Religion in Greece (2017)
[1]
Other religions (1%)
Unaffiliated (4%)
Religion in Greece
is dominated by
Christianity
, in particular the
Greek Orthodox Church
, which is within the larger communion of the
Eastern Orthodox Church
. It represented 90% of the total population in 2015
[1]
and is constitutionally recognized as the "prevailing religion" of
Greece
. Religions with smaller numbers of followers include
Islam
(comprising 2%
[1]
of the population),
Western Catholicism
(comprising 1%
[1]
of the population),
Greek Catholicism
,
Judaism
,
Evangelicalism
,
Hellenic paganism
, and
Jehovah's Witnesses
. A small number of Greek
atheists
exist, not self-identifying as religious.
Religion is key part of identity for most Greeks, with 76% of Greeks in a 2015?2017 survey saying that their nationality is defined by Christianity.
[2]
According to other sources, 81.4% of Greeks identify as Orthodox Christians and 14.7% are atheists.
[3]
Demographics
[
edit
]
In a survey of the
Pew Research Center
conducted in 2015 and 2016, 90% of respondents identified as
Greek Orthodox
, less than 1% was Catholic and 3% was part of other Christian denominations. Muslims comprised 2% and other religions less than 1%. Four percent was religiously unaffiliated.
[1]
According to research polls in 2022, 81-90% of the population identified as Greek Orthodox, 4-15% as atheist, and 2% as Muslim.
[4]
Christianity
[
edit
]
Eastern Orthodoxy
[
edit
]
The
Church of Greece
, a member of the
Eastern Orthodox Communion
, is accorded the status of "prevailing religion" in
Greece's constitution
. Since 1850, Greek Orthodoxy within Greece is handled by the Church.
[5]
Its members comprise between 88%
[6]
and 95?98%
[7]
[8]
of the population, the most recent
Pew report
gave a percentage of 90% as 2015 numbers.
[1]
The status of the Orthodox church as the "prevailing religion" is largely based on the role the church played for the preservation of the Greek nation through the years of the
Ottoman Empire
but also for the role the church played in the
Greek War of Independence
. As a result, many
[
who?
]
attribute to the modern Greek nation an
ethnoreligious
identity.
[9]
Furthermore, the mainstream Orthodox clergy's salaries and pensions are paid for by the State at rates comparable to those of teachers. All Greek students in primary and secondary schools in Greece attend Christian Orthodox instruction, although there is an exemption system for students who do not want to attend, as long as the exemption is requested by both parents.
Catholicism
[
edit
]
Catholics
made up less than 1% of the total population in 2015.
[1]
The Catholic community has increased in size in recent years due to immigration and today number over 200,000.
[7]
Roman Catholics
[
edit
]
Roman Catholic
Greeks
number approximately 50,000
[
when?
]
[7]
and are found all over
Greece
; the majority, however, live in the
Cyclades
and the
Ionian Islands
. The presence of Catholics in the Greek islands is mostly a heritage from the time of the
Venetian domination
in the
Middle Ages
. The Catholic community has increased in size in recent years due to immigration and today
[
when?
]
number over 200,000.
[7]
Greek Catholics
[
edit
]
Catholic Greeks of the
Byzantine Rite
(Uniates or Unites) number approximately 6,000 nationwide
[10]
and mostly live in Athens.
Protestantism
[
edit
]
The
Protestant
population, including
Greek Evangelical Church
and
Free Evangelical Churches
, stood at about 23,000 people in 2020 (0.23% of the country).
[11]
The Free Apostolic Church of the Pentecost was founded by Leonidas Feggos in 1965. The official church, Eastern Orthodox, and the State reluctantly gave permission for Pentecostal churches to operate legally. The process of receiving permission from the Ministry of Education and Religion to operate as a church is becoming easier.
Assemblies of God
, the
International Church of the Foursquare Gospel
and other
Pentecostal
churches of the Greek Synod of Apostolic Church have 12,000 members.
[12]
The Independent
Free Apostolic Church of Pentecost
is the biggest Protestant denomination in Greece with 120 churches.
[13]
There are no official statistics about Free Apostolic Church of Pentecost, but the Orthodox Church estimates the followers at 20,000.
[14]
Armenian Church
[
edit
]
The presence of
Armenians
in Greece dates back centuries (from the
Byzantine
period), when Armenians settled in Thessalia, Macedonia, Thrace and the islands of Crete and Corfu for various reasons such as war or business.
