Mauritius is a religiously diverse nation, withHinduism being the most widely professed faith.[2] According to the 2022 census conducted byStatistics Mauritius, 47.87% of the Mauritian population followsHinduism. Sizeable populations of the adherents ofChristianity,Islam and other religions are also present.[1][2]
People of Indian descent (Indo-Mauritian) follow mostlyHinduism.
TheFranco-Mauritians,Creoles andSino-Mauritians followChristianity. A minority ofSino-Mauritians also followBuddhism and other Chinese-related religions.
| Hinduism | Christianity | Islam | No Religion | Other/NA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011[2] | 48.5% | 32.7% | 17.3% | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| 2022[1] | 47.9% | 32.3% | 18.2% | 0.6% | 1.0% |
| Change | −0.6% | −0.4% | +0.9% | −0.1% | +0.2% |
The constitution prohibits discrimination on religious grounds and provides for freedom to practice or change one's religion. The government provides money to theCatholic Church,Church of England,Presbyterian Church of Mauritius, Seventh-day Adventists, Hindus, and Muslims according to their numbers in the census in addition to tax-exempt status. Other religious groups can register and be tax-exempt but receive no subsidy.[3] Religious public holidays are the Hindu festivals ofMaha Shivaratree,Ougadi,Thaipoosam Cavadee,Ganesh Chaturthi, andDiwali; the Christian festivals ofAssumption andChristmas; and the Muslim festival ofEid al-Fitr.[4]
Hinduism originally came to Mauritius mainly throughIndians who worked as indentured labourers on the island following the abolition of slavery.[5] Today, Hinduism is a major religion inMauritius, representing 48.54% of the total population of the country according to the 2011 census carried out byStatistics Mauritius.[2][6][7] This makes Mauritius the country having the highest percentage ofHindus inAfrica and third highest percentage ofHindus in the world afterNepal andIndia, respectively.
One of the biggest festivals on the island is Maha Shivaratri, or the 'Great Night of Siva'. During this annual Hindu celebration, which takes place in the months of February and March, four to nine days of ceremony and fasting lead up to an all-night vigil of Siva worship and Ganesha worship.[citation needed]
About 0.4% of the population ofMauritius adheres toBuddhism.[2] It is practiced by a significant minority ofSino-Mauritians.
Christianity came to Mauritius with the first inhabitants, the Dutch. However, the Dutch abandoned the island in 1710.[8] The French brought Christianity again when they arrived in 1715. From 1723, there was a law whereby all slaves coming to the island must bebaptised Catholic.[9] This law does not seem to have been strictly adhered to.[9] After they had taken Mauritius from the French during the Napoleonic Wars, the British tried to turn MauritiusProtestant during the 1840s and 1850s.[9]
Franco-Mauritians, usually having the same religion and denomination as the Creoles, have sometimes emphasised their differences from the Creoles by practising more traditionally, for instance celebratingMass in Latin.[10] By 2011Christianity was practiced by 31.7% of the total population.[2]
Catholics made up 83% of Mauritius's Christians (26% of the total population or 324,811 people) in 2011. The other recognized and subsidized religions included the Church of England which on the island is the Diocese of Mauritius in theChurch of the Province of the Indian Ocean which has 2,788 members according to the census; the Presbyterian Church of Mauritius with 501 members, and the Seventh-day Adventists with 4,428 members. Other Christian denominations included threePentecostal groupsAssembly of God with 8,692, Mission Salut et Guérison with 3,731, and Pentecotiste Church with 6,817.Jehovah's Witnesses had 2,173 members. About 47,774 people simply listed 'Christian' on the census. TheChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reports 576 members in 3branches in 2025;[11] the 2022 census reported 10.[1]
Islam is practiced by 17.3% of the Mauritian population.[2] Approximately 95 percent of these areSunni Muslims,[12] having an understanding of theUrdu language. Within the Muslim community, there are three distinct ethnicities that exist, notably the Memons and the Surtees (who are rich merchants who came fromKutch andSurat province ofGujarat inIndia), then the "Calcuttiyas" who came to Mauritius as indentured labourers fromBihar.
Other languages includeBhojpuri,Gujarati, andTamil.
Among theShi'a minority, some have their origins in different parts ofSouth Asia, while others are adherents of theShiaIsmaili sect fromEast Africa. The majority ofShias areIthnā‘ashariyyah with smallIsmaili sect. According to the 2011 census, there were 1265Ahmadis.[2]
The first purpose-built mosque in Mauritius is the Camp des Lascars Mosque in around 1805. It is now officially known as the Al-Aqsa Mosque. TheJummah Mosque inPort Louis was built in the 1850s and is often described as one of the most beautiful religious building in Mauritius by the Ministry of Tourism's guide. There are many smallermosques in the towns and villages. The highest concentration ofMuslims is found in the capitalPort Louis, predominantly in the Plaine Verte, Ward IV, Valle Pitot and Camp Yoloff neighborhood.
TheBaháʼí Faith was introduced to the Mauritius by Ottilie Rhein in 1953.[13] For opening a new territory to the Faith during theTen Year Crusade, Ottilie Rhein was designated aKnight of Bahá'u'lláh byShoghi Effendi, theGuardian of the Baháʼí Faith. According to the 2011 government census, there were 639 Baháʼís in Mauritius.[2]
Taoism andConfucianism are also practiced by small numbers of bothChinese people andJapanese people inMauritius.Punjabis are a subgroup ofIndo-Mauritians who mainly practiceSikhism. In 2011 census, there were only 43Jews practicingJudaism in Mauritius.[2] By 2022, it was reported that there were almost 100Jews in the country.[14]
In 2023 the country was scored 4 out of 4 for religious freedom.[3]
