Religion in Lebanon


Lebanon is an eastern Mediterranean country that is composed of mostly Muslims and Christians. The main two religions are Islam with 54% of the citizens and Christianity with 40.7% of the citizens. The Druze are about 5% of the citizens. The country has the most religiously diverse society of all states within the Middle East, comprising 18 recognized religious sects. But outside of Lebanon, Lebanese people are mostly Christians. It is also estimated that a large proportion of its population are refugees which affects statistics. The refugees mostly Syrian or Palestinian are predominately Sunni but also includes Christians and Shia.
Lebanon thus differs from other Middle East countries where Muslims are the overwhelming majority and more resembles Bosnia-Herzegovina and Albania, both in Southeastern Europe, in having a diverse mix of Muslims and Christians that each make up approximately half the country's population. Christians were once a majority inside Lebanon and are still a majority in the diaspora of the nearly 14 million Lebanese people living outside of Lebanon. The official constitution of Lebanon states that the president of the country must imperatively be a Maronite Christian.

Population by religious affiliation

No official census has been taken since 1932, reflecting the political sensitivity in Lebanon over confessional balance.
As a result, the religious affiliation of the Lebanese population is very difficult to establish with certainty and various sources are used to get the possible estimate of the population by religious affiliation.
The following are different sources that do not pretend to be fully representative of the religious affiliation of the people of Lebanon.
A 2012 study conducted by Statistics Lebanon, a Beirut-based research firm, found that Lebanon's population is estimated to be 54% Muslim, 5.6% Druze, 40.4% Christian.
The CIA World Factbook estimates the following : Muslim 61.1%, Christian 33.7%, Druze 5.2%, and very small numbers of Jews, Baha'is, Buddhists, and Hindus.
The International Foundation for Electoral Systems provides source for the registered voters in Lebanon for 2011 that puts the numbers as following:
Sunni Islam 27.65%, Shia Islam 27.35%,
Maronite Catholic 21.71%, Greek Orthodox 7.34%, Druze 5.74%, Melkite Catholic 4.76%, Armenian Apostolic 2.64%, other Christian Minorities 1.28%, Alawite Shia Islam 0.88%, Armenian Catholic 0.62%, Evangelical Protestant 0.53%, and other 0.18% of the population.
There is also a very small and ancient community of Zoroastrians numbering between 100-500 individuals. Lebanon also has a Jewish population, estimated at less than 100.

Demographics

Geographical distribution of sects in Lebanon

Lebanese Muslims

are divided into many sects like Sunnis, Shias, Druze, Alawites, and Ismailis.
Lebanese Sunnis are mainly residents of the major cities: west Beirut, Tripoli, and Sidon. Sunnis are also present in rural areas including Akkar, Ikleem al Kharoub, and the western Beqaa Valley.
Lebanese Shias are concentrated in Southern Lebanon, Baalbek District, Hermel District and the south Beirut.
Lebanese Druze are concentrated south of Mount Lebanon, in the Hasbaya District and Chouf District. Under the Lebanese political division the Druze community is designated as one of the five Lebanese Muslim communities, despite the Druze and Muslims having very different beliefs.

Lebanese Druze

The Lebanese government tend to count its Druze citizens as part of its Muslim population.

Lebanese Christians

are divided into many groups, several types of Catholics for instance the Maronites and Greek Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Church of the East and Protestants.
Lebanese Maronites are concentrated in the north Beirut, northern part of Mount Lebanon Governorate, southern part of North Governorate, parts of Beqaa Governorate and South Governorate.
Greek Catholics are found everywhere but in particular in districts on the eastern slopes of the Lebanese mountain range and in Zahle where they are a majority.
Lebanese Orthodox are concentrated in the north Beirut, Lebanese North areas including Zgharta, Bsharre, Koura, and Batroun.
Lebanese Protestants are concentrated mainly within the area of Beirut and Greater Beirut.
The other Lebanese Christians are concentrated also in similar areas like in east Beirut, Mount Lebanon, Zahlé, and Jezzine.

Lebanese Jews

As of 2018, the Jews in Lebanon make up the smallest religious group, with merely 0.08% of the population.

Current political and religious issues

Under the terms of an agreement known as the National Pact between the various political and religious leaders of Lebanon, the president of the country must be a Maronite, the Prime Minister must be a Sunni, and the Speaker of Parliament must be a Shia.
Although Lebanon is a secular country, family matters such as marriage, divorce and inheritance are still handled by the religious authorities representing a person's faith. Calls for civil marriage are unanimously rejected by the religious authorities but civil marriages conducted in another country are recognized by Lebanese civil authorities.
Non-religion is not recognized by the state. The Minister of the Interior Ziad Baroud made it possible in 2009 to have the religious sect removed from the Lebanese identity card. This does not, however, deny the religious authorities complete control over civil family issues inside the country.

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