Categories
  Encyclosphere.org ENCYCLOREADER
  supported by EncyclosphereKSF

Eastern Orthodoxy by country

From Wikipedia - Reading time: 18 min

Part of a series on the
Eastern Orthodox Church
Christ Pantocrator (Deesis mosaic detail)
Mosaic of Christ Pantocrator, Hagia Sophia
Overview
Background
Organization
Autocephalous jurisdictions
Autocephalous Churches who are officially part of the communion:

Autocephaly recognized by some autocephalous Churches de jure:

Autocephaly and canonicity recognized by Constantinople and 3 other autocephalous Churches:

Spiritual independence recognized by Georgian Orthodox Church:


Autonomous jurisdictions

Semi-Autonomous:

Episcopal assemblies
Noncanonical jurisdictions
Ecumenical councils
  • Other possible ecumenical councils:
  • Other important councils:
History
Theology
Liturgy and worship
Liturgical calendar
  • The four fasting periods:
Major figures
Saints (Russian (until 15th century), Russian (post-15th century), Serbian, American)
Other topics

Based on the numbers of adherents, the Eastern Orthodox Church (also known as Eastern Orthodoxy) is the second largest Christian communion in the world, after the Roman Catholic Church, with the most common estimates of baptised members being approximately 220 million.[1][2][3] The numerous Protestant groups in the world, if taken all together, substantially outnumber the Eastern Orthodox,[4] but they differ theologically and do not form a single communion.[5]

Overview

[edit]

In 2025, Russia was home to most of the world’s Eastern Orthodox Christians, with 101.5 million of them living within Russia borders (72%); at the same time, Ukraine had 27.8 million people following the religion (65.4%), followed by Romania (16.3 million or 81.1%), Greece (9.4 million or 90%) and Belarus (7.8 million or 83.3%).[6] It was the most popular religion in Moldova, with 93.3% of that country following Eastern Orthodoxy.

In 2024, Eastern Orthodoxy was the predominant religion in Russia (62%),[7] where roughly half the world's Eastern Orthodox Christians live. The religion is also heavily concentrated in the rest of Eastern Europe, where in 2007 it was the majority religion in Ukraine (65.4%[8]–77%),[9] Romania (82%),[10] Belarus (48%[11]–73%[12]), Greece (95%–98%),[10] Serbia (97%),[10] Moldova (93%),[10] Georgia (84%),[10] North Macedonia (65%),[10] Cyprus (89%)[10] and Montenegro (72%);[10] it is also predominant in the disputed territories of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Transnistria. In 2021, it was the dominant religion in Bulgaria (62.7%).[13][14]

At the start of the 21st century, significant minorities were present in several European countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina (31%),[10] Latvia (18%), Estonia (14%), Albania (7%),[15] Lithuania (4%), Croatia (4%), Slovenia (2%), and Finland (1.5%). In the former Soviet republics of Central Asia, Eastern Orthodoxy constituted the dominant religion in northern Kazakhstan, representing 23.9% of the population of the region in 2013.[16] It was also a significant minority in Kyrgyzstan (17%), Turkmenistan (5%), Uzbekistan (5%), Azerbaijan (2%),[10] and Tajikistan (1%). In the Levant, the most significant Eastern Orthodox populations are[when?] in Lebanon (8%),[17] Syria (5–8% prior to the 2011 civil war) in Palestine (0.5%–2.5%)[18] and Jordan (over 1%).[citation needed]

The percentage of Christians in Turkey, home to an historically large and influential Eastern Orthodox community, fell from 19% in 1914 to 2.5% in 1927,[19] due to genocide,[20] demographic upheavals caused by the population exchange between Greece and Turkey,[21] and the emigration of Christians to foreign countries (mostly in Europe and the Americas).[22] In 2021, there were 130,000 Orthodox Christians in Turkey (mainly adherents of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church).[23] In 2022, there was a large increase in the number of Eastern Orthodox Christians in Turkey to over 150,000 people; this included approximately 100,000 people escaping the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[24]

