Religion in Albania as of the 2023 census conducted by the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT)[1]
Albania is a secular and religiously diverse country with no official religion and thus, freedom of religion, belief and conscience are guaranteed under the country's constitution.[2] Islam is the most common religion in Albania, followed by Christianity, though religiosity is low and there are many irreligious Albanians. In the 2023 census, Muslims (Sunni, Bektashians and non-denominationals) accounted for 51% of the total population, Christians (Catholics, Orthodox and Evangelicals) made up 16%, while irreligious (Atheists and the other non-religious) were 17%. The other 16% were undeclared.[1][3][4][5]
Albania has been a secular state since 1912 and thus and currently according to the constitution, the state has to be "neutral in questions of belief and conscience":[6] The former socialist government started the anti-religious campaign in 1967 and was declared Albania the world's first constitutionally "atheist state" in 1976. Believers faced harsh punishments, and many clergymen were killed. Nowadays religious observance and practice is generally lax, and polls have shown that, compared to the populations of other countries, few Albanians consider religion to be a dominant factor in their lives. When asked about religion, people generally refer to their family's historical religious legacy and not to their own choice of faith.[7][8][9][10]
Census 2023
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