The Armenians in Greece acquired the character of a community after the 1920s, when 70,000 to 80,000 survivors of the
Armenian genocide
fled to Greece. Today, emigration to North America has diminished the Armenian population of Greece. The number now counts for roughly 20,000?35,000 Greco-Armenians.
[15]
Islam
[
edit
]
The number of citizens of Greece who are Muslims is estimated to be at 97,604 people or 0.95% of the total population, according to the 1991 census.
[16]
They live mostly in Western Thrace and are primarily of Slavonic (
Pomak
) and
Romani
descent. In 2006, immigrant Muslims were estimated between 200,000 and 300,000.
[17]
and approximately half of them live in
Athens
. In 2015,
Islam
was the religion of 2% of the total population of Greece.
[1]
Judaism
[
edit
]
The Jewish community in Greece currently amounts to roughly 5,500 people, concentrated mainly in
Athens
,
Thessaloniki
,
Larissa
,
Volos
,
Chalkis
,
Ioannina
,
Trikala
and
Corfu
, while very few remain in
Kavala
and
Rhodes
.
[18]
It is composed largely of two groups, the
Romaniotes
, Jewish communities dating back to
Antiquity
, and the
Ladino
-speaking
Sephardim
, who arrived from Spain and settled chiefly in Thessaloniki during
Ottoman
times.
Buddhism
[
edit
]
The number of the followers is not so high amongst the Greeks but it has increased during the last decades because of the immigration of people from
East Asia
,
Sri Lanka
and
Southeast Asia
in Greece. Sri Lankan and Southeast Asian migrant workers working in Greece were usually sent back to their home country to be cremated, due to cremation being banned in Greece until 2006. Today there are three religious centers, in Athens, Thessaloniki and Corinth.
Hinduism
[
edit
]
Hinduism in Greece has a small following. There is a small
Hindu
community in Athens. There are 25 PIOs and 12 NRIs in the city. On March 1, 2006, the Greek government passed a law allowing cremation. The law was welcomed by the Indian community in Athens.
Sikhism
[
edit
]
Sikhs
have been in Greece since the
World Wars
, as part of the
British Indian Army
.
Guru Nanak
is also known to have passed through Greece during one of his journeys. However, actual immigration to Greece began in the 1970s. It reached its peak during the 1990s?2000s. As of 2017, Sikhs are estimated to number 20,000?25,000.
[
citation needed
]
There are eight
Gurudwaras
in Greece, most of them located in
Central Greece
and only one being in
Crete
. Gurudwaras are often officially documented as personal properties, community centres or libraries, due to the paperwork needed and also due to the lack of recognition of Sikhs by the
Greek Government
. Sikhs often face racism and discrimination by the Greek public, who confuse them with Muslims, as well as legal challenges, mostly due to the distinct appearance (
The Five Ks
). Sikhs are not allowed to wear their turbans and ride motorcycles without helmets, as in the
United Kingdom
, where their contributions in the war efforts were recognized and they were allowed to not wear helmets.
[
citation needed
]
Young Sikhs often face difficulties when recruited for the mandatory
conscription in Greece
, due to their long hair, beard and turbans. Sikhism is still not an officially recognized religion in Greece and Sikhs are often not included in censuses. Media coverage of Sikhs is minimal and their religion is often reported as "a mix of Hinduism and Islam", whereas it has a separate belief system and many differences. Sikh
Gurudwaras
have faced numerous attacks including gunshots and
Molotov cocktails
.
[
citation needed
]
On 1 March 2006, the Greek government passed a law allowing cremation,
[19]
a move welcomed by both Sikhs and
Hindus
. Since the
financial crisis of 2007?2008
, many Sikhs have migrated to other countries, such as the
United Kingdom
,
Canada
, and
Germany
.
Hellenic ethnic religion
[
edit
]
Over 2000 people are members of the
Supreme Council of Ethnic Hellenes
, the foremost organisation of
Hellenic ethnic religion
.
[20]
[21]
Over 100,000 people are "sympathisers".
[22]
On 9 April 2017 the Hellenic ethnic religion was officially recognized by the Greek state.
[23]
Other faiths
[
edit
]
Other minor faiths in Greece include
Jehovah's Witnesses
(who number about 28,000
[24]
),
Seventh-day Adventists
,
Mormons
and
Scientologists
. Groups that constitute less than 1 percent of the population includes those of the
Baha?i Faith
.
[25]
Freedom of religion
[
edit
]
In 2023, the country was scored 3 out of 4 for religious freedom;
[26]
it was noted that the salaries and pensions of Orthodox clergy are paid for by the state.