In 2010, there were 40 million Eastern Orthodox Christians in Africa, although 39 million of them lived in Ethiopia or Eritrea; in 2021 and 2022, the Russian Orthodox Church opened more than 200 parishes throughout the continent, and had plans to build a cathedral in Johannesburg.[25]

Recent[when?] immigration and missionary activity have raised[citation needed] the numbers of Eastern Orthodox adherents in traditionally Catholic and Protestant countries, including Australia, Austria, Germany, Italy, Spain, Canada and Switzerland, where they comprise roughly 2% of the population in each.[citation needed]

Eastern Orthodox population by country

[edit]
Eastern Orthodox population by country

There is no universal agreement on the number of members of the Eastern Orthodox Church in each country. Each study performed that seeks to discover the number of adherents in a country may use different criteria, and be submitted to different populations. As such, some numbers may be inflated, and therefore inaccurate. Examples of this are Greece and Russia, where estimates of adherence to Eastern Orthodoxy may reach 80–98%, but where surveys found lower percentages professing Eastern Orthodoxy or belief in God. The likely reason for this disparity is that many people in majority Eastern Orthodox countries will culturally identify with the Eastern Orthodox Church, especially if they were baptized as children, even if they are not currently practicing. This includes those who may be irreligious, yet culturally identify with the Eastern Orthodox Church, or for whom Eastern Orthodox Christianity is listed on official state records. Other cases of incongruent data also might be due to counting ethnic groups from Eastern Orthodox countries rather than actual adherents. For example, the Eastern Orthodox jurisdictions in the United States, which has large numbers of immigrants from Eastern Orthodox countries, have collectively reported a total of 2–3 million across the country.[citation needed]

However, a 2010 study by Alexei Krindatch sought data from each parish, with the specific criteria of annual participation, discovering that there were only about 817,000 Eastern Orthodox Christians actively practicing their faith (i.e., attending church services on a regular basis) in the United States. The study explained that such a difference was due to a variety of circumstances, for example the higher numbers having counted all people who self-identify as Eastern Orthodox on a census regardless of active participation, or all people belonging to ethnic groups originating in Eastern Orthodox countries. This study, while initially controversial, proved groundbreaking, and has since been officially approved for use by the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America.[citation needed]

