The CIA World Factbook Edition 1998 People
Religions In 36 editions of 36.
Religions was published in 36 editions of the CIA World Factbook, from 1990 to 2025. The 1998 edition carries it in 234 entries, in its People section. Every entry is shown as that edition published it.
- entries in the 1998 edition
- 234
- the first edition with it
- 1990
- the latest edition with it
- 2025
Published as “Religions” (1992 to 2025) and “Religion” (1990 to 1991).
the entry has the field in that editionnot in that editionthe open editionEach entry below ends in its editions with Religions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down; choose one in a row to read that edition’s text there.
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Entries with Religions in each edition
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Africa
57 entriesCentral African Republic
note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority
Egypt
Muslim (mostly Sunni) 94% (official estimate), Coptic Christian and other 6% (official estimate)
Namibia
Christian 80% to 90% (Lutheran 50% at least, other Christian denominations 30%), native religions 10% to 20%
Saint Helena now Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha
- Anglican (majority),
- Baptist,
- Seventh-Day Adventist,
- Roman Catholic
Arctic Region
2 entriesAsia
22 entriesAzerbaijan
note: religious affiliation is still nominal in Azerbaijan; actual practicing adherents are much lower
China
- Daoism (Taoism),
- Buddhism,
- Muslim 2%-3%,
- Christian 1% (est.)
note: officially atheist, but traditionally pragmatic and eclectic
Korea, North now North Korea
Buddhism and Confucianism, some Christianity and syncretic Chondogyo
note: autonomous religious activities now almost nonexistent; government-sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion of religious freedom
Korea, South now South Korea
Christianity 49%, Buddhism 47%, Confucianism 3%, pervasive folk religion (shamanism), Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way), and other 1%
Mongolia
predominantly Tibetan Buddhist, Muslim 4%
note: previously limited religious activity because of communist regime
Nepal
note: only official Hindu state in the world, although no sharp distinction between many Hindu and Buddhist groups
Central America and the Caribbean
31 entriesCayman Islands
- United Church (Presbyterian and Congregational),
- Anglican,
- Baptist,
- Roman Catholic,
- Church of God,
- other Protestant denominations
Cuba
nominally Roman Catholic 85% prior to CASTRO assuming power; Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also represented
El Salvador
Roman Catholic 75%
note: there is extensive activity by Protestant groups throughout the country; by the end of 1992, there were an estimated 1 million Protestant evangelicals in El Salvador
Jamaica
- Protestant 61.3% (Church of God 21.2%, Baptist 8.8%, Anglican 5.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 9%, Pentecostal 7.6%, Methodist 2.7%, United Church 2.7%, Brethren 1.1%, Jehovah's Witness 1.6%, Moravian 1.1%),
- Roman Catholic 4%,
- other,
- including some spiritual cults 34.7%
Montserrat
- Anglican,
- Methodist,
- Roman Catholic,
- Pentecostal,
- Seventh-Day Adventist,
- other Christian denominations
Europe
46 entriesAlbania
note: all mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; in November 1990, Albania began allowing private religious practice
Belarus
Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.)
Bulgaria
Bulgarian Orthodox 85%, Muslim 13%, Jewish 0.8%, Roman Catholic 0.5%, Uniate Catholic 0.2%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other 0.5%
Estonia
Evangelical Lutheran, Russian Orthodox, Estonian Orthodox, others include Baptist, Methodist, 7th Day Adventist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Word of Life, 7th Day Baptist, Judaism
Man, Isle of now Isle of Man
- Anglican,
- Roman Catholic,
- Methodist,
- Baptist,
- Presbyterian,
- Society of Friends
Lithuania
- primarily Roman Catholic,
- others include Lutheran,
- Russian Orthodox,
- Protestant,
- evangelical Christian Baptist,
- Islam,
- Judaism
Moldova
- Eastern Orthodox 98.5%,
- Jewish 1.5%,
- Baptist (only about 1,000 members) (1991)
note: the large majority of churchgoers are ethnic Moldavian
Ukraine
- Ukrainian Orthodox-Moscow Patriarchate,
- Ukrainian Orthodox-Kiev Patriarchate,
- Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox,
- Ukrainian Catholic (Uniate),
- Protestant,
- Jewish
United Kingdom
Anglican 27 million, Roman Catholic 9 million, Muslim 1 million, Presbyterian 800,000, Methodist 760,000, Sikh 400,000, Hindu 350,000, Jewish 300,000 (1991 est.)
note: the UK does not include a question on religion in its census
Middle East
17 entriesLebanon
- Islam 70% (5 legally recognized Islamic groups-Alawite or Nusayri, Druze, Isma'ilite, Shi'a, Sunni),
- Christian 30% (11 legally recognized Christian groups-4 Orthodox Christian, 6 Catholic, 1 Protestant),
- Judaism NEGL%
Syria
Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%, Christian (various sects) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)
Yemen
Muslim including Shaf'i (Sunni) and Zaydi (Shi'a), small numbers of Jewish, Christian, and Hindu
North America
5 entriesOceania
25 entriesKiribati
- Roman Catholic 53%,
- Protestant (Congregational) 41%,
- Seventh-Day Adventist,
- Baha'i,
- Church of God,
- Mormon 6% (1985 est.)
Niue
Ekalesia Niue (Niuean Church) 75%-a Protestant church closely related to the London Missionary Society, Latter-Day Saints 10%, other 15% (mostly Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist)
Northern Mariana Islands
Christian (Roman Catholic majority, although traditional beliefs and taboos may still be found)
Palau
Christian (Catholics, Seventh-Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, the Assembly of God, the Liebenzell Mission, and Latter-Day Saints), Modekngei religion (one-third of the population observes this religion which is indigenous to Palau)
Samoa
Christian 99.7% (about one-half of population associated with the London Missionary Society; includes Congregational, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Latter-Day Saints, Seventh-Day Adventist)
Tokelau
note: on Atafu, all Congregational Christian Church of Samoa; on Nukunonu, all Roman Catholic; on Fakaofo, both denominations, with the Congregational Christian Church predominant
South America
14 entriesFalkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
- primarily Anglican,
- Roman Catholic,
- United Free Church,
- Evangelist Church,
- Jehovah's Witnesses,
- Lutheran,
- Seventh-Day Adventist
Southeast Asia
15 entriesMalaysia
- Peninsular Malaysia-Muslim (Malays), Buddhist (Chinese), Hindu (Indians);
- Sabah-Muslim 38%, Christian 17%, other 45%;
- Sarawak-tribal religion 35%, Buddhist and Confucianist 24%, Muslim 20%, Christian 16%, other 5%
Cite this page
Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook 1998, “Religions”, all entries. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/fields/religions/1998.