Gallery
[
edit
]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
"Religious Belief and National Belonging in Central and Eastern Europe"
. Pew Research Center. 10 May 2017
. Retrieved
2017-09-09
.
- ^
"Religion is key part of identity for most Greeks"
.
Kathimerini
. Retrieved
2018-11-02
.
- ^
"Easter, Faith and Religion in Greece"
. Kapa Research.
- ^
US State Dept 2022 report
- ^
Kenneth Scott Latourette,
Christianity in a Revolutionary Age, II: The Nineteenth Century in Europe: The Protestant and Eastern Churches.
(1959) 2: 479?481
- ^
"The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2010-2050"
(PDF)
.
Pew Research Center
. 2015
. Retrieved
2023-04-11
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
"Religious Freedom in Greece (September2002)"
(RTF)
.
Greek Helsinki Monitor Minority Rights Group ? Greece
. Retrieved
2007-09-15
.
- ^
"Greece"
.
The World Factbook
. Retrieved
2007-09-15
.
- ^
Yang and Ebaugh, p.369: "Andrew Greeley (1971) identified three types of relationships in the United States: some religious people who do not hold an ethnic identity; some people who have an ethnic identity but are not religious; and cases in which religion and ethnicity are intertwined. Phillip Hammond and Kee Warner (1993), following Harold J. Abramson (1973), further explicated the 'intertwining relationships" into a typology. First is 'ethnic fusion', where religion is the foundation of ethnicity, or, ethnicity equals religion, such as in the case of the Amish and Jews. The second pattern is that of 'ethnic religion', where religion is one of several foundations of ethnicity. The Greek or Russian Orthodox and the Dutch Reformed are examples of this type. In this pattern, ethnic identification can be claimed without claiming the religious identification but the reverse is rare. The third form, 'religious ethnicity', occurs where an ethnic group is linked to a religious tradition that is shared by other ethnic groups. The Irish, Italian, and Polish Catholics are such cases. In this pattern, religious identification can be claimed without claiming ethnic identification. Hammond and Warner also suggest that the relationship of religion and ethnicity is strongest in 'ethnic fusion' and least strong in 'religious ethnicity'. Recently, some scholars have argued that even Jews' religion and culture (ethnicity) can be distinguished from each other and are separable (Chervyakov, Gitelman, and Shapiro 1997; Gans 1994)."
- ^
"The Eastern Catholic Churches 2017"
(PDF)
.
Catholic Near East Welfare Association
. Retrieved
2018-02-25
.
- ^
The ARDA website, retrieved 2023-08-28
- ^
Synod of Apostolic Church of Christ
Archived
2004-12-16 at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
Church addresses from the Official Site ? in Greek
- ^
Orthodox estimate ? in Greek
Archived
2008-12-02 at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
Bedevyan, Astghik (18 January 2011).
?????????? ??? ???????? ??????????? ? ????????? ???????? ??? ??????????
[Armenian community of Greece preparing for the meeting with the Armenian president] (in Armenian).
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Armenian Service
. Retrieved
5 January
2013
.
- ^
Υπουργε?ο Εξωτερικ?ν, Υπηρεσ?α Ενημ?ρωση?: Μουσουλμ?νικη μειον?τητα Θρ?κη?
and
Ελληνικ? Επιτροπ? για τη διαχε?ρηση των υδατικ?ν π?ρων: Στοιχε?α απ? την πρ?σφατη απογραφ? του πληθυσμο?
- ^
"International Religious Freedom Report 2006: Greece"
.
US Dept. of State/Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
. www.state.gov. 2006-09-15
. Retrieved
2007-09-15
.
- ^
Short History Of The Jewish Communities In Greece
Archived
2007-09-26 at the
Wayback Machine
(pdf), publicized by the
Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece
- ^
International Religious Freedom Report 2006, Greece
- ^
Newstatesman - The ancient gods of Greece are not extinct
- ^
Telegraph.co.uk - Modern Athenians fight for the right to worship the ancient Greek gods
- ^
"Helena Smith on why some Greeks are worshipping the ancient gods"
.
The Guardian
. London.
- ^
"The Greek State Has Finally Recognized the Hellenic Ethnic Religion as a 'Known Religion'"
.
European Congress of Ethnic Religions
(ECER), 21 April 2017.
- ^
2015 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses
. Watch Tower Society. p. 180.