Country Total population % Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodox total
Albania (details) 2,621,977 7.22%[B] 173,645[B][26]
Armenia (details) 3,018,854 0.25% 7,587[27]
Australia (details) 23,824,600 2.6% 563,100[28]
Austria (details) 8,773,000 6% 500,000
Azerbaijan (details) 9,624,900 2.5% 240,000
Belarus (details) 9,349,645 83.3%[29] 7,788,254
Bosnia and Herzegovina (details) 3,502,227 31%[10] 1,086,733
Brazil (details) 210,147,125 0.064% 135,000
Bulgaria (details) 6,445,481[30] 63.5%[31] 4,091,780
Canada (details) 33,476,688 1.7% 550,690[32]
China (details) 1,386,000,000 0.001% 15,000
Croatia (details) 4,284,889 4.44%[33] 195,969
Cyprus (details) 838,897 89.1%[10] 781,900
Czech Republic (details) 10,538,275 0.2% 20,533
Egypt (details) 105,000,000 0.3% 350,000[34]
Estonia (details) 1,294,486 13.66% 176,773[35][36]
France (details) 67,150,000 1% 500,000–700,000[37]
Fiji (details) 912,241 0.02% 200+[38]
Finland (details) 5,477,359 1.1%[39] 70,000
Georgia (details) 3,713,804 83.4% 3,097,312
Germany (details) 84,270,625 3.56% 3,000,000[40]
Greece (details) 10,423,054 90%[41] 9,380,749
Grenada (details) 107,317 0.1% 100[42]
Guatemala (details) 17,263,239 3% 200,000–550,000
Israel (details) 9,010,050[10] 0.67%[10] 100,000
Italy (details) 60,795,612 1.5% 900,000[43]
Japan (details) 126,226,568 0.02% 20,000[44]
Jordan (details) 9,531,712 2–4.5% 150,000–350,000
Kazakhstan (details) 17,948,816 23.9% 4,300,000[16]
Korea, South (details) 51,413,925 0.01% 6,000
Kosovo* (details) 1,433,842 1.5%[A] 25,837[C]
Kyrgyzstan (details) 5,895,100 17%[45] 1,000,000
Latvia (details) 2,027,000 17.9% 370,000[46]
Lebanon (details) 4,525,247 9% 330,000
Lithuania (details) 2,966,954 4.2% 125,189[47]
Madagascar (details) 26,262,313 0.06% 15,000[48]
Mexico (details) 121,736,809 0.01% 15,000
Moldova (details) 3,383,332 93.3% 3,158,015[49]
Montenegro (details) 629,320 81% 509,749[50]
New Zealand (details) 4,599,327 0.3% 13,883[16]
North Macedonia (details) 2,022,547 69.8% 1,610,184[51]
Norway (details) 5,328,212 0.41% 21,993[52]
Palestine (details) 4,550,368 2.5%[18] 100,000
Philippines 109,035,343[53] 0.002% 2,500[54]
Poland (details) 38,386,000 1.4% 504,400[55]
Romania (details) 20,121,641 81.1% 16,321,389[56]
Russia (details)[57] 145,500,000 61.8%[7][58]-72%[59][60] 101,450,000[60]–104,000,000[61][62]
Serbia (details) 7,237,375 84% 6,079,395[63]
Slovakia (details) 5,397,036 0.9% 49,133[64]
Slovenia (details) 2,055,496 2.2% 45,000
Spain (details) 46,464,053 3.1% 1,500,000
Sweden (details) 9,775,572 1.5% 145,279[65]
 Switzerland (details) 8,211,700 1.7% 140,000[66]
Syria (details) 22,457,336 3.1% 700,000
Tajikistan (details) 8,208,000 2% 160,000
Transnistria (details) 505,153 91%[67] 460,000
Turkey (details) 84,277,439 0.02% 16,000[68]
Turkmenistan (details) 5,171,643 5.3%[69] 270,000
Ukraine (details) 40,000,000 65.4–76.6%[9] 27,802,000[8]–34,850,000[9]
United States (details) 321,163,157 0.3% 1,043,850[70]
United Kingdom (details) 67,886,011 0.7% 475,000
Uzbekistan (details) 29,559,100 5%[71] 1,000,000
TOTAL 3,331,625,296 4%[72] ~220 million[2]
A Unreliable census (boycotted by most Serbs).
B Unreliable census

Eastern Orthodox Church by jurisdiction

[edit]
Further information: Eastern Orthodox Church organization

Autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Churches

[edit]

The Eastern Orthodox Church is organized as a union of several autocephalous subdivisions, which are also called "Churches" (or, sometimes, "jurisdictions"). Some are associated with a specific country, while others are not. This table presents some known data regarding individual jurisdictions. "NA" means that data is not available.

Eastern Orthodox Church by jurisdiction
Jurisdiction Bishops Priests Monastics Monasteries Parishes
Constantinople 125 NA 1,800[Note 1] 142 648
Alexandria 41 NA NA NA NA
Antioch 36 NA NA NA NA
Jerusalem 20 NA NA NA NA
Russia 217 30,675 NA 807 30,142
Serbia 45 NA NA 286 3,100
Romania 53 15,068 7,605 359 15,717
Bulgaria 15 1,500 NA 120 2,600
Georgia 37 730 NA NA 600
Cyprus 16 NA NA 67 NA
Greece 101 10,000 3,541[73] 646[73] 9,146[74]
Poland 12 NA NA NA 400
Albania 6 135 NA 150 909
Czech Lands & Slovakia 6 NA NA NA 172
Orthodox Church in America 50 2700 NA 100 1200
Ukraine NA NA NA NA 7,000[75][76]
North Macedonia NA NA NA NA NA
Total 743 54,382 12,946 2,256 61,939

