Religion in Albania

Religion in Albania as of the 2023 census conducted by the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT)^[1]

Islam (45.86%)
Catholicism (8.38%)
Eastern Orthodoxy (7.22%)
Evangelical Christians (0.4%)
Bektashism (4.81%)
Non-affiliated believers (13.82%)
Atheism (3.55%)
Undeclared (15.76%)
Other (0.15%)

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]

^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference Census 2023 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "1998 Constitution of the Republic of Albania" (PDF). Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 July 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
^ "Albania". International Religious Freedom Report 2009. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, United States Department of State. 26 October 2009. Retrieved 7 November 2009.
^ Bogdani, Mirela; Loughlin, John (2007). Albania and the European Union: The Tumultuous Journey Towards Integration and Accession. I.B.Tauris. p. 34. ISBN 978-1-84511-308-7. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
^ "Questionnaire census 2023" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2023-11-04.
^ "Constitution of Albania" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 March 2010. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
^ "Revelations from the Russian Archives: ANTI-RELIGIOUS CAMPAIGNS". Library of Congress. US Government. Archived from the original on 20 November 2020.
^ Kowalewski, David (October 1980). "Protest for Religious Rights in the USSR: Characteristics and Consequences". Russian Review. 39 (4): 426–441. doi:10.2307/128810. JSTOR 128810.
^ Ramet, Sabrina Petra., ed. (1993). Religious Policy in the Soviet Union. Cambridge University Press. pp. 4. ISBN 9780521416436.
^ Anderson, John (1994). Religion, State and Politics in the Soviet Union and Successor States. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. pp. 3. ISBN 0-521-46784-5.

[Census_2023-1] Cite error: The named reference Census 2023 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[2] "1998 Constitution of the Republic of Albania" (PDF). Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 July 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.

[3] "Albania". International Religious Freedom Report 2009. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, United States Department of State. 26 October 2009. Retrieved 7 November 2009.

[BogdaniLoughlin2007-4] Bogdani, Mirela; Loughlin, John (2007). Albania and the European Union: The Tumultuous Journey Towards Integration and Accession. I.B.Tauris. p. 34. ISBN 978-1-84511-308-7. Retrieved 16 April 2017.

[5] "Questionnaire census 2023" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2023-11-04.

[Constitution_of_Albania-6] "Constitution of Albania" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 March 2010. Retrieved 29 December 2012.

[USGOV1-7] "Revelations from the Russian Archives: ANTI-RELIGIOUS CAMPAIGNS". Library of Congress. US Government. Archived from the original on 20 November 2020.

[Kowalewski-8] Kowalewski, David (October 1980). "Protest for Religious Rights in the USSR: Characteristics and Consequences". Russian Review. 39 (4): 426–441. doi:10.2307/128810. JSTOR 128810.

[9] Ramet, Sabrina Petra., ed. (1993). Religious Policy in the Soviet Union. Cambridge University Press. pp. 4. ISBN 9780521416436.

[10] Anderson, John (1994). Religion, State and Politics in the Soviet Union and Successor States. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. pp. 3. ISBN 0-521-46784-5.

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