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InNorth Macedonia, the most common religion isEastern Orthodoxy, practiced mainly byMacedonians,Serbs, andAromanians. The vast majority of the Eastern Orthodox in the country belong to theMacedonian Orthodox Church, which declared autocephaly from theSerbian Orthodox Church in 1967.
Muslims are the second-largest religious group with almost one-third of the population adhering toIslam, mainly from the country'sAlbanian,Roma,Turkish,Bosniak, andTorbeš population. There are also many other religious groups in North Macedonia, includingCatholicism,Protestantism, andJudaism.
In 2011, through a survey carried out byIpsos MORI, the religious composition of North Macedonia was found to be 70.7% Christian, divided in 69.6%Eastern Orthodox and 0.4%Catholics andProtestants, and 28.6%Muslim, withunaffiliated Muslims making up the 25.6%.[3]
According to the 2021 official census, the religious composition of North Macedonia was 60.44% Christian of all denominations, 32.17% Muslim, 0.59% atheist or agnostic, and 7.26% other or undefined (predominantly OrthodoxMacedonians as per registries).[4][5]
Eastern Orthodoxy has had a long history inNorth Macedonia, and remains the majority religion. In 1019 theArchbishopric of Ohrid was established. In 1767 on order of the Sultan, the Archbishopric was abolished by the Ottoman authorities and annexed to the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries there was an effort to reinstate the Archbishopric of Ohrid. The Macedonian Orthodox Church gained autonomy from theSerbian Orthodox Church in 1959 and declared the restoration of the Archbishopric of Ohrid. On July 19, 1967, the Macedonian Orthodox Church declared autocephaly from the Serbian Orthodox Church. MostMacedonians belong to theOrthodox faith. In 2001 the Church had about 1,350,000 adherents in North Macedonia.[6] The Serbian Orthodox Church congregates primarily the ethnicMacedonian Serbs.[citation needed]
In 2001 theHoly See established theByzantine Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Macedonia. Currently, members of the Macedonian Catholic Church number about 11,266.[7] It is aByzantine Ritesui juris particular church infull communion withPope and the rest of theCatholic Church, alongside theEastern Catholic Churches and usesMacedonian in the liturgy. The census of 2021 registered 6,746 Catholics.
There are a number of Protestants in North Macedonia. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries,American missionaries converted villages in theStrumica-Petrich region toMethodism, a faith still practiced. There is also a small community of Macedonian Baptists which has existed since 1928.[8]
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Islam has had a significant influence in North Macedonia since theOttoman conquests in the 14th and 15th centuries. ManyTurks settled inthe region of Macedonia and introduced aspects ofIslamic culture. MostAlbanians and some ethnic Macedonians converted to Islam. TheseMacedonian Muslims or Torbeši generally retained theirMacedonian culture and customs while many were assimilated as Turks.[9] By the 19th Century most of the cities were primarily populated byMuslims.[9] TheŠarena Džamija in Tetovo is a legacy of the country's Ottoman past. In 2002, Muslims form approximately 33.33% of the nation's total population. According to the census of 2021, the share of Muslims was 32.17% of the total (resident) population, which was slightly lower compared to 33.33% in the census of 2002.[10]
Jews had been present when the region now called the Republic of North Macedonia was under Roman rule in the second century AD. The population was decimated by theCrusades, but rose again following the immigration ofSephardic Jews under theOttoman Empire. In theSecond World War, North Macedonia was occupied byBulgaria, anAxis power, and the Jews were sent toconcentration camps.[11] As in the rest of the Balkans, theHolocaust and immigration toIsrael means that North Macedonia now has a much smaller Jewish community, numbering roughly 200. It is mainly based in the capital,Skopje, and has no functioningsynagogue.[12] The census of 2021 registered 74 "Members of the Jewish (Moses) community", with Jewish men forming the majority of this community (42 males compared to 32 females).
The laws of North Macedonia prohibit religious discrimination and provide for equal rights for all citizens regardless of their religious beliefs, and people generally have the freedom to practice their religion without disruption. Religious organizations have complained about unfair treatment by the government around questions of building permits and property restitutions. There have been incidences of vandalism and theft against religious buildings.[13]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.