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ This is including Mount Athos

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Fairchild, Mary (17 March 2017). "Eastern Orthodox Denomination". ThoughtCo. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
  2. ^ a b Brien, Joanne O.; Palmer, Martin (2007). The Atlas of Religion. Univ of California Press. p. 22. ISBN 978-0-520-24917-2. There are over 220 million Orthodox Christians worldwide.
  3. ^ "BBC - Religions - Christianity: Eastern Orthodox Church". www.bbc.co.uk.
  4. ^ Jay Diamond, Larry. Plattner, Marc F. and Costopoulos, Philip J. World Religions and Democracy. 2005, page 119.(also in PDF file Archived 2008-04-13 at the Wayback Machine, p. 49), saying "Not only do Protestants presently constitute 13 percent of the world's population—about 800 million people - but since 1900 Protestantism has spread rapidly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America." "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 25, 2009. Retrieved 2013-07-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. ^ Major Branches of Religions[usurped]
  6. ^ "Eastern Orthodoxy by County". World Population Review. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  7. ^ a b "Русская православная церковь" (in Russian). Фонд Общественное Мнение, ФОМ (Public Opinion Foundation). 2 May 2024. Archived from the original on 16 May 2024. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  8. ^ a b РЕЛІГІЯ, ЦЕРКВА, СУСПІЛЬСТВО І ДЕРЖАВА: ДВА РОКИ ПІСЛЯ МАЙДАНУ (Religion, Church, Society and State: Two Years after Maidan) Archived 2017-04-22 at the Wayback Machine, 2016 report by Razumkov Center in collaboration with the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches. pp. 27-29.
  9. ^ a b c "Pewforum: Christianity (2010)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-08-05. Retrieved 2014-05-14.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Field Listing :: Religions". The World Factbook. CIA. Archived from the original on June 13, 2007. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  11. ^ Religion and denominations in the Republic of Belarus by the Commissioner on Religions and Nationalities of the Republic of Belarus from November 2011
  12. ^ Religious Belief and National Belonging in Central and Eastern Europe: National and religious identities converge in a region once dominated by atheist regimes
  13. ^ National Statistical Institute (2022). "Population by Religious Denomination, Statistical Regions and Districts as of 07/09/2021".
  14. ^ "Преброяване 2021: Етнокултурна характеристика на населението" [2021 Census: Ethnocultural characteristics of the population] (PDF). National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 November 2022.
  15. ^ Religion in Albania#Religious demography
  16. ^ a b c Table 28, 2013 Census Data - QuickStats About Culture and Identity - Tables.
  17. ^ Lebanon - International Religious Freedom Report 2010 U.S. Department of State. Retrieved on 14 February 2010.
  18. ^ a b The World Factbook
  19. ^ İçduygu, Ahmet; Toktaş, Şule; Ali Soner, B. (1 February 2008). "The politics of population in a nation-building process: emigration of non-Muslims from Turkey". Ethnic and Racial Studies. 31 (2): 358–389. doi:10.1080/01419870701491937. hdl:11729/308. S2CID 143541451.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  20. ^ Schaller, Dominik J; Zimmerer, Jürgen (2008). "Late Ottoman genocides: the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire and Young Turkish population and extermination policies - Introduction". Journal of Genocide Research. 10 (1): 7–14. doi:10.1080/14623520801950820. S2CID 71515470.
  21. ^ Chapter The refugees question in Greece (1821-1930) in "Θέματα Νεοελληνικής Ιστορίας", ΟΕΔΒ ("Topics from Modern Greek History"). 8th edition. Nikolaos Andriotis. 2008.
  22. ^ Quarterly, Middle East (2001). "'Editors' Introduction: Why a Special Issue?: Disappearing Christians of the Middle East" (PDF). Middle East Quarterly. Editors' Introduction. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
