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Lebanon is a conflict-prone country in the Middle East. Photo/Reuters
BEIRUT – The religion of Lebanese citizens is dominated by Muslims, but there are also several other religions that have quite large percentages, such as Christianity and Greek Orthodox.
Just like other countries, Lebanon also provides freedom for its citizens to embrace religion and carry out rituals according to their beliefs as long as they do not disturb public order.
However, there are several religious groups that are not listed in the constitution, such as Baha’is and Protestants, which are still not recognized according to the US Department of State website.
Religious Percentage of Lebanese Citizens
Of Lebanon’s total population which will reach 5.3 million in mid-2022, the majority religion in the country is Islam.
Although it has not conducted an official population census since 1932, an independent poll and research institute estimates that 69.3% of the population is Muslim.
The Islamic religion in Lebanon is divided into 31.2% Sunni, 32% Shia, and 6.1% a combination of Alawi and Ismaili.
Lebanon statistics further estimate that 30.7 percent of the population is Christian. Maronite Catholics are the largest Christian group in this country in West Asia.
Followed by Greek Orthodox 25%. Other Christian groups including Greek Catholics, Armenian Orthodox, Armenian Catholics, Syriac Orthodox, Syriac Catholics, Assyrians, Chaldean Catholics, Copts, Protestants, and Roman Catholics also exist in the country.
The large number of Muslims in Lebanon is largely due to refugees from Palestine and Syria who fled.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other organizations estimate that the total population includes 4.5 million citizens and 1.5 million refugees who have fled the conflicts in Syria and Iraq.
Even though it only has a population of around 5 million, this country, which implements a parliamentary democratic republic system of government, is one of the most populous countries in the Mediterranean region.
Lebanon also has a high literacy rate according to the Britannica page. Despite its few natural resources, the country has long been a busy commercial and cultural center in the Middle East.
(ahm)
