Religion inCyprus is dominated by theEastern Orthodox branch ofChristianity, whose adherents make up 73% of the total population of the entire island. MostGreek Cypriots are members of theautocephalousGreek Orthodox 'Church of Cyprus'. Most Turkish Cypriots are officiallySunni Muslims. There are alsoBaháʼí,Catholic,Jewish,Protestant (includingAnglican),Armenian Apostolic,Sikh andnon-religious communities in Cyprus.
| Religion | Citizens 2011 | All inhabitants 2011 | All inhabitants 2021 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adherents | % | Adherents | % | Adherants | % | |
| Christian Orthodox | 650,215 | 97.43 | 748,610 | 89.08 | 688,075 | 74.52% |
| Roman Catholic | 2,267 | 0.34 | 24,460 | 2.91 | 13,860 | 1.50% |
| Anglican/Protestant | 1,387 | 0.21 | 16,974 | 2.02 | 9,621 | 1.04% |
| Maronite Church | 3,656 | 0.55 | 3,800 | 0.45 | 4,486 | 0.49% |
| Armenian Church | 1,803 | 0.27 | 2,453 | 0.29 | 2,025 | 0.22% |
| Muslim | 2,492 | 0.37 | 15,279 | 1.82 | 19,534 | 2.12% |
| Buddhist | 73 | 0.01 | 8,453 | 1.01 | 7,868 | 0.85% |
| Sikh | 2,260 | 0.24% | ||||
| Hindu | 27 | <0.01 | 1,528 | 0.18 | 1,681 | 0.18% |
| Other religion | 1,829 | 0.27 | 4,112 | 0.49 | 4,545 | 0.49% |
| Atheist/no religion | 1,062 | 0.16 | 5,357 | 0.64 | 9,591 | 1.04% |
| Not stated | 2,587 | 0.39 | 9,381 | 1.12 | 159,835 | 17.31% |
| Total | 667,398 | 100.00 | 840,407 | 100.00 | 923,381 | 100.00 |
| Religion | Adherents | % |
|---|---|---|
| Christians | 810,000 | 73.2 |
| Muslims | 280,000 | 25.3 |
| Unaffiliated | 10,000 | 1.2 |
| Hindus | <10k | <.01 |
| Buddhists | <10k | <.01 |
| Jews | <10k | <.01 |
| Other Religions | <10k | <.01 |
| Total | 1,100,000 | 100.00 |
The largest and most important church in Cyprus, theChurch of Cyprus, is anautocephalous Greek Orthodox Church within the Orthodox tradition using the Greekliturgy.[5] It is one of the oldest Eastern Orthodox autocephalous churches, having achieved independence from thePatriarchate of Antioch in 431 AD.[6] According to tradition, the first bishops in Cyprus were the apostlesLazarus (seeChurch of Saint Lazarus, Larnaca) andBarnabas, the latter of whom is identified by theBook of Acts as aCypriot Jew.[7][8] The same book names Cyprus as a destination for manyearly Christians fleeing persecution.[9][better source needed]
The Church of Cyprus recognises the seniority and prestige of theecumenical patriarch of Constantinople, while retaining complete administrative autonomy under its ownarchbishop.[5] Sevensacraments are recognised:baptism in infancy, followed by confirmation with consecrated oil,penance, theEucharist,matrimony,ordination, and unction in times of sickness or when near death.[5]
Many examples of classical Christian architecture are located in Cyprus, along with tombs said to belong to Lazarus and Barnabas. Cyprus is a place where many New Testament biblical stories took place[citation needed] and several miracles are held to have been performed.[citation needed]
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The presence of Armenians in Cyprus dates back to 578. Currently, Armenian-Cypriots maintain a notable presence of about 3,500 persons, mainly inhabiting the urban areas ofNicosia,Larnaca, andLimassol. Recently, some Armenian immigrants have settledPaphos.
The Armenian Prelature of Cyprus has had a continuous presence on the island since its establishment in 973 by CatholicosKhatchig I.
