than 840,000. According to the 2001 census, 95% of the permanent population in the government-controlled area belongs to the autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church of Cyprus. Other religious groups include Roman Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Maronite Catholics, Armenian Orthodox, Jews, Jehovah's Witnesses, Bahá'ís, and Buddhists. The religious affiliation of recent immigrants and migrant workers is generally different from that of native-born citizens. Most of the approximately 2,100 Jews are foreign residents.
According to the Statistical Office, the population is 10.5 million. The population is largely homogeneous with a dominant Christian tradition. The 2011 census indicates 2.2 million people hold religious beliefs. Approximately 11% of the population is Roman Catholic, 7% lists no specific religion, and 3% adheres to a variety of religious beliefs, including Protestantism, Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism. Eight% of the population attends religious services regularly. There are approximately 3,500 persons officially registered as members of the Jewish community, although academics estimate there are approximately 10,000 Jews and the Federation of Jewish Communities estimates there are 15,000 to 20,000. Leaders of the local Muslim community estimate there are 10,000 Muslims, most of whom are immigrants.
The population is 68.7 million, according to a 2011 UN Population Fund estimate. Approximately 50% is Roman Catholic, 35% Protestant (including evangelicals), 5% Kimbanguist (a Christian-inspired Congolese church), and 5% Muslim. Other religious groups with smaller populations include Jehovah's Witnesses, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Greek Orthodox Christians, and Jews. The remainder generally adheres to indigenous religious beliefs. Approximately 70% of the population attends religious services weekly.
Most religious groups are scattered throughout the country and are widely represented in cities and large towns. Muslims mainly reside in the provinces of Maniema, Orientale, Kasai Occidental, Bandundu, and Kinshasa. Although present throughout the country, Kimbanguists are primarily concentrated in Kinshasa and Bas-Congo.
According to government statistics, the population is 5.6 million. The government estimates 80% of the population belongs to the ELC. Although reportedly fewer than 10% of citizens attend services once a month or more, more than 50% observe religious holidays or participate at least once annually in religious rituals such as baptisms, confirmations, weddings, and funerals.
As a result of immigration, Muslims constitute approximately 4% of the population. Muslim groups are concentrated in the largest cities, particularly Copenhagen, Odense, and Aarhus. Groups constituting less than 1% of the population include, in descending order: Roman Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses, Serbian Orthodox Christians, Jews, Baptists, Buddhists, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Pentecostals, and other non-denominational Christians. Though estimates vary, the Center for Contemporary Religion at Aarhus University places the Jewish population at 2,400.
The 2010 UN World Population Prospects estimates the population at 889,000, of which 94% is Sunni Muslim. There are small numbers of Roman Catholics, Protestants, Copts, Ethiopian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Jehovah's Witnesses, Hindus, and Bahá'ís, who are generally foreign-born citizens and expatriates. Citizens are officially considered Muslims if they do not specifically identify with another religious group.
The 2011 census estimates the population at 71,300. The 2001 population and housing census indicates approximately 61% of the population is Roman Catholic. Seventh-day Adventists and Pentecostals comprise 6% each, and Baptists and Methodists 4% each. Other small religious groups include Anglicans, Bahá'ís, Christian Brethren, Jehovah's Witnesses, Muslims, Nazarenes, Rastafarians and members of the Church of Christ. Six% of the population claims no religious affiliation.
A U.S. government source estimates the population at 10.1 million. The population is approximately 40% "practicing" Roman Catholic, 29% "nonpracticing" Roman Catholic, 18% evangelical Protestant, including Assemblies of God, Church of God, Baptists, and Pentecostals, and 11% without religious affiliation, according to a 2006 Gallup survey. There are also small numbers of Seventh-day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). According to a 2007 Dominican Confederation of Evangelical Unity estimate, evangelicals represent 16 to 20% of the population.
Most of the approximately 350 Jews live in Santo Domingo, where there are two synagogues and one rabbi. There is also a small Jewish community and a synagogue in Sosua. There are approximately 800 Muslims, including foreign students. There are a small number of Buddhists and Hindus. Some Catholics combine Catholicism and Afro-Caribbean beliefs (santeria), witchcraft (brujeria), or voodoo (vodou), but they usually conceal such practices. Most Haitian immigrants are Catholic. An unknown number practice voodoo, but typically conceal the practice.
The population is approximately 14.5 million, according to the 2010 census by the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC). A 2012 INEC survey indicates 80% is Roman Catholic, 11% evangelical Christian, and 6% belongs to other religious groups including Islam, Hinduism, and indigenous and African faiths. Other religious groups together constituting less than 5% of the population include The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Jehovah's Witnesses, Buddhists, Jews, and spiritualists. Some groups combine indigenous beliefs with Catholicism. Pentecostals draw much of their membership from indigenous people in the highland provinces. Hundreds of evangelical churches exist, many of which are not affiliated with a particular denomination. These groups include the Gospel Missionary Union, now called Avant Ministries, the Christian and Missionary Alliance, and Hoy Cristo Jesus Bendice (Today Jesus Christ Blesses). There are also practitioners of Santeria, primarily resident Cubans.
There are small numbers of other registered religious groups, including Anglicans, Episcopalians, Bahá'ís, Lutherans, members of the Eastern Orthodox Church, Presbyterians, members of the Unification Church, and followers of Inti (the traditional Inca sun god).
According to a July 2012 U.S. government estimate, Egypt's population is 83 million. Approximately 90% of the population is Sunni Muslim and about 10% is Christian. The majority of Christians belong to the Coptic Orthodox Church. Other Christian communities together constitute less than 2% of the population and include the Armenian Apostolic, Catholic (Armenian, Chaldean, Greek, Melkite, Roman, and Syrian), Maronite, Orthodox (Greek and Syrian), and Anglican/Episcopalian churches, which range in size from several thousand to hundreds of thousands. A Protestant community, established in the mid-19th century, includes the following churches: Presbyterian, Baptist, Brethren, Open Brethren, Revival of Holiness (Nahdat al-Qadaasa), Faith (Al-Eyman), Church of God, Christian Model Church (Al-Mithaal Al-Masihi), Apostolic, Grace (An-Ni’ma), Pentecostal, Apostolic Grace, Church of Christ, Gospel Missionary (Al-Kiraaza bil Ingil), and the Message Church of Holland (Ar-Risaala). There are also followers of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Shia Muslims constitute less than 1% of the population. There are also small groups of Quranists and Ahmadi Muslims. The country's Jewish community numbers fewer than 70 persons, mostly senior citizens. There are 1,000 to 1,500 Jehovah's Witnesses and 1,500 to 2,000 Bahá'ís; however, the government does not recognize these groups. Christians reside throughout the country, although the percentage of Christians is higher in Upper Egypt (the southern part of the country) and in some sections of Cairo and Alexandria. Many foreign religious groups, including Roman Catholics and Protestants, have been present in the country for more than a century. These groups are engaged in education, social, and development work. Some foreigners are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), a group the government does not recognize but allows to meet in private residences. In a March 2011 report, the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics states 108,395 mosques and 2,869 churches exist in the country.
According to the National Directorate of Census and Statistics of the Ministry of the Economy, the population is approximately 6.2 million. According to a May survey by the Institute of Public Opinion of the University of Central America, 47% identifies as Roman Catholic and 33% as evangelical. The survey reported 17% as having "no religion." There are small numbers of Jehovah's Witnesses, Hare Krishnas, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). A small segment of the population adheres to indigenous religious beliefs.
According to a 2009 UN estimate, the population is 676,000. An estimated 93% is Christian, of which 87% is Roman Catholic and 6% belongs to Protestant and independent denominations. Many Catholics reportedly adhere to some aspects of traditional beliefs as well. Five% of the population adheres exclusively to indigenous religious beliefs. Muslims, Bahá'ís, and members of other religious groups each constitute less than 1% of the population. The number of Muslims is increasing due to the growing number of West African and Middle Eastern immigrants.
A 2012 UN study estimates the population at 5.6 million. Other observers report the population is lower due to emigration. There are no reliable statistics on religious affiliation. The government reports that 50% of the population is Christian and 50% Sunni Muslim. According to a 2010 international nongovernmental organization (NGO) estimate, the population is 63% Christian and 36% Muslim. The same NGO asserts that Orthodox Christians make up approximately 57% of the population, Roman Catholics 4%, and Protestants - including the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Baptists, Presbyterians, Jehovah's Witnesses, Pentecostals, and others without international affiliation - 1%. It is possible that 2% of the population is animist. There is a small Bahá'í community. Numbers of Muslims and Protestants reportedly have increased over the past 10 years.
The population is predominantly Muslim in the eastern and western lowlands and mainly Christian in the central highlands. There are high levels of participation among all religious groups.
According to current government statistics, the population is 1.3 million. Approximately 14% of the population is Evangelical Lutheran and 15% belongs to one of the two Orthodox Churches: the Estonian Orthodox Church, subordinate to the Moscow Patriarchate (EOCMP), and the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church (EAOC). Other Christian groups, including Methodists, Seventh-day Adventists, Roman Catholics, and Pentecostals, constitute 1.4% of the population. Members of the Russian Old Believers live primarily along the west bank of Lake Peipsi in the east. There are also small Jewish and Muslim communities. Thirty-four% of the population is unaffiliated; 32%, unspecified or other; and 6% do not identify with any religion. Most religious adherents among the Russian-speaking population are Orthodox and reside mainly in the capital or the northeastern part of the country. According to the government, there are more than 500 registered religious associations.
The government estimates the population is 1.1 million. Religious leaders estimate 90% of the population is Christian, about 2% Muslim, and under 10% belongs to other religious groups. Most Christians are either Roman Catholics or Zionists, who practice a blend of Christianity and indigenous ancestral worship. There are also Anglicans, Methodists, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and small numbers of Jews and Bahá'ís. Zionism is widely practiced in rural areas.
The population is 85 million, according to a U.S. government estimate. The 2007 census estimates that 44% belong to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC), 34% is Sunni Muslim, and 19% belong to Christian evangelical and Pentecostal groups. The EOC is predominant in the northern regions of Tigray and Amhara and also present in Oromia. Islam is most prevalent in the Afar, Oromia, and Somali regions. Established Protestant churches are strongest in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR), Gambella, and parts of Oromia.
There are small numbers of Eastern Rite and Roman Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and adherents of indigenous religions.
The government's official 2007 census estimated the population to be 837,300. Approximately 64% of the population is Christian, 28% Hindu, and 6% Muslim. The largest Christian denomination is the Methodist Church, which claims approximately 290,000 members, more than one-third of the population. Other Protestant denominations and the Roman Catholic Church also have significant followings. The majority of the country's chiefs support the Methodist Church, and it remains influential in the ethnic Fijian community, particularly in rural areas. There are also a small number of active nondenominational Christian groups and small but active communities of Bahá'ís and Sikhs.
Religious affiliation runs largely along ethnic lines. Most indigenous Fijians, who constitute 57% of the population, are Christian. Most Indo-Fijians, who account for 37%, are Hindu, while roughly 20% of the Indo-Fijians are Muslim and 6% are Christian. Approximately 60% of the small Chinese community is Christian. The very small western community is predominantly Christian.
According to Statistics Finland, the population is 5.4 million. Approximately 77% belongs to the Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELC) and 1% to the Orthodox Church. Other religious groups, each accounting for less than 1% of the population, include Jehovah's Witnesses, Roman Catholics, Muslims, Pentecostals, Seventh-day Adventists, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Jews, and members of the Free Church of Finland.
There are approximately 50,000-60,000 Muslims, more than a 100% increase since 1999, primarily due to immigration and high birth rates. An estimated 75% are Sunni and 25% are Shiite. The largest Muslim group is ethnic Somali; there are also communities of North Africans, Bosnians, Arabs, Tartars, Turks, and Iraqis. The government statistics agency reported in 2011 that the number of persons with no religious affiliation is over one million. An estimated 19% of the population either does not belong to any religious group or practices religion "in private," including nonregistered Pentecostal worshippers and Muslims.
The population is approximately 64 million, according to the 2010 national census conducted by the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE). The government does not keep statistics on religious affiliation. According to a poll published in Le Parisien in 2011, 36% of the population believes in God, 34% does not, and 30% is uncertain.
The Catholic daily La Croix found that 64% of the population identifies itself as Roman Catholic, 6% of whom classify themselves as observant. The Interior Ministry estimates that 8 to 10% of the population is Muslim, 25% of whom attend Friday prayers. The Muslim population primarily consists of immigrants from former French North African and sub-Saharan colonies and their descendants. All other religious groups combined constitute less than 7% of the population. Le Parisien estimates that there are 1.6 million Protestants, 500,000 of whom are evangelical. Many evangelical churches are African-style "prosperity" churches composed primarily of African and Antillean immigrants. The Buddhist Union estimates there are one million Buddhist sympathizers and practitioners. The Buddhist population mainly consists of Chinese and Vietnamese immigrants and their descendants. The Jewish community numbers approximately 600,000, of whom 40% are highly observant, according to press reports. The Jewish community is approximately 70% Sephardic and 30% Ashkenazi Jews. The Jehovah's Witnesses estimate they have approximately 120,000 members. Orthodox Christians number between 80,000 and 100,000; most are associated with the Greek or Russian Orthodox churches. The Church of Scientology estimates 50,000 members. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) estimates its membership at 36,000 in metropolitan France and 22,000 in French overseas departments and territories, 30% of whom are observant. According to the press, there are between 7,000 and 15,000 Sikhs.
A 2011 World Bank report estimates the population to be 1.5 million. Approximately 70% is Christian. From 10 to 15% is Muslim, of whom 80 to 90% are foreigners. Ten% practices animism exclusively and 5% does not identify with any religion. Many persons practice a syncretistic religious belief that combines elements of Christianity, traditional religious beliefs, Voudon (Voodoo), or animism.
The Bureau of Statistics estimates the population to be 1.74 million. Sunni Muslims constitute more than 90% of the population. The majority is Malikite Sufi and the main orders represented are Tijaniyah, Qadiriyah, and Muridiyah. Small numbers of immigrants from South Asia are Shafi’i Sunnis. Sufi orders pray together at common mosques. There are also small numbers of non-Sufi Muslims, including members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community.
An estimated 9% of the population is Christian. Most Christians are Roman Catholic. There are also Anglicans, Methodists, Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and a number of evangelical groups. Less than 1% of the population is Bahá'í or practices indigenous animist religious beliefs. There is a small community of Hindus among South Asian immigrants and business persons.
The National Statistics Office estimates the population at 4.5 million. According to the 2002 census, Orthodox Christians constitute 84% of the population, followed by Muslims at 10% and members of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) at 4%.
There is a strong correlation among ethnicity, religious affiliation, and region of residence. Most ethnic Georgians are affiliated with the GOC. A small number of mostly ethnic Russians are members of several Orthodox groups not affiliated with the GOC, including the Molokani, Staroveriy (Old Believers), and Dukhoboriy (Spirit Wrestlers). Ethnic Azeris, who are predominantly Muslim, form the majority of the population in the southeastern region of Kvemo-Kartli. Other Muslim groups include ethnic Georgian Muslims in Ajara and Chechen Kists in the northeast. Ethnic Armenians belong primarily to the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) and constitute the majority of the population in the southern Samtskhe-Javakheti region. Roman Catholics, Kurdish Yezidis, Greek Orthodox, and Jews together make up less than 5% of the population. "Nontraditional" religious groups such as Baptists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Pentecostals, and Hare Krishnas are growing in number, but together constitute less than 1% of the population.
According to a 2011 Federal Statistics Office estimate, the population is 81.8 million. There are no official statistics on religious groups. Unofficial estimates and figures provided by religious groups indicate the Roman Catholic Church has approximately 25 million members and the Protestant Church (a confederation of the Lutheran, Uniate, and Reformed Protestant denominations) has approximately 24 million members. Together, the two groups account for more than 60% of the population. Other Protestant denominations that together account for less than 1% of the population include the New Apostolic Church, Baptist communities (Evangelical Christian Baptists, International Baptist Convention, Reformed Baptists, Bible Baptists, and others), and evangelical nondenominational Baptists.
There are approximately 4 million Muslims, including 2.9 million Sunnis, 500,000 Alevis, and 280,000 Shia, together making up 5% of the population. Orthodox Christians number approximately 1.4 million. Smaller religious groups include Buddhists, Hindus, Jehovah's Witnesses, and the COS. The Jewish community numbers approximately 200,000. Roughly 28 million persons (33% of the population) either have no religious affiliation or are members of unrecorded religious groups.
The population is 24.6 million, according to the 2010 census. Approximately 71% is Christian, 18% is Muslim, 5% adheres to indigenous religious beliefs, and 6% identifies as belonging to other religious groups or has no religious beliefs. Other religious groups include the Bahá'í Faith, Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, Shintoism, Eckankar, and Rastafarianism.
Christian denominations include Roman Catholic, Methodist, Anglican, Mennonite, Evangelical Presbyterian, African Methodist Episcopal Zionist, Christian Methodist, Evangelical Lutheran, F’eden, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon), Seventh-day Adventist Church, Pentecostal, Baptist, African independent churches, the Society of Friends (Quaker), and numerous charismatic religious groups. Islamic traditions include Orthodox Sunni, Ahmadi, the Tijani and Qadiriyya orders of Sufism, and a small number of Shia. Many individuals who are nominally Christian or Muslim also adhere to some aspects of traditional beliefs. There are also syncretistic groups combining elements of Christianity and Islam with traditional beliefs. Zetahil, a practice unique to the country, combines elements of Christianity and Islam. There is no significant link between ethnicity and religion, but geography is often associated with religious identity. The majority of Muslims reside in northern areas and in the urban centers of Accra, Kumasi, Sekondi-Takoradi, Tamale, and Wa, while the majority of the followers of traditional religious beliefs resides in rural areas. Christians live throughout the country.