  23. ^ "2021 Report on International Religious Freedom: Turkey". US State Department. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  24. ^ "2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Turkey". US State Department. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  25. ^ Ray, Charles A. (October 15, 2024). "Russia's Influence in Africa: The Role of the Russian Orthodox Church". Foreign Policy Reserve Institute. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
  26. ^ "CENSI I POPULLSISË DHE BANESAVE NË SHQIPËRI 2023" (PDF). Retrieved 2024-07-10.
  27. ^ "Armenian Census 2011" (PDF) (in Armenian). p. 7. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  28. ^ "2071.0 - Reflecting a Nation: Stories from the 2011 Census, 2012–2013". Archived from the original on 2016-04-25. Retrieved 2015-07-08.
  29. ^ "Generations and Gender Survey, 2020 Belarus Wave 1". ggpsurvey.ined.fr. Archived from the original on 2022-10-16. Retrieved 2019-08-25.
  30. ^ "Population, total". United Nations. The World Bank. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  31. ^ "People and Society: Bulgaria – Religions". The World Factbook. CIA. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 13, 2007. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  32. ^ "The Daily - 2011 National Household Survey: Immigration, place of birth, citizenship, ethnic origin, visible minorities, language and religion". 8 May 2013.
  33. ^ "Naslovna". Archived from the original on 2020-10-20. Retrieved 2015-07-08.
  34. ^ "Egypt Religions & Peoples". Encyclopedia. LookLex. September 30, 2008. Archived from the original on 2011-02-01.
  35. ^ "PC0454: At least 15-Year-Old Persons by Religion, Sex, Age Group, Ethnic Nationality and County, 31 December 2011". Statistics Estonia. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  36. ^ "PHC 2011: over a quarter of the population are affiliated with a particular religion". Statistics Estonia. 29 April 2013. Archived from the original on 24 November 2017. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  37. ^ "France currently home to 500-700,000 Orthodox Christians and growing".
  38. ^ "Επίσκεψη στην Ορθόδοξη Ιεραποστολή στα νησιά Φίτζι (ΦΩΤΟΡΕΠΟΡΤΑΖ)". 29 September 2018.
  39. ^ "Population".
  40. ^ "Rund Drei Millionen Orthodoxe Christen Deutschland". 11 May 2022.
  41. ^ "Religious affiliation in central and eastern Europe". 10 May 2017.
  42. ^ "St. George's: Orthodox Community in Grenada to open New Mission Parish".
  43. ^ Caritas Dossier Immigrazione 2007 Archived November 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  44. ^ "Religions in Japan | PEW-GRF". Global Religious Futures Project. Archived from the original on 2022-02-08. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  45. ^ United States Department of State
  46. ^ "Tieslietu ministrija iesniegtie religisko organizaciju parskati par darbibu 2011. gada" (in Latvian). Archived from the original on 2012-11-26. Retrieved 2012-07-25.
  47. ^ Department of Statistics to the Government of the Republic of Lithuania. "Ethnicity, mother tongue and religion". Archived from the original on 2014-10-08.. 2013-03-15.
  48. ^ "Нищета и надежда православного Мадагаскара".
  49. ^ 2004 census
  50. ^ "Popis stanovništva, domacinstava i stanova u Crnoj Gori 2011. godine" [Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in Montenegro 2011] (PDF) (Press release) (in Serbo-Croatian and English). Statistical office, Montenegro. 12 July 2011. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  51. ^ http://www.stat.gov.mk/publikacii/knigaX.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  52. ^ "First Romanian Orthodox church in Norway consecrated".
  53. ^ "Population and Housing | Philippine Statistics Authority | Republic of the Philippines". psa.gov.ph. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  54. ^ Richters, Katja (2021-03-09). "A Rational Choice? Explaining the Growth of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Philippines". International Journal of Asian Christianity. 4 (1): 72–93. doi:10.1163/25424246-04010005. ISSN 2542-4246.
