Religion in Montenegro
Religion in Montenegro refers to adherents, communities, institutions and organizations of various religions in Montenegro. While Eastern Orthodox Christianity is the dominant religious denomination in Montenegro, there are also sizable numbers of adherents of both Catholic Christianity and Islam. The majority Orthodox is the Serbian Orthodox Church and the minority are present traces of a forming not canonically Montenegrin Orthodox Church who is not recognized by the Orthodox Christian Church. According to the 2020 estimate by the Pew Research Center, 76.6% of the population is Christian, 20.3% are Muslims, and 3.1% are unaffiliated. Distribution. The results of  the Montenegrin census of 2011 by ethnic groups, the latest census in which the indication of identification (whether by confession or as irreligious) in the question for confession was obligatory, are as follows: Christianity. Eastern Orthodoxy. Eastern Orthodox Christianity is the dominant religion in Montenegro. Adherents of Eastern Orthodoxy in Montenegro are predominantly ethnic Montenegrins and Serbs. Ethnic Serbs of Montenegro and Montenegrins are adherents of the Serbian Orthodox Church and its dioceses in Montenegro: Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral, Eparchy of Budimlja and Nikšić, parts of Eparchy of Mileševa, and parts of Eparchy of Zahumlje and Herzegovina. Ethnic  Montenegrins are divided between the Serbian Orthodox Church and the independent Montenegrin Orthodox Church (which is by the Serbian Orthodox Church and the other autocephalous Orthodox Churches, "a non-canonical" "schismatic", "heretical," and a "political fabricatio"n Orthodox church). Catholic Church. Most Catholics are ethnic Albanians and Croats as well as some Montenegrins. Islam. Muslims form the largest minority religion in the country. Montenegro's 118,477 Muslims make up 19.11% of the total population. Muslims in Montenegro are divided into two main groups, and further subgroups: Islam is the dominant religion in the northeastern municipalities, which are part of the Sandžak  geographical region, and in municipalities where Albanians form a majority. Islam is the majority religion in Rožaje, Plav, Gusinje, Ulcinj and Petnjica. Judaism. Montenegro is one of a select few countries and the only one in its region where there is an enviable inter-religious fund and there is no public manifestation of anti-Semitism and general negative attitude towards the Jewish people and the state of Israel. Even more, there is a high respect for the Jewish people and its contribution to the secular civilization. In February 2012, the Prime Minister of Montenegro Igor Lukšić signed an agreement with  the Montenegrin Jewish community to grant official recognition of Jews as a minority in Montenegro. The agreement also established Judaism as the country's fourth official religion, along with the Eastern Orthodox Church, Catholic Church and Islam. Atheism. The majority of Montenegro's population, 98.69%, declares to belong to a religion, though observance of their declared religion may vary widely. On the census from 2011, atheists, those who declared no religion, comprised about 1.24% of the whole population, and agnostics 0.07%. Religiosity is lowest in the Bay of Kotor region and the capital city of Podgorica. Municipalities with highest share  of atheists are Herceg Novi (2.43%), Kotor (2.03%), Podgorica (1.99%) and Tivat (1.7%). In contrast, Rožaje has the fewest atheists, who make up only 0.01% of its population. In some municipalities more than half of population are undeclared, however. Religious freedom. Montenegro's laws guarantee the freedom of religion and outlaw several forms of religious discrimination, as well as establishing that there is no state religion in Montenegro. The government provides some funding to religious groups. According to a 2017 survey conducted by the Council of Europe in cooperation with the Office of the Ombudsperson of Montenegro, 45% of respondents  reported having experienced religious discrimination.