The National Statistics Service estimates the population at 9.9 million. The government does not keep statistics on religious groups. The U.S. government estimates that 98% of the population self-identifies as Greek Orthodox. The Autocephalous Church of Greece has jurisdiction over central Greece, the Peloponnese, and Ionian and Cycladic islands, while Crete and the Aegean islands are under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Thrace, Macedonia, and Epirus are under the spiritual guidance of the Ecumenical Patriarchate but administratively under the Church of Greece.
The 1923 Treaty of Lausanne created an officially recognized "Muslim minority," estimated at 140,000 to 150,000 (approximately 1.3% of the total population) residing in Thrace. Additionally, NGOs estimate that between 500,000 and 700,000 Muslims from Albania, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iraq, Syria, and North Africa reside in the region of Attica, which encompasses Athens. Other religious groups include Roman Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Old Calendarist Orthodox, Jehovah's Witnesses, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Scientologists, Bahá'ís, Hare Krishnas, and members of polytheistic Hellenic religions.
The 2011 census reports the population to be approximately 103,000. According to the 2001 census, the last census for which religious affiliation data is available, 44% is Roman Catholic, 12% Anglican, 11% Pentecostal, and 11% Seventh-day Adventist. Religious groups whose adherents number at least 2% of the population include Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, and members of the Church of God and evangelical groups. Smaller groups include Jehovah's Witnesses, Brethren, Bahá'ís, Hindus, Moravians, Muslims, Rastafarians, Mennonites, and members of the Salvation Army and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Approximately 4% describe themselves as nonbelievers. There are two mosques. There is no organized Jewish community. Saint George's University hosts Christian, Jewish, and Muslim student organizations; the government does not count its 3,700 foreign students in the census data.
The population is approximately 14 million, according to a U.S. government source. There is no official census of religious affiliation. The Roman Catholic Episcopal Conference of Guatemala estimates 65 to 70% of the population is Catholic. The Evangelical Alliance, the official umbrella organization for Protestant groups, estimates that 43% is Protestant. The largest Protestant group is the Full Gospel Church, followed by the Assemblies of God, the Central American Church, and the Prince of Peace Church. There are many independent evangelical groups. Other religious groups include Baptists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Seventh-day Adventists, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon), Russian Orthodox, and Jehovah's Witnesses. Approximately 2,000 Jews and a small Muslim population reside primarily in Guatemala City.
Catholics and Protestants are present throughout the country, and their adherents are found among all major ethnic groups and political parties. According to leaders of Mayan spiritual organizations and Catholic and Protestant missionaries, many indigenous Catholics and some Protestants also practice some form of indigenous spiritual ritual.
The population is 10.9 million, according to a U.S. government source. Approximately 85% of the population is Muslim, 8% is Christian, and 7% adheres to indigenous religious beliefs. Much of the population incorporates some indigenous rituals into their religious practices. Muslims are generally Sunni, although the population of Shias is increasing. Christian groups include Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Baptists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-day Adventists, and several evangelical groups. There is a small Bahá'í community. There are also small numbers of Hindus, Buddhists, and adherents of traditional Chinese religious beliefs among foreign residents.
Muslims constitute a majority in all four major regions. Christians are most numerous in Conakry, large cities, the south, and the eastern Forest Region. Indigenous religious beliefs are most prevalent in the Forest Region. Participation in formal religious services and rituals is high as a result of the close ties between cultural rituals and religious practices.
The World Bank estimates the population is 1.5 million. Approximately 50% follows indigenous religious practices. Forty% is Muslim, and 10% is Christian.
The Fula (Peuhl or Fulani) and Mandinka ethnic groups are the most numerous followers of Islam. Muslims generally live in the north and northeast, and most Muslims are Sunni. Adherents of indigenous religious beliefs generally live in all but the northern parts of the country. The Christian population, including Roman Catholics and Protestants, is concentrated in Bissau and other large towns.
According to the 2002 census, the population is approximately 751,000. An estimated 57% is Christian, 28% Hindu, 7% Muslim (mainly Sunni), and 2% adheres to other religious beliefs. Of Christian groups, 17% are Pentecostal, 8% Roman Catholic, 7% Anglican, 5% Seventh-day Adventist, and 20% are other or unaffiliated groups. There are small numbers of Rastafarians and Bahá'ís. An estimated 4% of the population does not profess any religion. Some religious groups assert greater numbers of members than reported in the 2002 census.
The country is ethnically diverse, reflecting East Indian, African, Chinese, and European ancestry, as well as a sizeable indigenous population. The membership of most religious groups includes a cross section of ethnic groups, although most Hindus are Indo-Guyanese and nearly all Rastafarians are Afro-Guyanese.
According to a 2012 U.S. government estimate, the population is 9.8 million. Approximately 80% is Roman Catholic, 10% Baptist, 4% Pentecostal, 1% Seventh-day Adventist, and 1% other Protestant denominations. Other religious groups present in small numbers include Episcopalians, Jehovah's Witnesses, Methodists, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Muslims, Scientologists, and practitioners of Vodou (Voodoo). The leader of a prominent multidenominational group reports half the population practices some form of Vodou, often blended with elements of other religions, usually Catholicism. The press reports a growing number of Muslims since the 2010 earthquake, citing an estimate of 2,000 to 10,000 Muslims. There are fewer than 50 Jews.
The population is approximately 8.3 million, according to a U.S. government source. There are no reliable government statistics on religious affiliation. A 2007 survey by a Latin American market research and public opinion company reports 47% of respondents identify as Roman Catholic and 36% as evangelical Protestant. The principal religious groups are Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mennonite, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and evangelical Protestant. The most prominent evangelical churches include the Abundant Life, Living Love, and Great Commission churches. A growing number of evangelical churches have no denominational affiliation. The Evangelical Confederation of Honduras represents the evangelical leadership. There are approximately 2,000 Muslims and 1,000 Jews. San Pedro Sula has a mosque and a synagogue, and Tegucigalpa has a synagogue.
According to the Census and Statistics Department, the population is 7 million. Information Services Department data note that approximately 43% of the population practice some form of religion. The two most prevalent religions are Buddhism and Taoism, often observed in the same temple. There are approximately 1.5 million Buddhists and Taoists, 480,000 Protestants, 363,000 Roman Catholics, 20,000 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), 220,000 Muslims, 40,000 Hindus, 10,000 Sikhs, and 5,000-6,000 Jews. Confucianism is also prevalent, although few believers practice Confucianism as a formal religion. There are between 300 and 500 practitioners of Falun Gong, a self-described spiritual discipline.
There are approximately 600 Taoist and Buddhist temples (including temples affiliated with Tibetan Buddhist schools), 800 Christian churches and chapels, five mosques, seven synagogues, one Hindu temple, and one Sikh temple. There are approximately 1,400 Protestant congregations, representing 50 denominations, including Baptists, Lutherans, Seventh-day Adventists, Anglicans, Christian and Missionary Alliance groups, the Church of Christ in China, Methodists, and Pentecostals. The Hong Kong Catholic Diocese recognizes the Pope. A bishop, priests, monks, and nuns serve Catholics and maintain links to the Vatican.
According to the 2011 national census, the population is approximately 9.9 million. The government does not collect official data on religious affiliation. However, the 2011 national census included an optional question on religious affiliation; responses indicate the population is 37.1% Roman Catholic, 11.6% Hungarian Reformed Church (Calvinist), 2.2% Lutheran, and less than 1% Jewish. These four groups are considered the country's "historic" religions. Among the respondents, 16.7% indicate no religious affiliation and 1.5% indicate atheist; 27.2% offer no response. Religious groups constituting less than 5% of the population include Greek Catholics, the Faith Congregation (a Pentecostal group), Orthodox Christian groups, other Christian denominations, Buddhists, and Muslims.
The National Statistical Bureau of Iceland estimates the population is 319,600. Approximately 77% of the population belongs to the ELC. By year's end, 1,478 individuals had resigned from the church, while the church registered 322 new individuals other than infants. Many of those who resigned joined one of the organizationally and financially independent Lutheran Free Churches, representing 5.7% of the population. Although most citizens observe traditional Lutheran rituals for such events as baptisms, confirmations, weddings, and funerals, most do not regularly attend Sunday services.
Approximately 6.7% of the population belongs to 35 small recognized and registered religious groups. The largest is the Roman Catholic Church with 10,455 members. Approximately 5.8% belongs to other or unspecified religious groups and 4.9% does not belong any religious group. Muslim sources estimate there are 1,000 to 1,500 Muslims. There are fewer than 100 Jews. Foreigners constitute an estimated 80% of the Roman Catholic population, mostly from other European countries and the Philippines.
According to the 2011 census, the total population is 1.21 billion. According to the 2001 census, the latest year for which disaggregated figures have been released, Hindus constitute 80.5% of the population, Muslims 13.4%, Christians 2.3%, and Sikhs 1.9%. Groups that together constitute less than 1% of the population include Buddhists, Jains, Parsis (Zoroastrians), Jews, and Bahá'ís. So-called "tribal" groups, which are indigenous groups historically outside the caste system and generally included among Hindus in government statistics, often practice traditional indigenous religious beliefs (animism).
There are large Muslim populations in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala; Muslims constitute the majority in the states of Jammu and Kashmir. Although Muslims are a minority nationally, the country has the world's third-largest Muslim population based on the 2001 census. Slightly more than 85% of Muslims are Sunni; most of the rest are Shia. Christian populations are found across the country but in greater concentrations in the northeast, as well as in the southern states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Goa. Three small northeastern states (Nagaland, Mizoram, and Meghalaya) have large Christian majorities. Sikhs constitute the majority in the state of Punjab.
According to the 2010 government census, the most recent available, the population is approximately 237 million. Approximately 87% of the population is Muslim, 7% Protestant, 3% Roman Catholic, and 1.5% Hindu. Other religious groups (Buddhism, followers of traditional indigenous religions, Confucianism, other Christian denominations, and those who did not respond to the census question) comprise approximately 1.25% of the population.
The country's Muslim population is overwhelmingly Sunni. Of the more than 207 million Muslims, an estimated one to three million are Shiites. Many smaller Muslim groups exist, including approximately 200,000-400,000 members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. An estimated 20 million people, primarily in Java, Kalimantan, and Papua, practice various traditional belief systems, often referred to collectively as "Aliran Kepercayaan." There are approximately 400 different Aliran Kepercayaan communities throughout the archipelago. Many combine their beliefs with one of the government-recognized religions and register under that recognized religion. The country has a small Sikh population, estimated at between 10,000 and 15,000, residing primarily in Medan and Jakarta. There are small Jewish communities in Jakarta, Manado, and Surabaya. The Bahá'í community reports thousands of members, but no reliable figures are available. Falun Dafa (or Falun Gong), which considers itself a spiritual organization rather than a religion, claims several thousand followers, but specific numbers are unavailable. The number of atheists is also unknown, but the group Indonesian Atheists claims to have more than 500 members. Sunni Islam is the majority religion throughout most of the country. Notable exceptions include the province of Bali, which is predominantly Hindu, and the provinces of Papua, West Papua, East Nusa Tenggara, and North Sulawesi, which are predominantly Protestant Christian.
According to the Statistical Center of Iran's 2011 National Population and Housing Census, the population is 75.2 million. Muslims constitute 99% of the population; 90% are Shia and 9% are Sunni (mostly Turkmen, Arabs, Baluchs, and Kurds living in the southwest, southeast, and northwest, respectively). There are no official statistics available on the size of the Sufi Muslim population; however, some reports estimate between two and five million people practice Sufism.
Groups together constituting the remaining 1% of the population include Bahá'ís, Christians, Jews, Mandaeans, and Zoroastrians. The two largest non-Muslim minorities are Bahá'ís and Christians. The Bahá'ís number approximately 300,000, and are heavily concentrated in Tehran and Semnan. According to UN figures, 300,000 Christians live in the country, though some NGOs estimate there may be as many as 370,000. The Statistical Center of Iran reports there are 117,700. The majority of Christians are ethnic Armenians concentrated in Tehran and Isfahan. Unofficial estimates of the Assyrian Christian population range between 10,000 and 20,000. There are also Protestant denominations, including evangelical groups. Christian groups outside the country estimate the size of the Protestant Christian community to be less than 10,000, although many Protestant Christians reportedly practice in secret. There are from 5,000 to 10,000 Mandaeans. The Statistical Center of Iran estimates there are 25,271 Zoroastrians, who are primarily ethnic Persians; however, Zoroastrian groups report they have 60,000 members.
According to a July 2012 U.S. government estimate, the population is approximately 31.1 million. Religious demography statistics vary due to violence, internal migration, and governmental tracking capability. Numbers are often estimates from nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and community leaders, as the government has not yet taken a census.
According to 2010 government statistics, 97% of the population is Muslim. Shia Muslims, predominantly Arabs but including Turkmen, Faili (Shia) Kurds, and others, constitute 60 to 65%. Arab and Kurdish Sunni Muslims make up 32 to 37% of the population. From 18 to 20% are Sunni Kurds, 12 to 16% are Sunni Arabs, and the remaining 1 to 2% are Sunni Turkmen. Approximately 3% of the population is composed of Christians, Yezidis, Mandaeans, Bahá'ís, Shabaks, Kakais (sometimes referred to as Ahl-e Haqq), and a very small number of Jews. Shia, although predominantly located in the south and east, are the majority in Baghdad and have communities in most parts of the country. Sunnis form the majority in the west, center, and the north of the country. Christian leaders estimate there are between 400,000 and 850,000 Christians, with the vast majority being ethnic Assyrians. Approximately two-thirds of this community are Chaldean Catholics (an eastern rite of the Catholic Church), nearly one-fifth are of the Church of the East, and the remainder are Syriac Orthodox (Eastern Orthodox). Non-Assyrian Christians include Armenians (Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox), Anglicans, and other Protestants. Evangelical Christians reportedly number approximately 5,000. Yezidi leaders report that most of 500,000 to 700,000 Yezidis reside in the north, with 15% in Dahuk Province and the rest in Ninewa Province. Shabak leaders state there are 200,000 to 500,000 Shabaks, who reside mainly near Mosul in Ninewa Province. Estimates of the size of the Mandaean community vary widely; according to Mandaean leaders, about 4,000 remain in the country, generally along the Tigris and its tributaries. According to a leader in the Mandaean community in Basrah, the Mandaean population in Basrah has fallen dramatically over the last decade to an estimated 500-750 people. The Bahá'í leadership report fewer than 2,000 members, spread throughout the country in small groups. The Kakai community around Kirkuk is estimated at 24,500 people. Fewer than 10 Jews reportedly reside in Baghdad, and there are unconfirmed reports that very small Jewish communities exist in other parts of the country. UNHCR reports that 82,260 Iraqi refugees and 218,800 internally displaced persons (IDPs) registered returns in 2012. The Ministry of Migration and Displacement (MOMD) reports that 304 of those returns were minorities. A majority of these refugees originally fled Iraq and sought asylum in Syria and Jordan due to sectarian violence triggered by the 2006 bombing of the Samara shrine. According to UNHCR's 2012 monitoring report, the majority of the Iraqi refugees who sought asylum in Iran were Shia families who had fled Iraq before 2003; those who returned in 2012 mostly settled in Najaf and Karbala. In addition to Iraqi refugees, an estimated 1.1 million people of diverse religious backgrounds remain internally displaced due to sectarian violence between 2006 and 2008. The number of religious minorities internally displaced by violence remains uncertain because many stay with relatives and friends. An international NGO reports that 6,156 Christian families remain internally displaced in the country's northern governorates. The NGO largely attributes the high number to Iraqi Christians fleeing Syria where they had previously found refuge. The NGO attributes the decision of families to resettle in northern Iraq due to the area's relative security compared with elsewhere in the country. Humanitarian organizations working with displaced Christian families note that this vulnerable population is often unable to sell their homes at a reasonable price if they choose to migrate. They also face increasing rental costs in their area of displacement.
According to the 2011 census, the population is 4.6 million. The census indicates the population is approximately 84% Catholic (the lowest percentage ever reported), 3% Church of Ireland, 1% Muslim (a sharp rise over the previous five years), 1% Orthodox Christian, 1% unspecified Christian, and 6% not stating a religious affiliation. There are small numbers of Presbyterians and Jews. Groups of Christians and Muslims from Africa, Muslims from North Africa and the Middle East, Muslims and Hindus from South Asia, and Orthodox Christians continue to grow, especially in larger urban areas.
According to the 2011 report of the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), the population is 7.9 million (including settlers living in the Occupied Territories), of which approximately 76% are Jews, 19% are Muslims, 2% are Christians, and 1.6% are Druze. The remaining 1.4% consists of relatively small communities of Bahá'ís, Samaritans, Karaites, Jehovah's Witnesses, and those classified as "other"—mostly persons who identify themselves as Jewish but do not satisfy the Orthodox Jewish definition of "Jewish" the government uses for civil procedures. The majority of non-Jewish citizens are of Arab origin.