- ^
H ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ: Επιτροπ?? τη? Ιερ?? Συν?δου - ΣΥΝΟΔΙΚΗ ΕΠΙΤΡΟΠΗ ΕΠΙ ΤΩΝ ΑΙΡΕΣΕΩΝ
- ^
Freedom House website, retrieved 2023-08-08
Sources
[
edit
]
|
---|
Sovereign states
| |
---|
States with limited
recognition
| |
---|
Dependencies and
other entities
| |
---|
Other entities
| |
---|
|
---|
|
|
|
---|
Overview
| |
---|
Regions
|
- Central Greece
(
Aetolia-Acarnania
(
Aetolia
,
Acarnania
),
Attica
,
Boeotia
,
Euboea
,
Evrytania
,
Phocis
,
Phthiotis
,
Saronic Islands
)
- Crete
(
Chania
,
Heraklion
,
Rethymno
,
Lasithi
)
- Cyclades
(
Andros
,
Delos
,
Kea
,
Kythnos
,
Milos
,
Mykonos
,
Naxos
,
Paros
,
Santorini
,
Syros
,
Tinos
)
- Dodecanese
(
Agathonisi
,
Astypalaia
,
Chalki
,
Kalymnos
,
Karpathos
,
Kasos
,
Kos
,
Leipsoi
,
Leros
,
Nisyros
,
Patmos
,
Rhodes
,
Symi
,
Tilos
,
Kastellorizo
)
- Epirus
(
Arta
,
Ioannina
,
Preveza
,
Thesprotia
)
- Ionian Islands
(
Corfu
,
Ithaca
,
Kefalonia
,
Kythira
,
Lefkada
,
Paxi
,
Zakynthos
)
- Macedonia
(
Chalkidiki
,
Drama
,
Florina
,
Grevena
,
Imathia
,
Kastoria
,
Kavala
,
Kilkis
,
Kozani
,
Pella
,
Pieria
,
Serres
,
Thasos
,
Thessaloniki
)
- North Aegean islands
(
Chios
,
Ikaria
,
Lemnos
,
Lesbos
,
Samos
)
- Peloponnese
(
Arcadia
,
Argolis
,
Corinthia
,
Laconia
,
Messenia
,
Achaea
,
Elis
)
- Thessaly
(
Karditsa
,
Larissa
,
Magnesia
,
Trikala
,
Sporades
)
- Thrace
(
Evros
,
Rhodope
,
Xanthi
)
|
---|
Terrain
| |
---|
Water
| |
---|
Environment
| |
---|
|
|
|
|
Society
|
---|
Demographics
| |
---|
Culture
|
- Anastenaria
- Caryatid
- Clean Monday
- Concept of kingship
- Dress
(
Chiton
,
Chlamys
,
Exomis
,
Fustanella
,
Himation
,
Mariner's cap
,
Peplos
,
Perizoma
,
Tsarouchi
,
Vraka
)
- Eastern Party
- Festivals
- Folklore
- Greek East and Latin West
- Greektown
- Hellenization
- Hospitality
- Carols (
Christmas
,
New Year's
,
Theophany's
)
- Mangas
- Mountza
- Naming customs
- Paideia
- Philhellenism
and
Hellenophobia
- Plate smashing
- Philosophy
- Public holidays
(
Independence Day
,
Ohi Day
)
- Rouketopolemos
- Souliotic songs
- Theophany
- Tsiknopempti
- Units of measurement
- Worry beads
|
---|
Art
| |
---|
Cuisine
|
- Breads (
Daktyla
,
Kritsini
,
Lagana
,
Paximadi
,
Tsoureki
)
- Desserts (
Diples
,
Halva
,
Koulourakia
,
Kourabiedes
,
Loukoumades
,
Melomakarona
,
Pasteli
,
Spoon sweets
,
Vasilopita
)
- List of dishes
- Drinks (
Mastika
,
Metaxa
,
Ouzo
,
Rakomelo
,
Sideritis
,
Tentura
,
Tsipouro
,
Tsikoudia
,
Frappe coffee
)
- Cheeses
(
Anthotyros
,
Feta
,
Graviera
,
Kasseri
,
Kefalotyri
,
Ladotyri
,
Manouri
,
Metsovone
,
Mizithra
)
- Filo
(
Amygdalopita
,
Bougatsa
,
Galaktoboureko
,
Karydopita
,
Spanakopita
,
Tiropita
)
- Greek salad
(
Dakos
)
- Meze
- Pasta (
Gogges
,
Flomaria
,
Hilopites
)
- Restaurants
(
Kafenio
,
Ouzeri
,
Taverna
)
- Sauces (
Skordalia
,
Taramosalata
,
