Christianity is the majority faith in Saint Lucia, with theRoman Catholic Church having the largest following. Other Christian denominations likeSeventh-Day Adventists andPentecostals form significant minority.[1] The country is named after theSaint Lucy of Syracuse (AD 283 – 304).[2][3] It is also believed that the French sailors wereshipwrecked on the island on 13 December, thefeast day of St. Lucy, and therefore named the island in her honour. The same day is celebrated as National Day.[4][5]
TheRoman Catholicism remains the dominant faith in St.Lucia, but its share of the population declined from 92.4% in 1960 to 50.6% in 2022. This change reflects the growing influence of various Protestant denominations, particularly theSeventh-day Adventist andPentecostal churches, which saw steady increases during this period. The Pentecostal community, for instance, grew from virtually no recorded presence in 1960 to 9.0% in 2022, while Seventh-day Adventists rose from 1.8% to 10.8%. There has also been a notable rise in individuals reporting no religious affiliation, from less than 1% in 1980 to 14.1% in 2022, indicating a gradual trend toward secularism.[7][6]
Additionally, smaller religious groups such as Rastafarians, Hindus, Muslims, and Baháʼís have established a modest presence, contributing to the island’s increasing religious diversity.[7]
| Religion | 1960 | 1970 | 1980 | 1991 | 2001 | 2010 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roman Catholic | 92.4 | 90.5 | 85.6 | 79.0 | 67.5 | 61.1 | 50.6 |
| Anglican | 3.8 | 3.4 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.3 |
| Baptist | 0.3 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 1.7 |
| Methodist | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Pentecostal | 0.0 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 3.0 | 5.6 | 8.8 | 9.0 |
| Seventh-day Adventist | 1.8 | 2.4 | 4.3 | 6.5 | 8.4 | 10.4 | 10.8 |
| Church of God | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.5 | — |
| Evangelical | — | — | — | — | 2.0 | 2.2 | — |
| Rastafarian | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 1.4 |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.8 |
| Hindu | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.19 |
| Muslim | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.17 |
| Baháʼí Faith | — | — | — | — | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.02 |
| Salvation Army | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.12 |
| Other | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 2.2 |
| None | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 4.5 | 5.9 | 14.1 |
| Not Stated / Not Reported | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 4.1 |
Saint Lucia's constitution guarantees freedom of religion, allowing individuals to practice their faith without interference. There is no state religion, and the law requires religious groups with more than 250 members to register with the government.[8]