According to the CBS report, 9% of the Jewish population identifies as Haredi (also known as "ultra-Orthodox"), 10% identifies as Orthodox, 15% describe themselves as "traditional, religious," 23% call themselves "traditional, not so religious," and 43% describe themselves as "nonreligious/secular" Jews, most of whom observe some Jewish traditions. Although not differentiated in official statistics, a 2012 Guttman Institute poll shows that approximately 500,000 traditional and secular Jews associate themselves with the beliefs of the Conservative or Reform streams of Judaism. There is also a community of approximately 20,000 Messianic Jews. Religious communities often are concentrated in geographical areas according to religious beliefs. The country continues to undergo demographic changes due to the higher birth rate of the Haredi and Muslim communities. There are approximately 95,000 foreigners permitted to work in the country and an additional 120,000 illegal foreign workers. Foreign workers were members of many different religious groups, including: Protestant, Roman Catholic, Orthodox Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim.
According to a 2011 national statistics institute estimate, the population is 60.63 million. A 2009 report estimates 87% of native-born citizens are Roman Catholic, but a 2010 report by the independent research institute Eurispes estimates that only 24% regularly participate in Catholic worship services. Religious groups accounting for less than 5% of the population include non-Catholic Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Bahá'ís, and Buddhists. Non-Catholic Christian groups include Orthodox, Jehovah's Witnesses, Assemblies of God, the Confederation of Methodist and Waldensian Churches, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and a number of small Protestant groups.
The number of Muslims continues to grow with immigration from North Africa, South Asia, Albania, and the Middle East. Most Muslims live in the northern part of the country. According to the research branch of the Caritas nongovernmental organization (NGO), of an estimated five million resident foreigners, 1.6 million are Muslim, 1.5 million Orthodox, one million Catholic, and 0.2 million Protestant. The Jewish community is estimated to be 30,000.
According to the World Bank's 2011 country data report, the population is 20.2 million. Approximately 35 to 40% is Muslim, a roughly equal percentage is Christian, and an estimated 25% adheres to indigenous religious beliefs. Many Christians and Muslims also adhere to some aspects of indigenous religious beliefs.
Traditionally, the north is associated with Islam and the south with Christianity, although practitioners of both religions live throughout the country. In general, political and religious affiliations tend to follow ethnic lines. Christian groups include Roman Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-day Adventists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Harrists, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Southern Baptists, Copts, and members of the Assemblies of God. Other religious groups include Buddhists, Bahá'ís, adherents of the Celestial Church of Christ, followers of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, and Bossonists, who follow traditions of the Akan ethnic group.
The population is approximately 2.7 million, according to the Statistical Institute's 2011 census. An estimated 26% belongs to the Church of God, 12% is Seventh-day Adventist, 11% Pentecostal, 7% Baptist, 3% Anglican, 2% Roman Catholic, 2% United Church, 2% Methodist, 2% Jehovah's Witnesses, 1% Moravian, 1% Brethren, 2% does not report a religious affiliation, and 8% belongs to other groups. The latter includes approximately 29,000 Rastafarians, 1,500 Muslims (although Muslim groups estimate their numbers at 5,000), 1,800 Hindus, 500 Jews, and 270 Bahá'ís. The census reports that 21% has no religious affiliation.
The Statistics Bureau estimates the population to be 127.5 million as of October. Because the government does not require religious groups to report their membership, it is difficult to determine the number of members of different groups. A 2009 report by the Agency for Cultural Affairs (ACA) indicates that membership claims by religious groups totaled 207 million. This number, substantially more than the country's population, reflects many citizens’ affiliation with multiple religions. For example, it is common to practice both Buddhist and Shinto rites.
According to the ACA's 2009 statistics, 106 million persons identified themselves as Shinto, 90 million as Buddhist, and 2.1 million as Christian, while nine million followed "other" religions. The category of "other" includes Islam, the Bahá'í Faith, Hinduism, Judaism, or no religion. The government does not compile statistics on the number of Muslims in the country specifically, but a 2005 report by academic sources estimates the Muslim population at 63,000. There is no significant correlation between religious affiliation and ethnicity, politics, or socio-economic status; the society is relatively ethnically and religiously homogeneous. The indigenous Ainu people, who practice an animist faith, are concentrated mainly in Japan's northern island, Hokkaido. Some immigrants and foreign workers practice religions other than Shintoism, the indigenous religion, or Buddhism.
According to government estimates, the population is over 6.9 million, 98% of which is Sunni Muslim. Estimates of the number of Christian citizens vary from 1 to 2% of the population. Shia Muslims, Bahá'ís, and Druze constitute less than 1% of the population.
Officially recognized Christian denominations include the Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic (Melkite), Armenian Orthodox, Maronite Catholic, Assyrian, Coptic, Anglican, Lutheran, Seventh-day Adventist, and Presbyterian churches. Christian churches that are not officially recognized but registered as "societies" include the Free Evangelical Church, Nazarene Church, Assemblies of God, Christian and Missionary Alliance, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Unrecognized Christian denominations not registered as "societies" include the United Pentecostal Church and Jehovah's Witnesses. The government refers to Chaldean Catholic and Syriac Christians among the Iraqi refugee population as "guests." The Baptist Church is registered as a "denomination," but does not enjoy the full privileges of other registered religious groups in the country. The government does not recognize the Bahá'í Faith as a religion.
According to Agency of Statistics 2012 data, the population is 16.9 million. There are approximately 3,088 registered religious organizations in the country, representing 17 different confessions.
Approximately 65% of the population is Muslim; the majority is Sunni of the Hanafi school. Other Islamic groups that account for less than 1% of the population include Shafi’i Sunni, Shia, Sufi, and Ahmadi. The highest concentration of self-identified practicing Muslims is in the southern region bordering Uzbekistan. Orthodox Christians constitute approximately 24.6% of the population. Other groups constituting less than 5% of the population include Roman Catholics, Greek Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Seventh-day Adventists, Methodists, Mennonites, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Jews, Buddhists, Hare Krishnas, Bahá'ís, Christian Scientists, Scientologists, and members of Grace Church, New Life Church, and the Unification Church.
The population is 43 million, according to a U.S. government estimate. Approximately 80% of the population is Christian and 10% is Muslim. Groups constituting less than 1% of the population include Hindus, Sikhs, and Bahá'ís. Most of the remaining population adheres to various traditional religious beliefs. Of the Christian population, 58% is Protestant and 42% is Roman Catholic. Most of the Muslim population lives in North Eastern and Coast provinces, where religion and ethnicity are often inextricably linked. There are approximately 500,000 people in the Dadaab refugee camp, most of whom are Muslims.
According to preliminary figures from the 2010 census, Kiribati's population was approximately 103,100. The 2005 census showed that the major religious groups include the Roman Catholic Church (55% of the population); the Kiribati Protestant Church (36%); The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) (3%); the Bahá'í Faith (2%); and the Seventh-day Adventist Church (2%). The LDS Church claims to have a higher number of adherents, totaling 15,364 members or 15% of the estimated population. Persons with no religious affiliation account for less than 1% of the population. Members of the Catholic Church are concentrated in the northern islands, while Protestants constitute the majority in the southern islands.
According to official government census data released in October, the population is 1.74 million. Census data shows 95.6% of the population identifies as Muslim, 2.2% as Roman Catholic, and 1.4% as Serbian Orthodox. Census categories for "Other," "None," or "No Response" each constitute less than 1%. The largest Catholic communities live in Gjakove/Djakovica, Kline/Klina, Prizren, Janjevo, and Pristina. Most members of the SOC reside in ethnically Serb towns and enclaves. Small populations of Protestants live in most cities, with the largest concentration located in Pristina. The largest Jewish community resides in Prizren. The Kosovo Islamic Community is the officially recognized Islamic umbrella group and is known by its Albanian-language acronym BIK; it is responsible for training Muslim clergy and appointing them to mosques throughout the country.
Religion and ethnicity are closely linked; Serbs generally belong to the SOC, while the majority of religiously active citizens of Albanian descent identify themselves as Muslim. Critics of the census note it does not include residents in the northern region of Mitrovice/Mitrovica and thus significantly under-represents Serbs who belong to the SOC. Anecdotal information also suggests census takers at times automatically assigned Islam to persons without soliciting explicit answers or over their verbal objections.
According to the Public Authority for Civil Information, there are 1.2 million citizens and 2.6 million non-citizens. The national census does not distinguish between Shia and Sunni Muslims. Estimates derived from voting records and personal status documents indicate that approximately 70% of citizens, including the ruling family, adhere to the Sunni branch of Islam. Most of the remaining 30% of citizens are Shia Muslims. There are approximately 150-200 Christian citizens and a small number of Bahá'í citizens. An estimated 150,000 noncitizen residents are Shia. While some areas have relatively high concentrations of either Sunnis or Shia, most areas are religiously well integrated.
There are an estimated 600,000 non-citizen Hindus. The largely non-citizen Christian population is estimated to be more than 450,000. The government-recognized Christian churches include the Roman Catholic Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church, the National Evangelical (Protestant) Church, the Armenian Orthodox Church, the Greek Orthodox Church (referred to in Arabic as the Roman Orthodox Church), the Greek Catholic (Melkite) Church, and the Anglican Church. There are also many unrecognized Christian religious groups with smaller populations. There are an estimated 100,000 Buddhists, 10,000 Sikhs, and 400 Bahá'ís, the majority of whom are non-citizens.
According to 2011 World Bank figures, the population is 5.5 million. Sunni Islam accounts for 83% of the population and there are also approximately 1,000 members of Shia groups. Approximately 15% of the population is Christian, half of which identifies itself as Russian Orthodox.
Of the remaining population, Protestant Christians number 11,000. Protestant denominations include 48 registered Baptist groups, 21 Lutheran, 49 Pentecostal, 35 Presbyterian, 43 "Charismatic," and 30 Seventh-day Adventist communities. Jehovah's Witnesses number approximately 4,800. There are three Roman Catholic churches, with an estimated 1,200 adherents nationwide. The Jewish community, with about 1,500 members, has one synagogue. The Buddhist community includes approximately 1,000 members and has one temple. There are 12 registered Bahá'í houses of worship that serve approximately 300 members. Islam is the predominant religion in both urban and rural areas. Members of Russian Orthodox and other non-Muslim religious groups live mainly in major cities. Ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks are primarily Muslim, while ethnic Russians most often belong to the Russian Orthodox Church or one of the several Protestant denominations.
Theravada Buddhism is the religion of nearly all ethnic or "lowland" Lao, who constitute 40 to 50% of the overall population, estimated in July by the U.S. government to be approximately 6.5 million. The remainder of the population belongs to at least 48 distinct ethnic minority groups, most of which practice animism and ancestor worship. Animism is predominant among Sino-Thai groups, such as the Thai Dam and Thai Daeng, as well as among Mon-Khmer and Burmo-Tibetan groups. Even among lowland Lao, many pre-Buddhist animist beliefs are incorporated into Theravada Buddhist practice, particularly in rural areas. Roman Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Bahá'ís, Mahayana Buddhists, and followers of Confucianism constitute less than 3% of the population.
According to the 2011 census, the population is 2.1 million. The Justice Ministry reports the largest religious groups are Roman Catholics (22.7%), Lutherans (19.7%), and Orthodox Christians (16.8%). Sizeable religious minorities include Baptists, Pentecostals, and other evangelical Protestant groups. The census estimates that approximately 6,400 persons (less than 1%) self-identify as Jews, while the Council of Jewish Communities estimates there are 10,000 Jews. Other small religious groups include Muslims, Jehovah's Witnesses, Methodists, Hare Krishnas, and Buddhists. Many Orthodox Christians are Russian-speaking noncitizen permanent residents and live mainly in major cities. Many Catholics live in the east.
According to the Beirut-based research firm Statistics Lebanon, the population is approximately 4.3 million. An estimated 27% is Sunni Muslim, 27% Shia Muslim, 21% Maronite Christian, 8% Greek Orthodox, 5.6% Druze, and 5% Greek Catholic, with the remaining 6.5% belonging to smaller Christian groups. There are also very small numbers of Jews, Bahá'ís, Buddhists, Hindus, and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
The 18 officially recognized religious groups include four Muslim groups, 12 Christian groups, the Druze, and Judaism. The main branches of Islam practiced are Shia and Sunni. The Alawites and the Ismaili ("Sevener") Shia order are the smallest Muslim communities. The Maronite community, the largest Christian group, maintains its centuries-long affiliation with the Roman Catholic Church but has its own patriarch, liturgy, and ecclesiastical customs. The second-largest Christian sect is Greek Orthodox. Other Christian groups are divided among Greek Catholics, Armenian Orthodox (Gregorians), Armenian Catholics, Syriac Orthodox (Jacobites), Syriac Catholics, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Copts, evangelicals (including Baptists and Seventh-day Adventists), and Latins (Roman Catholic). The Druze, who refer to themselves as al-Muwahhideen, or "believers in one God," are concentrated in the rural, mountainous areas east and south of Beirut. Many persons fleeing religious mistreatment and discrimination in neighboring states are immigrants in the country, including Kurds, Shia, and Assyrians from Iraq, as well as Coptic Christians from Egypt and Sudan. According to the secretary-general of the Syriac League, approximately 10,000 Iraqi Christians and 3,000 to 4,000 Coptic Christians reside in the country.
According to the 2006 census, the population is 1.88 million. Approximately 90% of the population is Christian. There are an estimated 4,000 Muslim families, 150 Hindu families, and 800 Bahá'ís, which combine to make up approximately 1% of the population. The remaining 9% of the population belongs to indigenous religious groups, although exact figures are difficult to determine. Many Christians practice traditional rituals in conjunction with Christianity. Muslim and Hindu numbers are declining due to emigration to South Africa. Although there are a small number of Jews, there is no synagogue for worship; services are held across the border in South Africa. Muslims live primarily in the northern area of the country.
Immigrants from other parts of Africa, South Asia, and China constitute less than 1% of the population. No statistics are available on their religious affiliation.
A U.S. government source estimates the population is 3.9 million. According to the 2008 National Population and Housing Census, the population is 85.6% Christian, 12.2% Muslim, 0.6% adherents of indigenous religious beliefs, 1.5% persons who claim no religion, and less than 1% members of other religious groups, including Bahá'ís, Hindus, Sikhs, and Buddhists. The estimated percentage of the Muslim population is a source of contention. Unofficial reports and surveys estimate Muslims constitute between 10 and 20% of the population. Many members of religious groups incorporate elements of indigenous beliefs into their religious practices. Christian groups include Lutherans, Baptists, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Roman Catholics, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Seventh-Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and members of the United Methodist, African Methodist Episcopal (AME), AME Zion, and a variety of Pentecostal churches.
Christians reside throughout the country. Muslims belong mainly to the Mandingo ethnic group, which resides throughout the country, and the Vai ethnic group, which lives predominantly in the west. There is also a predominantly Muslim Fula community throughout the country. The Fula people are referred to as a community not by location, but as a tribal segment of society. Ethnic groups in most regions participate in the indigenous religious practices of secret societies.
According to U.S. government estimates, the population is 5.6 million. Ninety-seven% is Sunni Muslim and the remaining 3% of the population includes Christians, Hindus, Bahá'ís, Ahmadi Muslims, Buddhists, and Jews. Many members of the Amazigh ethnic minority are Ibadi Muslims; nearly all other non-Sunni Muslims are foreign residents. Small Christian communities consist almost exclusively of sub-Saharan African and Egyptian migrants and a small number of U.S. and European workers. Bishops in Tripoli, Misrata, and Benghazi lead an estimated 50,000 Coptic Christians who are mostly Egyptian foreign residents. Roman Catholic clergy are present in larger cities, working primarily in hospitals, orphanages, and with the elderly or physically impaired. A priest in Tripoli and a bishop resident in Tunis lead the Anglican community. A Greek Orthodox archbishop in Tripoli and priests in Tripoli and Benghazi serve approximately 80 regular Orthodox churchgoers. The Ukrainian embassy in Tripoli also maintains a small Orthodox church for Tripoli's Russian-speaking population. There are nondenominational, evangelical Unity churches in Tripoli and Benghazi, as well as small Unity congregations located throughout the country. Nondenominational churches in Tripoli serve primarily African and Filipino migrant workers. The overwhelming majority of Libya's Jewish population, estimated at 40,000, fled the country between 1948 and 1967. David Gerbi, a Libyan Jew active in the exiled Jewish community in Italy, estimates that there are around 200,000 Libyan Jews and their descendants living outside of the country. While there are reports of some Jews remaining, there are no known estimates of the current population. Representatives from the Jewish diaspora are unable to return to reopen the synagogue in Tripoli due to security concerns. There are no known places of worship for members of other non-Muslim religious groups, although adherents are allowed to practice their religion in their homes.
According to the National Office of Statistics, the country's population is 36,500 and religious group membership by percentage is as follows: Roman Catholic (76%); Protestant (7.6); Muslim (5.4); no formal religious group (2.8); Christian Orthodox (1.1); other religious groups (1.7); and no religious affiliation (5.4). The great majority of Muslims are Sunnis, predominantly from Turkey and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
According to the 2011 census, the population is 3.43 million. The census reports 77.3% is Roman Catholic and 6.1% does not identify with any religious group. Religious groups constituting less than 5% of the population include Russian Orthodox, Old Believers, Lutherans, Reformed Evangelicals, Jews, Sunni Muslims, Greek Catholics, and the Karaites. The Karaites traditionally live in Trakai and in the greater Vilnius region. The majority of the Sunni Muslims live in Vilnius and Kaunas. The Jewish population is mainly concentrated in the larger cities.