TheCatholic Church in Cyprus is part of the worldwide Catholic Church under the spiritual leadership of thePope in Rome. According to the 2011 census, Catholics made up 2.9% of the population.[10] A minority of Catholics in Cyprus areMaronites (adherents of one of theEastern Rite Catholics). Of the 209,286 Cypriots counted in the 1891 census, 1,131 were Maronites.[citation needed]
According to the 2011 census, Protestants made up 2% of the population of the government-controlled area.[10]
TheChurch of England established a presence in Cyprus at the advent of theprotectorate itself in 1878,[11] initially under theDiocese of Gibraltar.[12] In 1976, the Cypriot portion of the church became the Archdeaconry of Cyprus, within theDiocese of Cyprus and the Gulf. As of 2024[update], the jurisdiction is headed by Archdeacon Ven Christopher Futcher.[13]
Northern Cyprus is home to aTurkish Protestant minority; the Turkish-Speaking Protestant Association (TPSA) estimates the community's numbers to be 1,000. According to the TPSA, Protestants are under continual surveillance by North Cypriot police.[14]
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Muslims make up about 1.8% of the population of the government-controlled area and around 25% of the population of the entire island. The island was conquered by theOttoman GeneralLala Mustafa Pasha from theVenetians in 1570. From then until 1878, mainland Turks came to Cyprus as soldiers and administrators.Turkish Cypriots mainly adhere to theSunni branch of Islam.
Sufism also plays an important role. Historically, Muslims were spread over the whole of Cyprus, but since theTurkish invasion in 1974 they have lived primarily in the north. Within the north there is also a smallAhmadi community.[15]
Several important Islamic shrines and landmarks exist on the island, including:
There are about 13,280 or 1.1%Sikhs in Cyprus in 2021.[16][17]
There were about 4,640 or 0.4%Hindus in Cyprus in 2015.[18]
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According to the 2011 census, Buddhists made up about 1% of the population. Of these, almost none held Cypriot citizenship.[3]
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Jewish presence in Cyprus dates back to the 3rd century BC, after settling on the island, they established trade relations with other religious groups.[19] In 2022, there were approximately 6,000 Jewish people on the island,[10] who were either permanent residents or citizens in Cyprus. There are active Synagogues in Larnaca, Limassol, Nicosia, Paphos and Ayia Napa with dedicated Rabbis to each. All religious matters are handled by the Chief Rabbinate of Cyprus, headed by ChiefRabbi Arie Zeev Raskin.
Kyrenia Synagogue (Turkish:Girne Sinagogu) has been in operation since 2008 and affiliated withChabad movement.[20] The synagogue functions as aChabad house and the rabbi is the Chaim Hillel Azimov. In 2023 Azimov left Northern Cyprus due tofear of possible antisemitic attacks after the Hamas-Israel war.[21]
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According to a 2011 estimate, in the Greek-Cypriot government-controlled area, 0.6% of the people consider themselvesirreligious oratheist.[22] In 2018, the Cyprus Humanist Association accused Cyprus'Ministry of Education of discrimination against atheists by promoting anti-atheist educational material through its official website.[23] During the 37th session of theUnited Nations Human Rights Council, theInternational Humanist Union listed Cyprus in their list of states accused of promoting hatred against atheists and humanists.[24]
It's neither known how many percent of the population are atheists in the Turkish-Cypriotgovernment-controlled area nor how they are treated in the northern part of the island.
In 2023, the country was scored 4 out of 4 for religious freedom byFreedom House, a U.S. government–affiliated body.[25]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)The Patriarchate of Antioch wanted to place the church under its jurisdiction, but the Council of Ephesus in 431, and later the emperor, recognised the autocephaly of the Church of Cyprus.
Singer, Isidore; et al., eds. (1901–1906). "Barnabas, Joses".The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls.When the British first arrived in Cyprus in 1878, responsibility for the Anglicans lay with the Bishop of Gibraltar, the Right Reverend Charles Sandford, for whom an important priority was advancing "mutual understanding between our Church and the Orthodox Churches of the East" (H. Knight, The Diocese of Gibraltar).