Tirokafteri
,
Tzatziki
)
- Souvlaki
- Varieties (
Heptanesean
,
Cretan
,
Epirote
,
Macedonian
)
- Wine
(
Agiorgitiko
,
Aidini
,
Assyrtiko
,
Athiri
,
Kotsifali
,
Lesbian
,
Limnio
,
Mavrodafni
,
Mandilaria
,
Malagousia
,
Malvasia
,
Moschofilero
,
Retsina
,
Robola
,
Savatiano
,
Vilana
,
Xinomavro
)
|
---|
Languages
|
- Greek alphabet
(
History
,
Orthography
,
Diacritics
,
Braille
,
Cyrillization
,
Romanization
(
Greeklish
) and
numerals
- Greek language
(
Demotic
,
Katharevousa
) and
dialects
(
Cappadocian
,
Cretan
,
Cypriot
,
Greco-Australian
,
Maniot
,
Pontic
,
Tsakonian
,
Yevanic
)
- Greek Sign Language
- History
(
Mycenaean Greek
,
Ancient Greek
,
Koine Greek
,
Medieval Greek
,
Modern Greek
)
- Literature
(
Ancient
,
Medieval
,
Modern
)
- Minority Languages
(
Albanian language
(
Arvanitika
),
Aromanian
,
Balkan Romani
,
Bulgarian
,
Ladino
,
Macedonian
,
Turkish
)
- Place names
and
exonyms
- Proverbs
- Words for love
|
---|
Media
| |
---|
Music
|
- Church music
- Dances
(
Ai Georgis
,
Angaliastos
,
Antikristos
,
Ballos
,
Dionysiakos
,
Fisounis
,
Gaitanaki
,
Geranos
,
Hasapiko
,
Ikariotikos
,
Kalamatianos
,
Kangeli
,
Kastorianos
,
Kerkiraikos
,
Kleistos
,
Koftos
,
Pidikhtos
,
Leventikos
,
Maniatikos
,
Metsovitikos
,
Ntames
,
Palamakia
,
Partalos
,
Pentozali
,
Proskinitos
,
Pyrrhichios
,
Rougatsiarikos
,
Sirtaki
,
Sousta
,
Syrtos
,
Trata
,
Tsakonikos
,
Tsamikos
,
Zeibekiko
,
Zervos
)
- Entekhno
- Folk music
(
Cretan
,
Epirote
,
Heptanesian
,
Macedonian
,
Nisiotika
,
Peloponnesian
,
Pontic
,
Thessalian
,
Thracian
)
- Hip Hop
- Ionian School
- Laiko
(
Skyladiko
)
- Musical instruments
(
Askomandoura
,
Aulos
,
Bouzouki
,
Byzantine lyra
(
Cretan
,
Macedonian
,
Politiki
,
Pontic
),
Crotala
,
Floghera
,
Gaida
,
Harp
,
Laouto
,
Lyre
,
Organo
,
Pan flute
,
Phorminx
,
Psaltery
,
Salpinx
,
Santouri
,
Souravli
,
Tambouras
,
Tambourine
,
Trigono
,
Tsampouna
,
Tympano
,
Zilia
)
- Rebetiko
- Rock
(
Punk
)
|
---|
Religion
and lore
|
- Ancient religion
(
Origins
,
Modern Revival
)
- Aerico
- Buddhism
- Catholicism
- Drosoulites
- Eastern Orthodox Church
(Timeline:
Antiquity
,
Early Middle Ages
,
Late Middle Ages
,
Early Modern Era
,
19th century
,
Early 20th century
,
Late 20th century
,
Contemporary
)
- Fairy tales
- Gello
- Greek Orthodox Church
(
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
,
Church of Greece
,
Flag
)
- Greek Old Calendarists
- Hinduism
- Hypertimos
- Islam
- Judaism
(
History
)
- Kallikantzaros
- Lamia
- Mormo
- Mount Athos
- Mythology
(
Primordial deities
,
Titans
,
Twelve Olympians
,
Heracles
,
Odysseus
,
Jason
,
Oedipus
,
Perseus
,
Daedalus
,
Orpheus
,
Theseus
,
Bellerephon
,
Satyr
,
Centaur
)
- Nymph
- Protestantism
- Psychai
- Sikhism
- Thymiaterion
- Name days
- Vrykolakas
- Wayside shrine
|
---|
Sport
| |
---|
Symbols
| |
---|
|
|
|