Less than 0.5% belongs to religious groups the government designates "nontraditional." The most numerous are Jehovah's Witnesses, Full Gospel Word of Faith Movement, Pentecostals/Charismatics, Old Baltic faith communities, Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, Methodists, members of the New Apostolic Church, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
According to the National Statistics Office, the population is 510,000. A 2011 study by the Center for Studies of Population, Poverty, and Socio-Economic Policy estimates that more than 70% of the population is Roman Catholic. According to that study and local religious groups, approximately 2% of the population is Protestant (Lutheran, Calvinist, and Anglican), 2% Muslim, 1% Christian Orthodox (Greek, Serbian, Russian, and Romanian), and 0.3% Jewish. There are small numbers of Bahá'ís, Jehovah's Witnesses, and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and the Universal Church.
According to the Government Statistics and Census Service, the population is 568,700. The Government Information Bureau reports that nearly 80% of the population practices Buddhism. There are approximately 30,000 Roman Catholics (of whom over half are foreign domestic workers and expatriates residing in Macau) and more than 8,000 Protestants. Smaller religious groups include Bahá'ís (estimated at 2,500 persons); Muslims (estimated at 400 persons); and a small number of Falun Gong practitioners (estimated at 50 persons).
There are approximately 40 Buddhist temples, as well as dozens of village temples and houses dedicated to Buddhist deities; 30 Taoist temples; three Catholic cathedrals, 18 Catholic churches and 56 Catholic chapels within diocesan buildings; approximately 70 Protestant churches; four Bahá'í centers; and one mosque. Protestant denominations include Baptist, Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist, and Pentecostal churches. There are also evangelical groups and independent local churches. An estimated 70 Protestant churches with 4,000 members conduct services in Chinese; approximately 4,000 worshippers attend every Sunday. An estimated 500 Protestants attend services conducted in foreign languages.
The population is 22 million, according to a U.S. government source. Although neither precise nor official figures were available, religious groups report that approximately half of the population is Christian.
The Council of Christian Churches in Madagascar (FFKM) represents the four principal Christian groups: Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, and members of the Reformed Protestant Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar (FJKM). Smaller groups include The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Jehovah's Witnesses, and Seventh-day Adventists. Local sources report that the most numerous non-Christian group includes adherents of indigenous religions, although the number is unknown. A local academic estimates Muslims constitute 10-15% of the population. According to religious leaders, Muslim populations are largely concentrated in the north, northwest, and southeast. Citizens of ethnic Indian and Pakistani origin, and Comoran immigrants represent the majority of Muslims. There are also small numbers of Hindus and Jews.
The government estimates the population to be 14.8 million. Approximately 80% of the population is Christian. Most Christians belong to the Roman Catholic Church or the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian. There are also small numbers of Anglicans, Baptists, evangelicals, and Seventh-day Adventists. Muslims constitute approximately 20% of the population, and the vast majority of Muslims are Sunni. The largest concentration of Muslims is along the southern shores of Lake Malawi. There are also Hindus and Bahá'ís, as well as small numbers of Rastafarians and Jews.
The population is approximately 29.6 million, according to 2010 census data from the Malaysian Department of Statistics. Census figures indicate that 61.3% of the population practices Islam; 19.8% Buddhism; 9.2% Christianity; 6.3% Hinduism; and 1.3% Confucianism, Taoism, and other traditional Chinese philosophies and religions. Other minority religious groups include animists, Sikhs, and Bahá'ís. Ethnic Malay Muslims account for approximately 55% of the population. Several of the most prominent political parties are organized along ethnic and/or religious lines. The majority of Christians reside in the eastern states of Sabah and Sarawak.
According to government statistics, the population is 350,800. All citizens are required to be Muslim and the majority of the population practices Sunni Islam. Non-Muslim foreigners, including an estimated 800,000 tourists who visit annually and 100,000 foreign workers (mainly Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans, Indians, and Pakistanis), may practice their religions only in private. Most Muslim tourists and Muslim foreign workers practice Islam in private or at mosques located at the resorts where they work and live.
The population is approximately 15.8 million, according to a 2011 World Bank report. Muslims constitute an estimated 90% of the population. Nearly all Muslims are Sunni and most are Sufi. The population is 4% Christian, of whom approximately two-thirds are Roman Catholic and one-third Protestant. The remaining 6% adheres to indigenous religious beliefs or professes no religious affiliation. Groups adhering to indigenous religious beliefs reside throughout the country, but are most active in rural areas. Many Muslims and Christians also adhere to some aspects of indigenous beliefs.
There are several mosques associated with the group Dawa al Tabligh, a fundamentalist Muslim group that does not seek to impose its practices outside of its own group. The group has fewer than a thousand members in Bamako.
According to a 2011 report from the National Statistics Office, the population is 416,000. The office's 2006 report indicates 91% is Roman Catholic. Other religious groups constituting less than 5% of the population include Coptic Christians, Greek Orthodox, Baptists, evangelicals, Jehovah's Witnesses, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Seventh-day Adventists, Jews, members of the Unification Church, Zen Buddhists, Bahá'ís, Muslims, and adherents of indigenous African forms of worship. There are an estimated 6,000 Muslims, most of whom are foreign citizens, and an estimated 100 Jews.
The population is 53,158, according to the 2011 census. Major religious groups include the United Church of Christ (formerly Congregational), with 52% of the population; the Assemblies of God, 24%; the Roman Catholic Church, 9%; and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), 8%. Groups together constituting less than 7% include Bukot Non Jesus (also known as Assembly of God Part Two), Full Gospel, Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, Bahá'ís, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Ahmadi Muslims.
A 2011 National Statistics Office report estimates the population to be 3.3 million. Most are Sunni Muslims. There are very small numbers of non-Muslims, almost exclusively foreigners. There are Roman Catholic and other Christian churches in Nouakchott, Atar, Zouerate, Nouadhibou, and Rosso. Although there are no synagogues, a very small number of foreign residents are Jews.
According to the 2011 census, the population is 1,236,000. Approximately 48% is Hindu, 26% Roman Catholic, 17% Muslim, and 6% other Christian, including Seventh-day Adventists, Anglicans, Pentecostals, Presbyterians, evangelicals, Jehovah's Witnesses, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and members of the Assemblies of God. The remaining 3% includes Buddhists, animists, and others. More than 95% of Muslims are Sunnis.
On the main island, the population of the city of Port Louis is primarily Muslim and Roman Catholic, while the majority of the rest of the island's population is Hindu. The island of Rodrigues is 90% Roman Catholic. There is a strong correlation between religious affiliation and ethnicity. Citizens of Indian ethnicity are primarily Hindu or Muslim. Those of Chinese ancestry generally practice either Buddhism or Catholicism. Creoles and citizens of European descent are primarily Catholic.
The population is approximately 112.3 million, according to the 2010 census. Approximately 83% identify themselves as Roman Catholic (down from 89% in the 2000 census). Approximately 8% are affiliated with evangelical or other Protestant churches, 2% identify themselves as members of other Bible-based religions, and less than 1% identify as Jewish. More than 5% report not practicing any religion.
Official statistics occasionally differ from membership figures religious groups provide. Approximately 314,900 individuals identify themselves as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in the 2010 census; however, LDS Church in Mexico officials assert their membership is approximately 1.3 million. There are large Protestant communities in the southern states of Chiapas and Tabasco. In Chiapas, Protestant evangelical leaders state nearly half of the state's 2.4 million inhabitants are members of evangelical groups, but less than 5% of 2010 census respondents in Chiapas self-identify as evangelical. According to the 2010 census, the Jewish community numbers approximately 67,500, some 42,000 of whom live in Mexico City and the state of Mexico; there are also small numbers of Jews in Morelos, Oaxaca, Puebla, and Veracruz. Nearly half of the country's approximately 4,000 Muslims are concentrated in Mexico City and the state of Mexico. A community of approximately 50,000 Mennonites is concentrated mostly in Chihuahua. Some indigenous persons in the states of Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Yucatán adhere to a syncretic religion combining Catholic and pre-Hispanic Mayan beliefs. In some communities, particularly in the south, there is a correlation between politics and religious affiliation. A small number of local leaders reportedly manipulated religious tensions in their communities for their own political or economic benefit, particularly in Chiapas.
The 2010 government census estimates the population to be 102,000, including 11,000 in Yap, 49,000 in Chuuk, 36,000 in Pohnpei, and 6,000 in Kosrae. Because of high emigration rates, the current population is likely to be less than the 2010 figure.
Although there is linguistic and cultural diversity within each of the country's four states, its religious character is overwhelmingly Christian. Several Protestant denominations, as well as the Roman Catholic Church, are present in every state. The United Church of Christ is the main Protestant denomination. In Kosrae, 95% of the population is Protestant. In Pohnpei, the population is evenly divided between Protestants and Catholics. In Chuuk, an estimated 60% is Catholic and 40% Protestant. In Yap, an estimated 80% of the population is Catholic and the remainder Protestant. In addition to the United Church of Christ, Protestant denominations include Baptist, Assemblies of God, Salvation Army, and Seventh-day Adventists. Smaller groups include Jehovah's Witnesses, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and Bahá'ís. There are increasing numbers of Mormons; in Pohnpei, about 5% of the population considers itself Mormon. Attendance at religious services is generally high. Churches are well supported by their congregations and play a significant role in civil society. The majority of foreign workers are Filipino Catholics who have joined local Catholic churches. The Filipino Iglesia ni Cristo has a church in Pohnpei. Historic interdenominational rivalry and the conversion of clan leaders in Pohnpei resulted in religious divisions along clan lines that continue today, although intermarriage has blurred the lines considerably. More Protestants live on the western side of the island, while more Catholics live on the eastern side.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the population is 3.6 million. The predominant religion is Orthodox Christianity. According to a 2011 Gallup poll, 97% of the population belongs to one of the two Orthodox groups: the MOC with 86% and the Bessarabian Orthodox Church (BOC) with 11%. Weekly church attendance in rural communities averages about 5% of the total village population. A poll conducted during the year by the Human Rights Information Center estimates active membership in non-Orthodox religious groups at 150,000. The largest non-Orthodox religious groups, accounting for 15,000 to 30,000 adherents each, are Roman Catholics, Pentecostals, Seventh-day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Baptists, Jews, and evangelical Christians.
Smaller religious groups include Muslims, Bahá'ís, Molokans, Messianic Jews, Lutherans, Presbyterians, other Christians, members of the Unification Church, and Krishna Consciousness followers. In the separatist Transnistria region, the largest religious group is the MOC. The Tiraspol-Dubasari diocese is part of both the MOC and the Russian Orthodox Church, and an estimated 80% of the Transnistrian population belongs to the MOC. Other religious groups in the region include Roman Catholics, followers of Old Rite Orthodoxy, Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, evangelical and charismatic Christians, Jews, Lutherans, and Jehovah's Witnesses.
According to government estimates, the population is 36,700. Roman Catholicism is the state religion, and 90% of the approximately 7,600 citizens are Catholic. Protestants are the second largest religious group. Most of the estimated 28,300 noncitizen residents are either Catholic or Protestant. There are an estimated 1,000 Jewish noncitizen residents and a smaller number of noncitizens who are Muslims or adhere to other religious beliefs. There are five Catholic churches and one cathedral, one Greek Orthodox Church, two Protestant churches, one synagogue, and no mosques.
According to the 2011 Mongolian Statistical Yearbook, the population is slightly more than 2.8 million. Buddhism remains closely linked with the country's cultural traditions, with 53% of citizens self-identifying as Buddhist according to government statistics. Local scholars estimate that more than 90% of the population subscribes to Buddhism, although practice varies widely. Lamaist Buddhism of the Tibetan variety is the traditional and dominant religion.
Muslims constitute approximately 5% of the population nationwide and 80% of the population of the primarily ethnic Kazakh western province of Bayan-Olgiy. According to the Mongolian Muslim Association, in addition to approximately 120,000 Kazakh Muslims (mostly in Bayan-Olgiy), there are 30,000 Khoton Muslims residing primarily in the province of Uvs. There are more than 40 mosques and ten Islamic student centers, where an estimated 3,000 students study Islam. There is a small but growing population of Christians. According to the 2010 National Census, approximately 2% of the population is Christian. A 2011 government nationwide study indicates that 4.7% of the 2,500 individuals surveyed are Christian. According to estimates by various Christian groups, approximately 90% of Christians are Protestant, while 9% belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Roman Catholics and members of the Russian Orthodox Church together account for the remaining 1%. Some citizens practice shamanism, often in tandem with another religion. The 2010 National Census estimates that 2.9% of the population practices shamanism, widely viewed as a traditional form of healing. According to the 2011 government survey of 2,500 people, 6% of those surveyed self-identified as shamanists and 8.6% responded that they practiced shamanism alongside Buddhism. According to 2011 records from the State General Registration Office, which are the most recent records available, there are 630 registered places of worship, of which 272 are Buddhist, 293 Christian, and 65 belonging to various other religious groups. According to estimates by the Evangelical Alliance, a confederation of evangelical Christian churches throughout the country, there are 400 to 600 evangelical churches, approximately 250 to 300 of which are registered.
The population is 620,000 according to a 2011 National Statistics Office (NSO) estimate. Approximately 72% of the population identified itself as Orthodox (either SPC or CPC), 16% as "Islamic," 3% as Muslim, and 3.4% as Roman Catholic. The SPC is larger than the CPC. Without official explanation, the NSO created separate categories for Muslims and followers of Islam, but later combined the categories after the Islamic community objected. Other religious groups include Seventh-day Adventists, Buddhists, Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Jews.
The country's population is 32.3 million, according to U.S. government estimates. More than 99% is Sunni Muslim. Groups together constituting less than 1% of the population include Christians, Jews, Shia Muslims, and Bahá'ís. According to Jewish community leaders, there are an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 Jews, approximately 2,500 of whom reside in Casablanca and are the remnants of a much larger community that has mostly emigrated. The Rabat and Marrakesh Jewish communities each have about 100 members. The remainder of the Jewish population is dispersed throughout the country. That population is mostly elderly.
The predominantly Roman Catholic and Protestant foreign resident Christian community consists of approximately 5,000 practicing members, although some Protestant and Catholic clergy estimate the number to be as high as 25,000. Most foreign resident Christians live in the Casablanca, Tangier, and Rabat urban areas. Various local Christian leaders estimate that there are 4,000 citizen Christians (mostly ethnic Amazigh) who regularly attend "house" churches and live predominantly in the south. Some Christian leaders estimate that there may be as many as 8,000 Christian citizens throughout the country, but many reportedly do not meet regularly due to fear of government surveillance and social persecution. The Catholic and French Protestant (referred to as l’Eglise evangelique du Maroc, or EEM) churches have buildings throughout many cities in the country. There are two Anglican churches located in Casablanca and Tangier. The Russian Orthodox Church holds services in a building in Rabat. The Greek Orthodox Church owns a building in Casablanca where it holds services. The Association Marocaine des Eglises Protestantes (AMEP) churches, a network of autonomous foreign resident Protestant church communities, generally rent or share buildings. There are an estimated 3,000 to 8,000 Shia Muslims, most of them foreign residents from Lebanon or Iraq but including a few citizens. Followers of several Sufi Muslim orders across the Maghreb and West Africa undertake joint annual pilgrimages to the country. There are 350-400 Bahá'ís, located in urban areas.
The population is approximately 23.9 million, according to a 2011 World Bank report. The 2007 census estimates that 28% of the population is Roman Catholic, 27% is Protestant, 18% is Muslim, 9% is divided among many small groups, and approximately 18% does not profess a religion or belief. Religious leaders speculate that a significant portion of the population adheres to syncretic indigenous religious beliefs, a category not included in the 2007 census. Muslim leaders state that their community accounts for closer to 25-30% of the population, a statistic frequently reported in the press. There are small numbers of Jews, Hindus, and Bahá'ís.
The South Asian immigrant population is predominantly Muslim, and there are some differences between their practices and the traditional, Sufi-inspired Swahili Islam of Muslims of African origin. An increasing number of African Muslim clerics travel to Egypt, Kuwait, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia for training, and some return with a more conservative approach to Islam.
Although there has not been a census since 1983, a 2012 U.S. government source estimates the population to be 54,584,700. Theravada Buddhism is the dominant religion. The principal minority religious groups include Christians (primarily Baptists, Roman Catholics, and Anglicans, along with several other small Protestant denominations), Muslims (mostly Sunni), Hindus, and practitioners of traditional Chinese and indigenous religions. Some sources suggest that approximately 90% of the population practices Buddhism, 4% Christianity, and 4% Islam. These statistics likely underestimate the non-Buddhist proportion of the population. A very small Jewish community in Rangoon has a synagogue but no resident rabbi.
The country is ethnically diverse, with significant correlation between ethnicity and religion. Theravada Buddhism is the dominant religion among the majority Burman ethnic group and also among the Shan, Rakhine, and Mon ethnic minorities. Christianity is dominant among the Kachin, Chin, and Naga ethnic groups. Christianity also is practiced widely among the Karen and Karenni ethnic groups; although many Karen and Karenni are Buddhist and some Karen are Muslim. Citizens of South Asian origin, who are concentrated in major cities and in the south-central region, are predominantly Hindu or Muslim, although some are Christian. Islam is practiced widely in Rakhine State and in Rangoon, Irrawaddy, Magwe, and Mandalay Divisions, where some Burmese, ethnic Indians, ethnic Bengalis, ethnic Kaman, and Rohingya practice the religion. Chinese ethnic minorities generally practice traditional Chinese religions. Traditional indigenous beliefs are practiced widely among smaller ethnic groups in the highland regions.
