Religion in Barbados

St. Peter's Parish Church, Saint Peter, Barbados

The International Religious Freedom Report 2008, submitted by the United States Department of State to Congress as required by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998,[1] provides the following summary of religious affiliation in Barbados:[2]

According to the 2000 official census, more than 95 percent of the population of Barbados is considered Christian, although persons may not be active in any particular denomination.

Anglicanism constitutes the largest religious group, with 70,000 members; an estimated 67 percent are active. It is represented by the Church in the Province of the West Indies, within which the island belongs to the Diocese of Barbados. The next largest group is the Seventh-day Adventists, numbering 16,000 members, 10,000 of whom are active. There are 11,000 Roman Catholics; an estimated 20 percent are active. Pentecostals number 7,000; more than 50 percent are active. Methodists number 5,000, according to church officials, although many more claimed Methodist affiliation in the previous official census; an estimated 60 percent are active. There are 2,500 members of Jehovah's Witnesses; more than 95 percent are active. Baptists, Moravians, and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) are present in small numbers.

The number of non-Christians is small. There are 4,000 Muslims, most of whom are immigrants or descendants of Indian immigrants from the Indian state of Gujarat. There are three mosques and an Islamic centre. Other religious groups include Rastafarians, Hindus, Buddhists, and members of the Baha'i Faith.

The Rastafarian Movement was introduced to Barbados in 1975.[3]

Religious affiliations 1970 and 2010

The reference work Religions of the World provides the following data for Barbados:[4]

Religion Followers in 1970 Followers in 2010 % of Population 2010
Christians 235,000 284,000 95.5
- Protestants 50,600 100,000 33.7
- Anglicans 90,000 85,600 28.8
- Independents 8,900 16,000 5.4
Agnostics 2,400 5,100 1.7
Bahai's 1,300 3,600 1.2
Muslims 400 2,300 0.8
Hindus 100 980 0.3
Atheists 0 700 0.2
New religionists 50 480 0.2
Buddhists 0 120 0.0
Spiritists 0 60 0.0
Jews 30 40 0.0
Ethnoreligionists 0 30 0.0
Total Population 239,000 297,000 100.0

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Preface: International Religious Freedom Report 2008". United States Department of State. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  2. ↑ "Barbados: International Religious Freedom Report 2008". United States Department of State. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  3. ↑ Melton, J.G.; Baumann, M. (2010). Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices. ABC-CLIO. p. 304. ISBN 9781598842043. Retrieved 2015-05-13.
  4. ↑ Melton, J. Gordon; Baumann, Martin (2010). Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices (2nd ed.). ABC-CLIO. p. 300. ISBN 1598842048. Retrieved 28 September 2015.


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