The 2011 census estimates the population at 2.1 million. Although there are no official statistics on religious affiliation, more than 90% of the population reportedly identifies as Christian. The three largest Christian groups are the Lutheran, Roman Catholic, and Anglican churches. Other denominations are the Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal, and evangelical and charismatic churches, as well as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and the Dutch Reformed Church of Namibia. The number of Pentecostal churches is growing, often with Nigerian, Zimbabwean, and other African pastors preaching in urban areas and in the north. A number of Zionist churches combine Christianity and traditional African beliefs. There are also small numbers of Muslims, Bahá'ís, Jews, and Buddhists, primarily in urban areas.
Members of the Dutch Reformed Church are predominantly ethnic Afrikaners. Members of the Himba and San ethnic groups often combine indigenous religious beliefs with Christianity. The few Muslims are mostly Sunni and are predominantly immigrants from elsewhere in Africa or recent converts.
According to the 2011 census, the total population of Nauru is 9,937. Christianity is the primary religion. Approximately two-thirds of Christians are Protestant and the remaining one-third is Catholic. Ethnic Chinese residents, estimated to constitute 5% of the population, are Confucian, Buddhist, Taoist, Christian, or nonreligious. Jehovah's Witnesses and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) have small numbers of followers. The Australian government houses about 400 asylum seekers in Nauru of various religious groups from Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and Iraq.
According to the 2011 census, the population is 26.5 million. Hindus constitute 81.3%, Buddhists 9%, and Muslims (the majority of whom are Sunni) 4.4%. Groups constituting less than 5% of the population include Kirats (an indigenous religion with Hindu influence) and Christians. Members of minority religious groups have asserted that their numbers were significantly undercounted. Many Nepalis adhere to a syncretic faith that encompasses elements of Hinduism, Buddhism, and traditional folk practices and is not easily captured by the census data. The National Churches Fellowship of Nepal reported that more than 1,000 Christian churches operate in the country. Christian groups state that the number of Christians increased significantly over the past several years, as borne out by the community's nearly three-fold increase over the past decade, from 0.5 to 1.4% of the total population. According to a Jamia Masjid (mosque) official, there are at least 3,600 madrassahs, most of which are associated with a mosque.
The population is 16.7 million, according to the 2012 yearbook of Statistics Netherlands (CBS). In a 2008 survey, 42% of the population declares no church affiliation, 29% self-identifies as Roman Catholic, 19% as Protestant, 5.7% as Muslim, and 2.3% as "other," including Hindu, Jewish, and Buddhist.
A 2009 CBS report estimates the number of Muslims to be 850,000 (5.2% of the population). Most Muslims live in urban areas and are of Turkish, Moroccan, or Surinamese background. The Muslim population also includes large numbers of asylum seekers from Iran, Iraq, Somalia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the Jewish Social Work organization, there are approximately 45,000 Jews. The Stephen Roth Institute and the Council of Europe estimate the number to be closer to 30,000. According to the Scientific Council for Government Policy in 2008, there are between 100,000 and 215,000 Hindus, of whom approximately 85% are Surinamese and 10% Indian. The Buddhist community has approximately 17,000 members, according to the Netherlands Institute for Social Research in 2007.
The government estimates the population is 4.5 million. According to 2006 census data, 14.8% of the population is Anglican; 13.6% is Roman Catholic; 10.7% is Presbyterian; 3.3% is Methodist; 8.2% belongs to other Protestant denominations; 5% is Christian with no affiliation specified; 5% is Buddhist; and 1% is Muslim. More than 90 additional religious groups together constitute less than 1% of the population. In addition, 39% states no religious affiliation.
Of the indigenous Maori, who make up approximately 15% of the population, 13% is Anglican, 12% Catholic, and 10% belongs to syncretic Maori Christian groups such as Ratana and Ringatu. Thirty-four% states no religious affiliation.
The National Institute of Development Information, the government's statistics and research agency, estimates the population is 6 million. A 2005 census conducted by the Nicaraguan Institute of Statistics and Census identifies Roman Catholics and evangelical Christians as the two largest religious groups. According to the census, 58.5% of the population identifies itself as Catholic and 21.6% as evangelical, which includes Pentecostals, Mennonites, Moravian Lutherans, and Baptists. A 2010 public opinion survey estimates Catholics at 56.2% of the population and evangelicals at 24.9%. Evangelical leaders discount these figures, claiming larger percentages of the population.
The Assemblies of God, Nicaragua's largest evangelical Pentecostal church, estimates its membership at 640,000. Evangelical leaders estimate evangelicals currently represent 43-46% of the population; they include Moravian Lutherans, Baptists, and other Protestants in that number. Catholic Church leaders estimate a decrease in their membership, but offer no statistics. Evangelical leaders estimate Catholics represent up to 56% of the population. Groups constituting less than 5% of the population include Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and Muslims. The Moravian Lutheran Church, with approximately 88,000 members, is largely concentrated in the country's North and South Autonomous Regions. A large percentage of its members are Amerindians and people of Afro-Caribbean descent. In the two regions, nearly 50% of the population self-identifies as Moravian Lutheran. Moravian leaders estimate that 5% of their members have transferred to the Assemblies of God church.
The UN World Population Prospects estimates the population to be 16.6 million. Over 98% considers itself Muslim. Approximately 95% of Muslims are Sunni and 5% are Shia. There are also small groups of Christians and Bahá'ís. Roman Catholic and Protestant groups account for less than 2% of the population. The few thousand Bahá'ís reside primarily in Niamey and in communities on the west side of the Niger River. A very small percentage of the population reportedly adheres primarily to indigenous religious beliefs.
The population is approximately 170 million, according to a U.S. government source. Most observers estimate it is 50% Muslim, 40% Christian, and 10% adherents of indigenous religious beliefs. The predominant Islamic group is Sunni, including Tijaniyah, Qadiriyyah, and Sufi. Growing Shia and Izala (Salafist) minorities exist. Christian groups include Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, evangelicals and Pentecostals, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
The Hausa-Fulani and Kanuri ethnic groups dominate the predominantly Muslim northern states. Significant numbers of Christians also reside in the north, and Christians and Muslims reside in about equal numbers in the Middle Belt, the Federal Capital Territory, and the southwestern states, where the Yoruba ethnic group predominates. While most Yorubas are either Christian or Muslim, some primarily adhere to traditional Yoruba religious beliefs. In the southeastern states, where the Igbo ethnic group is dominant, Catholics, Anglicans, and Methodists constitute the majority, although many Igbos combine traditional practices with Christianity. In the Niger Delta region, where the Ogoni and Ijaw ethnic groups predominate, Christians form the majority while an estimated 1% of the population is Muslim. Pentecostal groups are growing rapidly in the Middle Belt and southern regions. Ahmadi Muslims maintain a small presence in the cities of Lagos and Abuja.
According to U.S. government sources, the population is estimated at 24.6 million. In a 2002 report to the UN Human Rights Commission, the country's government reports there are 12,000 Protestants, 10,000 Buddhists, and 800 Roman Catholics. The report also notes that the Cheondogyo Young Friends Party, a government-approved group based on a traditional religious movement, has approximately 15,000 members. South Korean and other foreign religious groups estimate there is a considerably higher number of religious practitioners in the country.
In Pyongyang there are four state-controlled Christian churches: two Protestant churches (Bongsu and Chilgol Churches), the Changchun Roman Catholic Church, and the Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church. The Chilgol Church is dedicated to the memory of former leader Kim Il-Sung's mother, Kang Pan-sok, who was a Presbyterian deaconess. The number of regular worshippers at these churches is unknown. Defectors from outside of Pyongyang have no knowledge of these churches. As part of its 2009 Universal Periodic Review (UPR), the government reports the existence of religious organizations such as the Korea Christian Federation, Korea Buddhists’ Federation, Korea Roman Catholic Association, Korea Chondoist Society, and Korea Religionists’ Society. The government-established Korean Catholic Association (KCA) provides for basic services at the Changchun Church, but has no ties with the Vatican. There are no Catholic priests residing in the country. Visiting priests occasionally provide Mass at the Changchun Church. According to religious leaders who have traveled to the country, there are Protestant pastors at the Bongsu and Chilgol Churches, although it is not known whether they are resident or visiting pastors. In its July 2002 report to the UN Human Rights Committee, the government reports the existence of 500 "family worship centers." However, according to the 2012 Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU) White Paper, defectors were unaware of any such centers. Observers stated that "family worship centers" may be part of the state-controlled Korean Christian Federation, while an unknown number of "underground churches" operate apart from the federation and are not recognized by the government. The 2012 KINU White Paper and the 2007 U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom report, "A Prison Without Bars," include defector testimonies referencing the existence of underground churches, but conclude that their existence was hard to verify. In July 2009 the Dong-A Ilbo newspaper reported an estimated 30,000 Christians, while some NGOs and academics estimate there may be up to several hundred thousand "underground" Christians. Others question the existence of a large-scale underground church or conclude that it is impossible to estimate accurately the number of underground religious believers. Individual underground congregations are reportedly very small and typically confined to private homes. According to the 2012 KINU White Paper, there are an estimated 60 Buddhist temples. Most are regarded as cultural relics, but religious activity is permitted in some. Monks serve as caretakers in many of these temples and foreign visitors find these monks to be knowledgeable about Buddhism. Based on defector testimony, the 2012 KINU White Paper reports that most residents of the country have not heard about Buddhist scriptures and have never seen a Buddhist monk. State-controlled press reported on several occasions that Buddhist ceremonies took place in various locations. The Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church opened in Pyongyang in 2006.
According to a 2011 estimate by the State Statistical Office, the population is 2.06 million. The 2002 census estimates that 65% of the population is Orthodox and 33% is Muslim. Other religious groups include Roman Catholics, various Protestant denominations, Sufis, and Jews. There is a correlation between ethnicity and religious affiliation; the majority of Orthodox Christians are ethnic Macedonian and most Muslims are ethnic Albanian.
According to Statistics Norway, the population is 5.02 million. An estimated 79% of the population belongs to the ELC; however, actual church attendance is low.
Various Christian denominations (289,000 registered members) make up 57% of all registered members of religious groups outside of the ELC. Of these, the Roman Catholic Church is the largest and, because of recent immigration, has increased to an estimated 100,000 registered members (from 57,000 in 2010), while the Pentecostal Church has approximately 39,100 registered members. Membership in Muslim congregations is 112, 000 and comprises 22% of all members of religious groups outside of the ELC in the country. Mosques are located throughout the country, but the Muslim population is most concentrated in the Oslo region. Membership in Jewish congregations decreased to 819 from 850 in 2009. There are two official Jewish congregations, one in Oslo and one in Trondheim. Buddhists, Orthodox Christians, Sikhs, and Hindus together constitute less than 5% of the population.
A U.S. government source estimates the population at 3.1 million, 67% of whom are citizens. An estimated 75% of citizens, including Sultan Qaboos, are Ibadhi Muslims. Ibadhism is a form of Islam distinct from Shiism and the "orthodox" schools of Sunnism, and is the historically dominant religious group. Shia Muslims comprise less than 5% of citizens, and live mainly in the capital area and along the northern coast. The remainder of the citizen population is Sunni Muslim.
The majority of non-Muslims are foreign workers from South Asia, although there are small communities of naturalized ethnic Indians who are mainly Hindu or Christian. Non-Ibadhi religious groups constitute approximately 18% of the population and include Sunni and Shia Muslims and groups of Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Bahá'ís, and Christians. Christian groups are centered in the major urban areas of Muscat, Sohar, and Salalah and include Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant congregations. These groups tend to organize along linguistic and ethnic lines. There are more than 60 different Christian groups, fellowships, and assemblies active in the Muscat metropolitan area. There are also three officially recognized Hindu temples and two Sikh temples in Muscat, as well as additional temples located in foreign laborer camps.
According to 2012 U.S. government data, the total population is approximately 190.3 million. According to the most recent census, conducted in 1998, 95% of the population is Muslim (75% of the Muslim population is Sunni and 25% Shia). Groups constituting 5% of the population or less include Hindus, Christians, Parsis/Zoroastrians, Bahá'ís, Sikhs, Buddhists, and others. While Ahmadi Muslims consider themselves Muslim, the law prohibits them from identifying as such. Other religious groups include Kalasha, Kihals, and Jains. Less than 0.5% of the population is silent on religious affiliation or claims not to adhere to a particular religious group. Social pressure is such that few persons claim no religious affiliation.
The World Bank estimates the population to be 21,000. Approximately 65% is Roman Catholic. Estimates of other religious groups include the Evangelical Church with 2,000 members; Seventh-day Adventists, 1,000; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), 300; and Jehovah's Witnesses, 90. Modekngei, which embraces both animist and Christian beliefs, and is unique to the country, has approximately 1,800 adherents. Within the foreign community of more than 6,000 people, the majority is Filipino Catholic. There are also small groups of Chinese Uighurs and Bangladeshi Muslims.
According to 2011 World Bank statistics, approximately 4 million Palestinians live in the Occupied Territories. Roughly 98% of Palestinian residents are Sunni Muslims. According to the 2010 Statistical Yearbook of the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies, 491,800 Jews live in Jerusalem, amounting to roughly 62% of the city's population. The Israeli Ministry of Interior reports that 350,150 Jews reside in the West Bank. Although there is no official count, there are about 52,000 Christians in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem, according to a 2008 survey conducted by the Lutheran ecumenical institution, Diyar Consortium. A majority of Christians are Greek Orthodox; the remainder consists of Roman Catholics, Greek Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Armenian Orthodox, Copts, Maronites, Ethiopian Orthodox, and member of several other Protestant denominations. Christians are concentrated primarily in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Nablus, but smaller communities exist elsewhere. Approximately 400 Samaritans reside in the West Bank, as well as a small number of evangelical Christians and Jehovah's Witnesses.
According to local Christian leaders, Palestinian Christian emigration has accelerated since 2001. Lower birth rates among Palestinian Christians also contribute to their shrinking numbers.
The population is 3.4 million, according to the 2010 census. The government does not collect statistics on religious affiliation, but various sources estimate that 75 to 85% of the population is Roman Catholic and 15 to 25% is evangelical Christian. Smaller religious groups are found primarily in Panama City or larger urban areas. These include Seventh-day Adventists, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Jehovah's Witnesses, Hindus, Buddhists, and Rastafarians. There are also active groups of evangelicals and Mormons in small towns. Baptists, Methodists, and Lutherans derive their membership in large part from the Afro-Antillean and expatriate communities.
The Jewish and Muslim communities have approximately 12,000 members each. The Jewish community is centered largely in Panama City. Muslims live primarily in Panama City and Colon. One of the world's seven Bahá'í houses of worship is in Panama City. Indigenous religions include Ibeorgun (among Kuna), Mamatata and Mamachi (among Ngobe Bugle), and Embera (among Embera), found in their respective indigenous communities throughout the country.
The most recent population estimate by the National Statistics Office in 2011 is 7,059,700. According to the 2000 census (the most recent available), 96% of citizens identified themselves as Christian. Churches with the most members are Roman Catholic, 27%; Evangelical Lutheran, 20%; United Church, 12%; Seventh-day Adventist, 10%; Pentecostal, 9%; Evangelical Alliance, 5%; Anglican, 3%; and Baptist, 3%. Other Christian groups, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Jehovah's Witnesses, and the Salvation Army together constitute 9%. Bahá'ís make up less than 1% of the population, and the remaining 3% hold indigenous or other beliefs. Many citizens integrate Christian faith with some indigenous beliefs and practices.
Nontraditional Christian and non-Christian religious groups have become increasingly active in recent years. Muslim and Confucian organizations largely serve the expatriate population. The Muslim community has about 3,000 members with a mosque in Port Moresby and 12 Islamic centers across the country. Pentecostal and charismatic Christian groups have found converts within congregations of the more established churches.
The General Directorate of Statistics, Surveys, and Census estimates the population to be 6.7 million. According to the 2002 national census, 90% of the population is Roman Catholic and 6% is evangelical Protestant. Groups together constituting less than 5% of the population include Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Muslims, Buddhists, Bahá'ís, Mennonites, members of the Unification Church, and adherents of indigenous tribal religions. Mennonites comprise a majority of the population in remote areas of the Central Chaco and Eastern Paraguay.
The population is 29.5 million, according to a 2010 National Statistical Institute (NSI) estimate. The 2007 NSI census reports 81% of the population is Roman Catholic, 13% is Protestant (mainly evangelical), and 3% belongs to other religious groups, including Seventh-day Adventists, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Jehovah's Witnesses, Israelites of the New Universal Pact Baptists, Assemblies of God, Jews, Bahá'ís, Hare Krishnas, and Muslims. The Israel Information Center for Latin America estimates there are 3,000 Jews, residing primarily in Lima and Cuzco. There are small Muslim communities in Lima and Tacna. Some inhabitants of the remote eastern jungles adhere to traditional indigenous beliefs. There are also indigenous communities adhering to a combination of Christian and pre-Columbian beliefs, including some Catholics in the Andean highlands.
The Philippine Statistics Authority's 2010 Census of Population and Housing Report released on 4 April 2012, states the population is 92.3 million.
According to a survey from 2000 by the Philippine Statistics Authority, approximately 93% of the population is Christian. A large majority of Christians are Roman Catholics, constituting 80 to 85% of the total population. The 2000 survey states that Islam is the largest minority religion, constituting approximately 5% of the population. A more recent estimate by the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) in 2011 states that there are 10.3 million Muslims, or about 11% of the total population. Most Filipino Muslims are members of various ethnic minority groups. Nearly 60% of Muslims reside in Mindanao and nearby islands. Although most belong to the Sunni branch of Islam, a small number of Shia Muslims live in the provinces of Lanao del Sur and Zamboanga del Sur in Mindanao. An increasing number of Filipino Muslims are migrating to the urban centers of Manila and Cebu. Religious groups that together constitute less than 5% of the population include the following international denominations: Seventh-day Adventists, United Church of Christ, United Methodists, the Episcopal Church in the Philippines, Assemblies of God, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and Philippine (Southern) Baptists; and the following domestically established churches: Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ), Philippine Independent Church (Aglipayan), Members Church of God International, and The Kingdom of Jesus Christ, the Name Above Every Name.
According to the government's Small Statistical Yearbook, the population is 38.2 million. Almost 89% of the population is Roman Catholic. Groups together constituting less than 5% of the population include Jehovah's Witnesses, Lutherans, Greek Catholics, Pentecostals, and members of the Polish Orthodox Church. There are 2,908 registered members of Jewish groups and 1,251 registered members of Muslim groups. Official data may understate the numbers of Jews and Muslims, because it does not include those who have not formally joined a religious group. Jewish and Muslim groups estimate their actual numbers to be 20,000 and 25,000, respectively.
According to the 2011 census, the population is 10.6 million. More than 80% of the population above the age of 12 identifies with the Roman Catholic Church; however, a large percentage does not actively participate in church activities. Other religious groups constituting less than 5% of the population include various Protestant denominations, Muslims, Hindus, Jews, Buddhists, Taoists, and Zoroastrians. The Protestant population includes 250,000 members of evangelical churches. Many of the estimated 200,000 immigrants from Eastern Europe, primarily from Ukraine, are Eastern Orthodox.
According to the Qatar Statistic Authority, the population is 1.8 million. Citizens make up approximately 14% of the population. Sunni Muslims constitute the majority of citizens; Shia Muslims number between 5 and 15%.
Most noncitizens are Sunni or Shia Muslims, Hindus, Christians, or Buddhists. While the government does not release figures regarding religious affiliation, some estimates for noncitizens are available from Christian groups and local embassies. The Hindu community, almost exclusively from India and Nepal, comprises more than 30% of noncitizens. Roman Catholics are approximately 20% of the noncitizen population, while Buddhists, largely from South, Southeast, and East Asia, are estimated at 7% of noncitizens. Groups constituting less than 5% of the population include Anglicans, Egyptian Copts, Bahá'ís of Iranian or Lebanese origin, and members of the Greek and other Eastern Orthodox Churches.
According to the 2011 census, the population is 19 million. Orthodox adherents constitute 86% of the population, Roman Catholics 4 to 6%, and Greek Catholics less than 1%. According to the Greek Catholic Church and media reports, irregularities by census takers artificially increased the number of Orthodox believers to the detriment of other religious groups. Other religious groups include Protestants, Jews, Muslims, Jehovah's Witnesses, Bahá'ís, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Zen Buddhists, and members of the Family (God's Children), the Unification Church, and the Society for Krishna Consciousness.
Some religious groups are concentrated in particular regions. Old Rite Russian Christians are mainly located in Moldavia and Dobrogea. Most Muslims live in the southeast around Constanta. Most Greek Catholics reside in Transylvania. Protestants and Roman Catholics reside primarily in Transylvania. Orthodox and Greek Catholic ethnic Ukrainians live mostly in the north. Orthodox ethnic Serbs are primarily in Banat. Members of the Armenian Church are concentrated in Moldavia and the south. Virtually all members of the Protestant Reformed, Roman Catholic, Unitarian, and Lutheran churches from Transylvania are ethnic Hungarians. Approximately half of the Jewish population is in Bucharest. According to an April survey conducted by the Romanian Institute for Evaluation and Strategy, 14% of respondents attend church services several times a week, 48% several times a month, 16% several times a year, and 17% only on important religious feasts.
According to the Government Statistics Agency, the population is 143.2 million. The Atlas of Religions of Russia reports that 41% of the population is Orthodox Christian and 6.5% Muslim. In contrast, a 2012 Levada Center poll reports that 74% of Russians consider themselves Orthodox while 7% self-identify as Muslim. Religious groups constituting less than five% each include Buddhists, Protestants, Roman Catholics, Jews, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Jehovah's Witnesses, Hindus, members of other Orthodox groups not affiliated with the Moscow patriarchate such of the Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church and Old Believers, Bahá'ís, Hare Krishnas, pagans, Tengrists, and Falun Gong adherents. The 2010 census estimates the number of Jews at 150,000; however, according to the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia, there may be 750,000 Jews, most of whom live in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Immigrants and migrant workers from Central Asia are mostly Muslim. The majority of Muslims live in the Volga Ural region and the North Caucasus. Moscow, St. Petersburg, and parts of Siberia also have sizable Muslim populations.
The population is approximately 10.5 million, based on preliminary results of the August census. According to the 2002 census, Roman Catholics constitute 57% of the population, Protestant denominations 26%, Seventh-day Adventists 11%, and Muslims 5%. There are growing numbers of Jehovah's Witnesses, evangelical Protestants, and smaller Christian religious groups, each of which the government estimates constitute less than 1% of the population. Other groups constituting less than 1% of the population include practitioners of indigenous and traditional religions, Bahá'ís, and a very small Jewish community consisting entirely of foreigners.
According to the 2011 census (the most recent available), the population is approximately 188,000. The major religious groups in the country are Congregational Christian, 32%; Roman Catholic, 19%; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), 15%; Methodist, 14%; Assemblies of God, 8%; and Seventh-day Adventist, 4%. Groups together constituting less than 5% of the population include Jehovah's Witnesses, Congregational Church of Jesus, Nazarene, nondenominational Protestant, Baptist, Worship Centre, Peace Chapel, Samoa Evangelism, Elim Church, and Anglican. A comparison of the 2006 and 2011 censuses shows a slight decline in the membership of major denominations and an increase in participation in nontraditional and evangelical groups. Although there is no official estimate, there are reportedly small numbers of Hindus, Buddhists, and Jews, primarily in Apia. The country has one of the world's seven Bahá'í Houses of Worship. There is a small Muslim community and one mosque.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the population is approximately 32,500. The government does not provide statistics on the size of religious groups and there is no census data on religious group membership. However, government officials estimate approximately 97% of the population is Roman Catholic. Other religious groups include small numbers of Jehovah's Witnesses, Bahá'ís, Muslims, Jews, Orthodox Christians, and members of the Waldensian Church. In recent years, the number of Orthodox Church members has increased significantly due to immigration from Eastern Europe. There are almost 5,000 foreign residents. About 87% of the foreign residents are Italian nationals, most of whom are Roman Catholic. Over 5,000 additional foreign workers residing in Italy cross the border daily to work.
The most recent government census estimates the population to be 185,000. The Roman Catholic bishop's office estimates that 85% of the population is Roman Catholic, 12% Protestant, and less than 2% Muslim. Protestant groups include Seventh-Day Adventists, Methodists, and evangelical groups, such as the Evangelic Assembly of Christ, the Universal Church of Christ, and the Thokoist Church. The number of Muslims has increased over the past ten years due to an influx of migrants from Nigeria and Cameroon. Some Christians and Muslims also adhere to aspects of indigenous beliefs.
As of July 2012, the population is approximately 26.5 million, according to U.S. government estimates. Approximately 85 to 90% of citizens are Sunni Muslims who predominantly adhere to the Hanbali School of Islamic jurisprudence. Shia constitute 10 to 15% of the population. Approximately 80% of Shia are "Twelvers" (followers of Muhammad ibn Hasan al-Mahdi, whom they recognize as the Twelfth Imam) and are primarily located in the Eastern Province. Twelver Shia adhere to the Jafari school of jurisprudence. Most of the remaining Shia population is Sulaimaniya Ismailis, also known as "Seveners" (those who branched off from the Twelvers to follow Isma’il ibn Jafar as the Seventh Imam). Seveners reside primarily in Najran Province, where they represent the majority of the province's more than one million inhabitants. Nakhawala, or "Medina Shia," reside in small numbers in the western Hejaz region. Estimates place their numbers around 1,000. Pockets of Zaydis, another offshoot of Shiism, number approximately 20,000 and exist primarily in the provinces of Jizan and Najran along the border with Yemen.
Foreign embassies indicate that the foreign population in the country, including many undocumented migrants, may exceed 12 million. Comprehensive statistics for the religious denominations of foreigners are not available, but they include Muslims from the various branches and schools of Islam, Christians (including Eastern Orthodox, Protestants, and Roman Catholics), Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, and others.
The World Bank estimates the 2011 population to be 12.77 million. Approximately 94% of the population is Muslim. Most Muslims belong to one of several Sufi brotherhoods, each of which incorporates unique practices that reflect Islam's thousand-year history in the country. Some Muslims affiliate with Sunni or Shia reform movements. Approximately 4% of the population is Christian. Christian groups include Roman Catholics, Protestants, and groups combining Christian and indigenous beliefs. The remaining 2% exclusively adheres to indigenous religions or profess no religion.
The country is ethnically and religiously diverse. Although there is significant integration of all groups, Muslims are generally concentrated in the north while Christians largely reside in the west and south. Members of indigenous religious groups mainly live in the east and south.
According to the 2011 census, the population is 7.2 million. Approximately 85% of the population is Serbian Orthodox, 5% Roman Catholic, 3% Muslim, and 1% Protestant. The remaining 6% includes 578 Jews, members of Eastern religions, agnostics, atheists, "others," and individuals without a declared religious affiliation. Roman Catholics are predominantly ethnic Hungarians and Croats in Vojvodina. Muslims include Bosniaks (Slavic Muslims) in Sandzak, ethnic Albanians in the south, and Roma located throughout the country. Approximately 94% of the population belongs to seven religious groups defined as "traditional" by the government: the Serbian Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic Church, Slovak Evangelical Church, Reformed Christian Church, Evangelical Christian Church, Islamic community, and Jewish community.
The Islamic community operates under two separate authorities: the Islamic Community of Serbia, with its seat in Belgrade, and the Islamic Community in Serbia, with its seat in Novi Pazar.
According to the 2010 census, the population is 90,900. Approximately 76% of the population is Roman Catholic and 6% is Anglican. Other Christian groups include Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, Assemblies of God, the Pentecostal Church, the Pentecostal Assembly, Nazarites, and Jehovah's Witnesses. Hindus, Muslims, and Bahá'ís are present in small numbers.
The World Bank estimates the population is 6 million. The Inter-Religious Council (IRC), which is composed of Christian and Muslim leaders, estimates that 77% of the population is Muslim and 21% Christian. Christian groups include Protestants, Roman Catholics, and unaffiliated groups. Groups constituting less than 2% include Bahá'ís, Hindus, Jews, and adherents of indigenous and other religious beliefs. Most Muslims are Sunni. Evangelical Christians are a growing minority, drawing primarily from members of other Christian groups. Many persons combine Islam or Christianity with indigenous religious beliefs.
According to the Department of Statistics, the population is 5.31 million. This includes 3.29 million citizens, 0.53 million permanent residents, and 1.48 million non-residents. Eighty-three% of citizens and permanent residents profess a religious belief. Approximately 33% of the population is Buddhist, 15% Muslim, 18% Christian, 11% Taoist, and 5% Hindu. Groups together constituting less than 5% of the population include Sikhs, Zoroastrians, Jains, and Jews. There are no membership estimates for Jehovah's Witnesses or members of the Unification Church, the two religious groups the government has banned.
According to June 2012 Department of Statistics data, 74.1% of the population is ethnic Chinese, 13.4% ethnic Malay, 9.2% ethnic Indian, and 3.3% other, including Eurasians. Nearly all ethnic Malays are Muslim. Among ethnic Indians, 55% are Hindu, 25% are Muslim, and 12% are Christian. The ethnic Chinese population includes mainly Buddhists (54%), Taoists (11%), and Christians (16.5%).
According to the 2011 census, the population is 5.4 million. Roman Catholics constitute 62% of the population; Augsburg Lutherans, 5.9%; and Greek Catholics, 3.8%; 13.4% do not state a religious affiliation. Other groups present in small numbers include the Reformed Christian Church, other Protestant groups, Jehovah's Witnesses, Orthodox Christians, Jews, and Bahá'ís.
There is some correlation between religion and ethnicity. Greek Catholics are generally ethnic Slovaks and Ruthenians (of Ukrainian origin), although some Ruthenians belong to the Orthodox Church. Most Orthodox Christians live in the eastern part of the country. The Reformed Christian Church is found primarily in the south, near the border with Hungary, where many ethnic Hungarians live. Other religious groups tend to be spread evenly throughout the country.
The population is approximately 1.9 million, according to a U.S. government source. According to the 2002 census, 58% of the population is Roman Catholic, 23% is "other or unspecified" religion, 2% is Muslim, 2% is Orthodox Christian, and 1% is "other Christian." Three% of the population is classified as "unaffiliated," and 10% state no religion. The Orthodox and Muslim populations generally correspond to the immigrant Serb and Bosniak populations, respectively.
The 2009 National Census estimates the population to be 515,900. Approximately 90% of the population is affiliated with one of the following Christian churches: Anglican Church of Melanesia, 33%; Roman Catholic, 19%; South Seas Evangelical, 17%; Seventh-day Adventist, 11%; and United Methodist, 10%. These five groups make up the SICA, an ecumenical nongovernmental organization that plays a leading role in the civic life of the country. An estimated 5% of the population, consisting primarily of the Kwaio community on the island of Malaita, adheres to indigenous animistic religions. Groups together constituting less than 5% of the population include Muslims, Bahá'ís, Jehovah's Witnesses, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), members of the Unification Church, and members of indigenous churches that have broken away from the major Christian denominations.
The last census took place in 1975, and ongoing instability makes precise data collection impossible. The population is approximately 10 million, according to a U.S. government source. A large majority of citizens are Sunni Muslims of a Sufi tradition. Conservative Salafist groups with politically prominent leaders are prevalent. There is thought to be a small, low profile Christian community and small numbers of members of other religious groups.
The 2011 census estimates the population to be 51.8 million. The census did not include statistics on religious demography. According to 2001 census figures, 80% of the population is Christian. Hindus, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, and adherents of traditional African beliefs together constitute slightly less than 5% of the population. Approximately 15% of the population adheres to no particular religion or declines to indicate an affiliation; some of these individuals probably adhere to unaffiliated indigenous religions. Many combine Christian and indigenous religious practices. The Church of Scientology has a small following.
The African Independent Churches constitute the largest group of Christian churches, including the Zion Christian Church (approximately 11% of the population), the Apostolic Church (approximately 10%), and a number of Pentecostal and charismatic groups. Other Christian groups include Methodists, Anglicans, Baptists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Roman Catholics, Seventh-day Adventists, and members of the Greek Orthodox, Dutch Reformed, and Congregational churches. Ethnic Indian/Asian South Africans account for 2.5% of the total population. Roughly half of the ethnic Indian population is Hindu, and the majority resides in KwaZulu-Natal. The small Muslim community includes Cape Malays of Malayan-Indonesian descent, individuals of Indian or Pakistani origin, and several thousand Somali and Ethiopian immigrants. The small Jewish community is concentrated in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
As of July, the National Statistics Office estimates the population is approximately 50 million. According to the most recent census (2005), approximately 23% is Buddhist, 18% is Protestant, 11% is Roman Catholic, and 47% professes no religious belief. Groups together constituting less than 5% of the population include: Won Buddhism, Confucianism, Jeongsando, Cheondogyo, Daejonggyo, Jehovah's Witnesses, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Seventh-day Adventist Church, Daesun Jinrihoe, Unification Church, and Islam. There is also a small Jewish population consisting almost entirely of expatriates.
According to the 2008 census, the population is approximately 8 million. The majority is Christian. There are no reliable statistics on the Muslim or animist minorities. Studies from the 1980s and the early 2000s estimated that Muslims constituted between 18 and 35% of the population, but the number of Muslims has probably declined through migration to Sudan after South Sudanese independence in 2011. The acting general secretary of the Sudan Council of Churches, which continues to include churches in both Sudan and South Sudan, notes that the seven principal Christian groups are Roman Catholic, Anglican, Presbyterian, Sudan Pentecostal, Sudan Interior, Presbyterian Evangelical, and the Inland African Church. A substantial part of the population in isolated parts of the country probably adheres to indigenous religious beliefs or combines Christian and indigenous practices.
The National Statistics Institute estimates the population to be 47 million. The government does not collect data on religious affiliation. According to a survey conducted in October by the Spanish Center for Sociological Investigation, approximately 71% of respondents identified themselves as Catholic and nearly 3% as followers of another religion. In addition, 16% described themselves as "non-believers," and 9% as atheists.
The Episcopal Conference of Spain estimates there are 34.5 million Catholics. The Federation of Evangelical Religious Entities estimates there are 1.2 million evangelical Christians and other Protestants, 800,000 of whom are immigrants. The Union of Islamic Communities of Spain estimates there are 1.67 million Muslims, while other Islamic groups estimate a population of up to two million. The Federation of Jewish Communities estimates there are 40,000 Jews. Other religious groups include The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Buddhists, Orthodox Christians, Bahá'ís, Scientologists, Hindus, Christian Scientists and other Christian groups.
According to a U.S. government estimate, the population is 21.5 million. Approximately 70% is Buddhist, 15% Hindu, 8% Christian, and 7% Muslim. Christians tend to be concentrated in the west, Muslims populate the east, and the north is predominantly Hindu.
Most members of the majority Sinhalese community are Theravada Buddhists. Most Tamils, the largest ethnic minority, are Hindus. Most Muslims are Sunnis; there is a small minority of Shia, including members of the Bohra community. Almost 80% of Christians are Roman Catholic; other Christian groups include Anglicans, Seventh-day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Methodists, Baptists, Pentecostals, members of the Dutch Reformed Church, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Although membership remains small, Evangelical Christian groups have grown in recent years.
According to a U.S. government estimate, the population is 50,700. Christianity is the dominant religion. An estimated 50% of the population is Anglican and 25% is Roman Catholic. The remainder includes Methodists, Moravians, Pentecostals, Seventh-day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Rastafarians, Muslims, Hindus, and Bahá'ís. Evangelical Christian groups are growing in number.
Members of the St. Kitts Christian Council include the Anglican Church, the Methodist Church, the Moravian Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Salvation Army. Members of the Evangelical Association include the Baptist Church, the Pentecostal Church, the Wesleyan Church, and the Church of God in Christ. Seventh-day Adventists do not belong to either religious umbrella group.
According to a 2011 World Bank estimate, the population is approximately 176,000. The 2010 Population and Housing Census reports Roman Catholics account for approximately 61.1% of the population; Seventh-day Adventists, 10.4%; Pentecostals, 8.8%; evangelicals, 2.2%; Baptists, 2.1%; and Rastafarians, 2%. Other groups together constituting less than 5% of the population include Anglicans, members of the Church of God, Jehovah's Witnesses, Methodists, Muslims, and Bahá'ís. Nearly 6% of the population claims no religious affiliation.
A 2011 World Bank report estimates the population at 109,000. According to the 2001 census, the Anglican Church (18%) and Pentecostals (18%) are the largest religious groups, followed by Methodists (11%), Seventh-day Adventists (10%), Baptists (10%), and Roman Catholics (7%). Other religious groups include Bahá'ís, Rastafarians, Jehovah's Witnesses, members of the Church of God, and other evangelical groups.
The population is approximately 26 million, according to the 2008 census. The Culture and Information Ministry estimates that 97% of the population is Muslim. Almost all Muslims are Sunni, although there are significant distinctions between followers of different Sunni traditions, particularly among Sufi orders. In addition, there are small Muslim minorities, including Shia and the Republican Brothers, based predominantly in Khartoum, and a growing, yet still small, percentage of Salafists.
The Culture and Information Ministry estimates that Christians make up 3% of the population. Christians primarily reside in Khartoum, the north, and the Nuba Mountains. It is unclear whether these numbers include residents of Southern Sudanese origin whose citizenship status remains under review. Khartoum's significant Christian population decreased with the migration of many Christians of southern heritage to South Sudan. There are very small but long-established groups of Orthodox Christians in Khartoum and other cities, including Coptic Orthodox and Greek Orthodox. There are also Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox communities, largely made up of refugees and migrants, in Khartoum and the east. Other smaller Christian groups include the Africa Inland Church, Armenian (Apostolic) Church, Sudan Church of Christ, Sudan Interior Church, Sudan Pentecostal Church, Sudan Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Presbyterian Church of the Sudan, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Roman Catholic Church, Anglicans, and Jehovah's Witnesses. The Culture and Information Ministry indicates that less than 1% of the population adheres to African traditional religious beliefs. Some Christians and Muslims also adhere to some aspects of traditional beliefs.
According to a 2011 World Bank estimate, the population is 530,000. Approximately 41% of the population is Christian, of which half are Roman Catholics, according to the 2004 census. A wide range of other groups, including Moravian, Lutheran, Dutch Reformed, evangelical Protestant, Baptist, Methodist, Seventh-day Adventist, Jehovah's Witnesses, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), make up the remaining Christian population. Twenty% of the population is Hindu, including the Sanathan Dharma and the Arya Diwaker. Muslims, including Sunni, Ahmadiyya, and the World Islamic Call Society, make up 13.5%. Approximately 3% adhere to indigenous religions. Bahá'ís, Jews, Buddhists, Brahma Kumaris, and Hare Krishnas are also present in small numbers. There are three Rastafarian organizations: Aya Bingi Order, 12th Tribe, and Bobo Shanti.
Some Amerindian and Maroon populations adhere to indigenous religions. Some Amerindians, concentrated principally in the interior and to a lesser extent in coastal areas, practice shamanism through a medicine man (piaiman). Many Maroons, who inhabit the interior, worship nature through a practice that has no special name. Other Maroons, as well as some Creoles in urban areas, worship their ancestors through a rite called wintie. Citizens of Amerindian and Maroon origin who identify as Christian often combine Christian practices with indigenous religious customs with the tacit approval of Christian leaders. There is a correlation between ethnicity and religion. Many political parties have strong ethnic ties, and members tend to belong to the same religious group. With the exception of those following indigenous practices, religious groups are not concentrated in any particular region.
Statistics Sweden reports the population is 9.5 million. Religious membership or affiliation is concentrated in a few major religious groups. According to the Church of Sweden (Lutheran), approximately 68% of citizens are members; other Christian groups, including the Roman Catholic Church, the Pentecostal movement, the Missionary (or Missions) Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) total less than 5% of the population. Membership in the Church of Sweden has decreased steadily since it separated from the state in 2000. Researchers estimate that approximately 6% of the population is Muslim.
According to the Official Council of Swedish Jewish Communities, the number of Jews is approximately 20,000. The Swedish Commission for Government Support to Faith Communities estimates there are 9,000 practicing Jews in the country. Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform synagogues are found mostly in large cities. Smaller religious communities are concentrated in larger cities and include Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, Zoroastrians, Hare Krishnas, and members of the Church of Scientology, Word of Faith, and Unification Church.
According to the Federal Office of Statistics, the population is 8.01 million. The June update of the 2010 census estimates religious group membership as 38.6% Roman Catholic, 28% Protestant, 4.5% Muslim, and 1.8% Christian Orthodox. Over 20% self-identifies as atheist. Religious groups constituting less than 1% of the population include Old Catholics, other Christian denominations, Buddhists, Hindus, and Jews. Although actual church attendance rates are much lower, 80% report being religious, including 22% being very religious, in a 2007 Religion Monitor survey sponsored by the Bertelsmann Foundation.
Most immigrants are members of religious groups different from native-born citizens. Over 90% of Muslims are of foreign origin, with nearly 100 nationalities represented. Most come from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Albania, Turkey, and North Africa. The majority of the Muslim community is Sunni, interspersed with some Shia and Alawites. Most of the Muslim population lives in urban areas. Over 75% of Jewish households are located in Zurich, Geneva, Basel, and Bern.
According to a U.S. government source, the population is approximately 22.5 million, although emigration increased throughout the year due to ongoing violence, unrest, and economic hardship. Sunni Muslims constitute 74% of the population and are present throughout the country. The Sunni population includes Arabs, Kurds, Circassians, Chechens, and some Turkomans. Other Muslim groups, including Alawis, Ismailis, and Shia, together constitute 13%. Druze account for 3% of the population. Various Christian groups constitute the remaining 10%, although the Christian population may be closer to 8% due to emigration as Christians flee the country. There is also a small Jewish population in major urban areas.
Most Christians belong to the autonomous Orthodox churches, the Uniate churches (which recognize the Roman Catholic Pope), or the independent Assyrian Church. There is a Yezidi population of approximately 80,000, but the government does not recognize the Yezidi as belonging to a group distinct from Islam. Many of the approximately 100 Jews in the country at the beginning of the year have reportedly emigrated due to the ongoing conflict. Most Christians live in and around Damascus, Aleppo, Homs, Hama, and Latakia, or in the Hasaka governorate in the northeast section of the country. Iraqi Christians frequently migrated to Syria in past years, but very few entered during the year due to ongoing unrest and violence. The majority of the Iraqi Christian population in the country either moved to neighboring states or returned to Iraq. The majority of Alawis live in the mountainous areas of the coastal Latakia governorate, but they also have significant presence in the cities of Latakia, Tartous, Homs, and Damascus. Many Druze live in the rugged Jabal al-Arab region in the southern governorate of Suweida, where they constitute the vast majority of the local population. The few remaining Jews are concentrated in Damascus and Aleppo. Yezidis are found primarily in the northeast and Aleppo. The Kurdish population is located in the northern and eastern border areas with Turkey and Iraq, largely in Hassakeh, Raqqah, and Halab.
According to Ministry of Interior figures from October, the population is 23,293,600. Based on a comprehensive study conducted in 2005, the Religious Affairs Section of the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) estimates that 35% of the population considers itself to be Buddhist and 33% Taoist. Although MOI has not tracked data on religious adherence since the 2005 study, it states this estimate might still reflect the situation. MOI does not include religious adherence as a census question, as doing so would constitute an invasion of privacy according to the Personal Data Protection Law. While the overwhelming majority of religious adherents categorize themselves as either Buddhist or Taoist, many adherents consider themselves to be both Buddhist and Taoist.
In addition to organized religious groups, many persons also practice traditional Chinese folk religions, which include some aspects of shamanism, ancestor worship, and animism. Researchers and academics estimate that as much as 80% of the population believes in some form of traditional folk religion. Such folk religions may overlap with an individual's belief in Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, or other traditional Chinese religions. There also may be an overlap between practitioners of Buddhism, Taoism, and other traditional Chinese religions, and Falun Gong practitioners. Falun Gong is a self-described spiritual discipline that combines qigong (a traditional Chinese exercise discipline) with the teachings of founder Li Hongzhi. Falun Gong is registered as a civic rather than a religious organization. According to an academic source, Falun Gong membership exceeds one million and continues to grow. Groups that constitute less than 5% of the population include I Kuan Tao, Tien Ti Chiao (Heaven Emperor Religion), Tien Te Chiao (Heaven Virtue Religion), Li-ism, Hsuan Yuan Chiao (Yellow Emperor Religion), Tian Li Chiao (Tenrikyo), Universe Maitreya Emperor Religion, Hai Tze Tao, Zhonghua Sheng Chiao (Chinese Holy Religion), Da Yi Chiao (Great Changes Religion), Pre-cosmic Salvationism, Huang Chung Chiao (Yellow Middle Religion), Roman Catholicism, Islam, the Church of Scientology, the Bahá'í Faith, Jehovah's Witnesses, the Mahikari Religion, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and the Unification Church, all of which are registered. Unregistered denominations include the Presbyterian, True Jesus, Baptist, Lutheran, Seventh-day Adventist, and Episcopal churches. The majority of the indigenous population of 507,000 aborigines is Protestant or Roman Catholic. Jews number approximately 130 persons, although they are predominantly foreign residents. Some 400,000 migrant workers, primarily from Southeast Asia, differ in religious adherence from the general population. The largest single group of migrant workers is from Indonesia, with a population of more than 200,000 persons who are largely Muslim. Migrant workers from the Philippines are predominantly Christian.
The population is 7.7 million, according to a State Statistics Agency estimate from October 2011. According to local academics, the population is more than 90% Muslim. Active observance of Islam appears to be increasing steadily, especially among youth. The majority adhere to the Hanafi school of Sunni Islam as traditionally practiced in Central Asia. Approximately 4% of Muslims are Ismaili Shia, the majority of whom reside in the remote eastern Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region. The country has approximately 3,452 "five-time" prayer mosques and 357 "Friday prayer" mosques (larger facilities built for weekly prayers).
There are 75 registered non-Muslim religious groups. There are approximately 150,000 Christians. The largest Christian group is Russian Orthodox; there are also Baptists, Roman Catholics, Seventh-day Adventists, Lutherans, and Korean Protestants. There are a small number of Bahá'ís, fewer than 300 Jews and approximately 700 Jehovah's Witnesses.
The National Bureau of Statistics estimates the population is nearly 45 million. The government does not collect data on religious identification. The Interfaith Council (also known as the Inter-Religious Council for Peace Tanzania, a nongovernmental organization bringing together Christian, Muslim, Bahá'í, Hindu, and Buddhist leaders to foster peace and strengthen relationships) does not keep statistics on religious identity. Many religious groups are reluctant to estimate religious demographics, but most religious leaders estimate that the population is 50% Christian and 50% Muslim. A 2010 Pew Forum survey estimates that approximately 60% of the population is Christian, 36% Muslim, and 4% members of other religious groups.
On the mainland, large Muslim communities are concentrated in coastal areas, with some large Muslim minorities also located inland in urban areas. Zanzibar is approximately 98% Muslim. Between 80 and 90% of the Muslim population is Sunni. The remainder consists of several Shia subgroups, mostly of Asian descent. Christian groups include Roman Catholics, Protestants (including Pentecostals), Seventh-day Adventists, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and Jehovah's Witnesses. Other religious groups include Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, and Bahá'ís. The country's three largest political parties are secular, but include the opposition Civic United Front (CUF) party, often associated with Zanzibar's Muslim community, and the opposition Chama cha Mapinduzi na Maendeleo (Chadema) party, often associated with the Christian majority on the mainland.
According to the 2010 census, the population of 66 million is 93% Buddhist and 5% Muslim. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), academics, and religious groups claim that 85 to 95% of the population is Theravada Buddhist and 5 to 10% is Muslim. Groups that constitute less than 5% of the population include animist, Christian, Confucian, Hindu, Jewish, Sikh, and Taoist populations.
Theravada Buddhism, the dominant religion, is not an exclusive belief system and most Buddhists also incorporate Brahmin-Hindu and animist practices. The Buddhist clergy (Sangha) consists of two main schools: Mahanikaya and Dhammayuttika. The former is older and more prevalent within the monastic community than the latter. The same ecclesiastical hierarchy governs both groups. Islam is the dominant religion in four of the five southernmost provinces. The majority of Muslims in those provinces are ethnic Malay, but the Muslim population nationally also includes descendants of immigrants from South Asia, China, Cambodia, Indonesia, and those who consider themselves ethnic Thai. The Ministry of Interior's Islamic Affairs Section reported that, as of October, 3,744 mosques are registered in 68 of the country's 77 provinces, of which 3,179 are located in the 14 southern provinces. According to the Religious Affairs Department (RAD) of the Ministry of Culture, 99% of these mosques are associated with the Sunni branch of Islam. Shia mosques make up 1% and are in Bangkok and the provinces of Nakhon Sithammarat, Krabi, and Phatthalung. There are 39 Provincial Islamic Committees nationwide. The majority of ethnic Chinese and Vietnamese practice Mahayana or Theravada Buddhism. Many ethnic Chinese, as well as members of the Mien hill tribe, practice forms of Taoism.
According to official data from China's sixth decennial national census, conducted in November 2010, the TAR's 2,716,400 ethnic Tibetans make up 91% of the TAR's total population. Official census data also show ethnic Tibetans constituting 1.8% of the total population of Gansu Province, 24.4% in Qinghai Province, 2.1% in Sichuan Province, and 0.3% in Yunnan Province.
Most ethnic Tibetans practice Tibetan Buddhism, although a sizeable minority practices Bon, an indigenous religion, and very small minorities practice Islam, Catholicism, or Protestantism. Some scholars estimate that there are as many as 400,000 Bon followers across the Tibetan Plateau. Scholars also estimate that there are up to 5,000 ethnic Tibetan Muslims and 700 ethnic Tibetan Catholics in the TAR. Many Tibetan government officials and CCP members in Tibet are religious believers, despite government and CCP prohibitions against officials’ holding religious beliefs or participating in religious activities. Other residents of traditionally Tibetan areas include ethnic Han Chinese, many of whom practice Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, or traditional folk religions; Hui Muslims; and non-ethnic Tibetan Catholics and Protestants. Approximately 4,000 to 5,000 Muslims worship at mosques in the TAR. A Catholic church with 560 members is located in the traditionally Catholic community of Yanjing in the eastern TAR. Cizhong (Tsodruk), in Dêqên (Dechen) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (TAP), Yunnan Province, is also home to a large Tibetan Catholic congregation. The TAR is home to a small number of Falun Gong adherents, as well as unregistered Christian churches. According to the State Council Information Office's 2011 White Paper "Sixty Years Since Peaceful Liberation of Tibet," the TAR has over 1,700 "venues for religious activities and about 46,000 monks and nuns." While no recent data on the number of Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in other Tibetan areas of China are available, according to a 2009 article in the People's Daily (the official newspaper of the CCP), altogether in the TAR and in Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces, there are 3,000 Tibetan Buddhist monasteries with 120,000 Tibetan Buddhist monks and nuns.
According to the 2010 census, the population is 1,066,400, of which 96.8% are Roman Catholic, 2.2% Protestant, and less than 1% Muslim, Buddhist, or Hindu. Protestant denominations include the Assemblies of God, Seventh-day Adventists, Pentecostals, Jehovah's Witnesses, and the Christian Vision Church. There are also several small nondenominational Protestant congregations. Many citizens also retain animistic beliefs and practices, which they do not see as incompatible with their formal religious affiliation.
According to the 2010 census, the population is 6.2 million. In 2004, the University of Lome estimated the population is 33% traditional animist, 28% Roman Catholic, 14% Sunni Muslim, 10% Protestant, and 10% other Christian denominations. The remaining 5% includes persons not affiliated with any religious group. Many Christians and Muslims continue to perform indigenous religious practices. Reliable figures are difficult to obtain because of migration and because the government does not collect religious and ethnic data.
Most Muslims live in the central and northern regions. Christians live mainly in the southern part of the country. The Muslim Union of Togo reports a large surge in immigrants from Muslim countries, but the government does not collect the statistics needed to confirm or deny that claim.
According to the preliminary 2011 census, the total population is 103,036. According to more detailed 2006 census data, membership by percentage of population of major religious groups is as follows: Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga, 37%; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), 17%; Free Church of Tonga, 16%; and the Roman Catholic Church, 11%. Other Christian denominations, including the Tokaikolo Church (a local offshoot of the Methodist Church), Seventh-day Adventists, Assemblies of God, Anglicans, and Jehovah's Witnesses, in total account for approximately 14%. Bahá'ís, Muslims, Hindus, observers of Chinese traditional festivals, and Buddhists together constitute approximately 4% of the population; the remaining 1% declined to state a religious affiliation.
The population is 1.3 million, according to the government's 2011 Population and Housing Preliminary Count. According to a 2011 estimate by the Central Statistical Office, 21.6% of the population is Roman Catholic, 26.2% Protestant (including 5.7% Anglican, 12% Pentecostal or evangelical, 4.1% Seventh-day Adventist, 2.5% Presbyterian or Congregational, 1.2% Baptist, and 0.7% Methodist), 1.5% Jehovah's Witnesses, 18.2% Hindu, and 5% Muslim. Traditional Caribbean religious groups with African roots include the Spiritual Baptists (sometimes called Shouter Baptists) representing 5.7% of the population and the Orisha at 0.9%. The remainder of the population is listed as "none," "not stated," or "other," which includes a number of small Christian groups, as well as Bahá'ís, Rastafarians, Buddhists, and Jews.
Afro-Trinidadians are predominantly Christian, with a small Muslim community, and are concentrated in and around Port of Spain and the east–west corridor of northern Trinidad. The population of Trinidad's sister island, Tobago, is overwhelmingly of African descent and predominantly Christian. Indo-Trinidadians are primarily concentrated in central and southern Trinidad and are mostly Hindu, but there are also Muslims, Presbyterians, and Catholics.
According to the U.S. government, the population is approximately 10,733,900, of which 99% is Sunni Muslim. Groups that together constitute the remaining 1% of the population include Christians, Jews, Shia Muslims, and Bahá'ís. Christianity is the second largest religion, with Roman Catholics comprising 88% of Christians. Roman Catholic officials estimate that they have fewer than 5,000 members, widely dispersed. The remaining Christian population is composed of Protestants, Russian Orthodox, French Reformists, Anglicans, Seventh-day Adventists, Greek Orthodox, and Jehovah's Witnesses. Judaism is the country's third largest religion with approximately 1,500 members. One-third of the Jewish population lives in and around the capital and the remainder lives on the island of Djerba and the neighboring town of Zarzis. A Jewish community has resided in the country for more than 2,500 years.
The Turkish Statistics Institution's 2011 population estimate is 74.7 million. The government estimates 99% of the population is Muslim, the majority of which is Hanafi Sunni. Representatives of religious groups state the actual percentage of Muslims is slightly lower.
Academics estimate there are between 15 million and 20 million Alevis, followers of a belief system that incorporates aspects of both Shia and Sunni Islam and draws on the traditions of other religious groups indigenous to the region. Alevi foundation leaders state the number at between 20 million and 25 million. Other religious groups, mostly concentrated in Istanbul and other large cities, together constitute less than 1% of the population. While exact figures are not available, these groups include approximately 500,000 Shiite Jaferi Muslims; 90,000 Armenian Orthodox Christians (of which an estimated 60,000 are citizens and an estimated 30,000 are undocumented immigrants from Armenia); 25,000 Roman Catholics (mostly recent immigrants from Africa and the Philippines); 22,000 Jews; 20,000 Syrian Orthodox (Syriac) Christians; 15,000 Russian Orthodox Christians (mostly recent immigrants from Russia who hold residence permits); 10,000 Bahá'ís; 5,000 Yezidis; 5,000 Jehovah's Witnesses; 7,000 members of other Protestant denominations; 3,000 Chaldean Catholics; and up to 2,500 Greek Orthodox Christians. There also are small, undetermined numbers of Bulgarian Orthodox, Georgian Orthodox, Syriac Catholic, Maronite and Assyrian (Church of the East) Christians.
According to 2006 government estimates, the population is 6.7 million. Statistics regarding religious affiliation are not available. However, according to the government, there are 121 religious organizations and seven registered religious groups. Of these, 104 are Muslim, including 99 Sunni and five Shia organizations; 13 are Russian Orthodox; and 11 represent other religious groups, including Roman Catholics, Bahá'ís, Hare Krishnas, and Protestants (who have several small churches). There also are small communities of the following unregistered religious groups: Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, Shia Muslims, and evangelical Christians, including Baptists and Pentecostals.
The 1995 census indicates that ethnic Russians make up almost 7% of the population; however, subsequent emigration to Russia and elsewhere continues to reduce this proportion. Most ethnic Russians and Armenians are Christian and are generally members of the Russian Orthodox Church. Ethnic Russians and Armenians also make up a significant percentage of unregistered religious congregations; however, ethnic Turkmen are increasingly represented among these unregistered groups. There are small pockets of Shia Muslims, many of whom are ethnic Iranians, Azeris, or Kurds living along the border with Iran and in the western city of Turkmenbashi. An estimated 300 Jews live in the country. Local Jews consider Judaism an ethnic rather than a religious identity. There are no synagogues or rabbis, and Jews do not gather for religious observances.
The government estimates the population to be 11,200. The Church of Tuvalu, with historic ties to the Congregational Church and other churches in Samoa, has the largest number of followers. According to the government, approximately 91% of the population belongs to the Church of Tuvalu; 3% to the Seventh-day Adventist Church; 3% to the Bahá'í Faith; 2% to the Jehovah's Witnesses; and 1% to the Roman Catholic Church. There are small populations of Muslims, Baptists, and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The Tuvalu Brethren Church, a Protestant group, states it has approximately 500 members.
The nine island groups have traditional chiefs, all of whom are members of the Church of Tuvalu. Most members of other religious groups are found in Funafuti, the capital, although a relatively large number of Bahá'ís live on Nanumea Island.
The government estimates the population to be 35.9 million. According to government data, 85% are Christians, 12% Muslims, and 3% Hindus, Jews, Bahá'ís, or adherents of indigenous beliefs. Among Christians, 42% are Roman Catholics, 36% Anglicans, 15% are Pentecostal or Orthodox Christians, and 7% are members of evangelical groups. The Muslim population is primarily Sunni. Indigenous religious groups practice in rural areas. Indian nationals are the most significant non-African ethnic population and are primarily Shia Muslim or Hindu. There is a small indigenous Jewish community near the eastern town of Mbale.
According to government estimates, the population is 45.6 million. In a 2010 national survey by the Razumkov Center, an independent public policy think tank, 68% of respondents self-identify as Christian Orthodox, 7.6% as Greek-Catholics, 1.9% as Protestants, 0.9% as Muslims, and 0.4% as Roman Catholics. Another 7.2% identify as "simply a Christian," and 13.2% do not belong to any religious group.
The 2011 Democratic Initiatives Foundation and the Ukraine Sociology Service opinion poll indicates that approximately 31% of the population identifies with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP), 26% with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), and 2% with the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UOAC). The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) is the largest non-Orthodox church. The UGCC estimates its membership at four million, approximately 93% of whom reside in the western portion of the country. The Roman Catholic Church estimates it has one million members spread throughout the western and central parts of the country. Government agencies and independent think tanks estimate the Muslim population at 500,000, although some Muslim leaders put the number at two million. According to government figures, the majority are Crimean Tatars, numbering an estimated 300,000 and constituting the third-largest ethnic group in Crimea. The Evangelical Baptist Union of Ukraine is the largest Protestant community. Other Protestant groups include Pentecostals, Seventh-day Adventists, Lutherans, Anglicans, Calvinists, Methodists, and Presbyterians. According to the most recent government census data from 2001, there are an estimated 103,600 Jews in the country; however, some local Jewish leaders estimate the number of persons of Jewish heritage to be as high as 370,000. There are also Jehovah's Witnesses, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Buddhists, practitioners of Falun Gong, and adherents of Krishna Consciousness.
The population is approximately 8.2 million, according to a 2010 estimate by the National Bureau of Statistics. An estimated 89% of residents are noncitizens. Of the citizens, more than 85% are Sunni Muslims and an estimated 15% or fewer are Shia Muslims. Shia Muslims are concentrated in the emirates of Dubai and Sharjah.
Noncitizen residents predominantly come from South and Southeast Asia, although there are substantial numbers from the Middle East, Europe, Central Asia, and North America. According to a 2005 Ministry of Economy census, 76% of the total population is Muslim, 9% is Christian, and 15% belongs to other religious groups, primarily Hindu or Buddhist. Groups together constituting less than 5% of the population include Parsis, Bahá'ís, Druze, Sikhs, Ahmadis, Ismailis, Dawoodi Bohra Muslims, and Jews. These estimates differ from census figures because census figures do not take into account the many "temporary" visitors and workers, and count Bahá'ís and Druze as Muslim.
According to the Office of National Statistics, the population of the United Kingdom is 62.3 million. Census figures from 2011 indicate that 59.3% of the population is Christian, comprising the Church of England (Anglican), the Church of Scotland (Presbyterian), the Roman Catholic Church, Protestant churches, and unaffiliated Christian groups. Roughly 25% of the population consists of nonbelievers.
The Muslim community, comprising 4.8% of the population, is predominantly of South Asian origin, but also includes individuals from the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Africa, and Southeast Asia, as well as a growing number of local converts. Other religious groups, which each make up less than 2% of the population, include Hindus, Sikhs, Jews, and Buddhists. Individuals from these religious groups are concentrated in London and other large urban areas, primarily in England. Census figures from Northern Ireland in 2011 indicate that 41% of the population is Catholic, 41.5% Protestant, and less than 1% various non-Christian religious groups. Approximately 17% of respondents did not indicate a religious affiliation. In Bermuda, Anglicans are 16% of the population, while Roman Catholics and African Methodist Episcopalians are 15 and 9%, respectively. Muslims represent up to 1.5% of the population. Nearly 20 religious groups are present.
The population is approximately 3.3 million, according to a 2011 National Institute of Statistics (NIS) census. The most recent (2008) NIS statistics on religious preference indicate approximately 45% of the population self-identifies as Roman Catholic and approximately 10% as non-Catholic Christian. Groups together constituting less than 5% of the population include Jehovah's Witnesses, Bahá'ís, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Afro-Umbandists, Jews, Buddhists, members of the Unification Church, and Muslims (300-400 members). Approximately 28% of the population indicates a belief in God but no specific religious affiliation. There is no correlation between religious affiliation and ethnicity, politics, or socio-economic status.
According to government estimates released in August, the population is 29.7 million. The government reports that approximately 93% is nominally Muslim. Most are Sunni of the Hanafi school; approximately 1% is Shia, concentrated in the provinces of Bukhara and Samarkand. Approximately 4% of the population is Russian Orthodox, a number that is declining as ethnic Russians and other Slavs continue to emigrate. The remaining 3% includes small communities of Roman Catholics, Korean Christians, Baptists, Lutherans, Seventh-day Adventists, evangelicals, Pentecostals, Jehovah's Witnesses, Buddhists, Bahá'ís, Hare Krishnas, and atheists. An estimated 10,500 to 11,500 Ashkenazi and Bukharan Jews remain concentrated in Tashkent, Bukhara, Samarkand, and the Fergana Valley.
There are 2,225 registered religious groups representing 16 denominations. There are 2,051 Muslim groups (including mosques, educational institutions, and Islamic centers). Among the Muslim groups are several Shia congregations. Registered minority religious groups include 52 Korean Christian, 38 Russian Orthodox, 23 Baptist, 21 Pentecostal ("Full Gospel"), 10 Seventh-day Adventist, eight Jewish, five Catholic, six Bahá'í, two Lutheran, four "New Apostolic," two Armenian Apostolic, one Jehovah's Witnesses, one Krishna Consciousness, one Temple of Buddha, one Christian "Voice of God" Church, and one interconfessional Bible Society.
The 2009 National Census estimates the population to be 234,000. Approximately 83% is Christian, of which an estimated 30% is Presbyterian, 12% Roman Catholic, 15% Anglican, and 13% Seventh-day Adventist. Other groups together constituting 15% of Christians include the Church of Christ, the Apostolic Church, the Assemblies of God, and other Protestant denominations. Six% of the population is Jewish. The John Frum Movement, an indigenous religious group with its own political party, is centered on the island of Tanna and constitutes less than 1% of the population. Other religious groups present include Bahá'ís, Muslims, Jehovah's Witnesses, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). There are believed to be members of other religious groups within the foreign community. These groups are free to practice their religion but are not known to hold public religious ceremonies.
According to the 2011 census, the population is approximately 28.9 million. According to government estimates, 92% of the population is at least nominally Roman Catholic. Government estimates also show that groups that constitute less than 5% of the population include evangelical Protestants, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and Jehovah's Witnesses. However, the Venezuelan Evangelical Council estimates that evangelical Protestants constitute approximately 15% of the population.
There are small but influential Muslim and Jewish communities. The Muslim community of more than 100,000 consists primarily of persons of Lebanese and Syrian descent living in Nueva Esparta State and the Caracas area. The Jewish community numbers approximately 9,000 and is centered in Caracas.
According to 2011 information from the General Statistics Office, the population is approximately 87.8 million. More than half of the population is at least nominally Buddhist, with 10% actively practicing Mahayana Buddhism (most of whom are of the majority ethnic group Kinh or Viet) and 1.2% actively practicing Theravada Buddhism (approximately one million members of the Khmer minority in the south). Roman Catholics constitute 7% of the population. Catholicism is growing, with over 6 million adherents worshiping in 26 dioceses across the country. Cao Dai, a religion combining elements of many religions, is practiced by 2.5 to 4% of the population. Hoa Hao followers constitute 1.5 to 3% of the population. Estimates of the number of Protestants range from 1 to 2% of the population. Some Protestant denominations are officially recognized at the national level; others are registered locally, but have not attained national recognition. Muslims number 70,000 to 80,000, or less than 0.1% of the population; approximately 40% of Muslims are Sunnis; the remaining 60% practice Bani Islam.
Smaller religious groups that together comprise less than 0.1% of the population include 50,000 ethnic Cham who mostly practice a devotional form of Hinduism in the south-central coastal area, an estimated 8,000 members of the Bahá'í Faith, and approximately 1,000 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) throughout the country. There is one Jewish synagogue in Ho Chi Minh City serving approximately 150 Jews, mainly foreign residents who live in the city. Other citizens consider themselves nonreligious, or practice animism or the veneration of ancestors, tutelary and protective saints, national heroes and local, respected persons. Followers of these traditional forms of worship may or may not term themselves religious. Ethnic minorities constitute approximately 14% of the population. Based on adherents’ estimates, two-thirds of Protestants are members of ethnic minorities, including minority groups in the Northwest Highlands (H’mong, Dzao, Thai, and others) and in the Central Highlands (Ede, Jarai, Sedang, and M’nong, among others). The Khmer Krom ethnic group overwhelmingly practices Theravada Buddhism.
According to U.S. government estimates, the population is 523,000. The majority of the population is Sunni Muslim. Islamic practice is frequently characterized by maraboutism, the veneration of religious figures and the tombs in which they are believed to be interred. There is a small group of Roman Catholics who live and worship freely.
There is a small foreign community working for the United Nations Mission for a Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). Many of its members are non-Muslims.
The population is 25 million, according to U.S. government estimates. Most citizens are Muslim, belonging either to the Zaydi order of Shia Islam or the Shafi order of Sunni Islam. While there are no official statistics, 35% of the population is estimated to be Shia and 65% is estimated to be Sunni. There are reports of an increase in Muslims who adhere to Salafi-Sunni Islam, but statistics are unavailable to confirm these reports. There are a few thousand Ismaili Muslims concentrated in the Haraz district near Sanaa, an unknown number of Ithnasheria (Twelver) Shia who reside mainly in the north, and a significant but indeterminate number of Sufis. Groups comprising less than .05% of the population include Jews, Bahá'ís, Hindus, and Christians, many of whom are refugees or temporary foreign residents. Christian groups include Roman Catholics and Anglicans. The once-sizable Jewish community is the only indigenous non-Muslim minority religious group; the few Jews remaining after decades of emigration to Israel live mainly in Sanaa and the Rayda district in the Amran governorate.
According to the 2010 census, the population is 13.1 million. Approximately 87% of the population is Christian, 1% is Muslim or Hindu, and 12% adhere to other belief systems, including indigenous religions. Many people combine Christianity and indigenous beliefs.
Muslims are primarily concentrated in Lusaka and in the Eastern and Copperbelt provinces; many are immigrants from South Asia, Somalia, and the Middle East who have acquired Zambian citizenship. A small minority of indigenous persons are also Muslim. Most Hindus are of South Asian descent.
Preliminary findings from the 2012 national census estimate the population at 13 million, although it is likely lower because an estimated three to four million Zimbabweans currently live outside the country due to economic and political crises. According to the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe (EFZ), 84% of the population is Christian. The EFZ's 2004 census estimates the Christian population is 33% Catholic; 42% evangelical or Pentecostal; 17% Anglican, Methodist, or Presbyterian, and 8% apostolic. There are a significant number of independent Pentecostal and syncretic African churches.
The majority of the population also adheres to indigenous religions. Religious leaders reported a continued increase in observance of indigenous religious practices, often simultaneously with Christianity. Approximately 14% of the population adheres solely to indigenous religious beliefs. Approximately 3% of the population is Muslim, primarily immigrants of Mozambican and Malawian descent. The Muslim population is concentrated in rural areas and in some high-density suburbs. Small numbers of Greek Orthodox, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, and Bahá'ís make up less than 1% of the population.
Political elites tend to be members of established Christian mainstream or Pentecostal churches. Some apostolic groups, along with the CPZ, support the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) and are especially prevalent in ZANU-PF political strongholds.