  55. ^ Główny Urząd Statystyczny, Mały Rocznik Statystyczny Polski 2016, Warszawa 2017, tab. 18(80), s. 115
  56. ^ 2011 Census Religion Statistics (final results) Archived 2020-08-07 at the Wayback Machine (in Romanian)
  57. ^ There is no official census of religion in Russia, and estimates are based on surveys only. In August 2012, ARENA determined that about 46.8% of Russians are Christians (including Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, and non-denominational), which is slightly less than an absolute 50%+ majority. However, later that year the Levada Center Archived 2012-12-31 at the Wayback Machine determined that 76% of Russians are Christians, and in June 2013 the Public Opinion Foundation website, How many Russians believe in God, go to church and pray their prayers? determined that 65% of Russians are Christians. These findings are in line with Pew's 2010 survey, which determined that 73.6% of Russians are Christians, with VTSIOM's 2010 survey (~77% Christian), and with Ipsos MORI Archived 2013-01-17 at the Wayback Machine's 2011 survey (69%).
  58. ^ "Русская православная церковь" (in Russian). Фонд Общественное Мнение, ФОМ (Public Opinion Foundation). 2 May 2024. Archived from the original on 3 May 2024. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  59. ^ VTSIOM
  60. ^ a b Public Opinion Foundation website, How many Russians believe in God, go to church and pray their prayers?
  61. ^ "Russia Fast Facts - Population, Flag, Visa, Religion".
  62. ^ "How Putin Uses Russian Orthodoxy to Grow His Empire". Archived from the original on November 3, 2019.
  63. ^ Etnokonfesionalni i jezički mozaik Srbije, 2011 (PDF) (in Serbian). Belgrade: Republički zavod za statistiku. 2015. p. 181. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  64. ^ "Table 14 Population by religion" (PDF). Statistical Office of the SR. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 14, 2012. Retrieved Jun 8, 2012.
  65. ^ https://www.myndighetensst.se/download/18.619a13c216d889e2bad4b1fa/1572609036593/The%20Religious%20landscape_La%CC%8Aguppl.pdf Archived 2020-09-21 at the Wayback Machine [bare URL PDF]
  66. ^ "Ständige Wohnbevölkerung ab 15 Jahren nach Religions- / Konfessionszugehörigkeit, 2011-2013". bfs.admin.ch (Statistics) (in German). Neuchâtel: Swiss Federal Statistical Office. 2015. Archived from the original (XLS) on 29 May 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
  67. ^ "World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples – Transnistria (unrecognised state): Overview". Refworld. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Archived from the original on 16 October 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2012.
  68. ^ "Rum Orthodox Christians". minorityrights.org. 5 February 2005. Archived from the original on 16 January 2015.
  69. ^ "Religions in Turkmenistan | PEW-GRF". www.globalreligiousfutures.org. Archived from the original on 2020-06-06. Retrieved 2020-06-06.
  70. ^ Krindatch, Alexei (2011). "Orthodox Christian Churches in the United States: 2010" (PDF). Atlas of American Orthodox Christian Churches. Brookline, MA: Holy Cross Orthodox Press. p. 143. ISBN 978-1-935317-23-4.
  71. ^ United States Department of State, U.S. Relations With Uzbekistan 2016
  72. ^ "Eastern Orthodoxy by Country 2024". worldpopulationreview.com. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  73. ^ a b "CNEWA - Church of Greece". Archived from the original on 2009-08-02. Retrieved 2013-07-03.
  74. ^ Apostolos Lakasas (6 January 2017). "Greece's many places of worship". www.ekathimerini.com. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  75. ^ "Epifaniy: Orthodox Church of Ukraine counts nearly 7,000 parishes and is open to other communities". risu.org.ua.
  76. ^ (in Ukrainian) In the CPC, the number of parishes and commented on the seizure of temples, Ukrayinska Pravda (21 December 2018)
Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 | Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Orthodoxy_by_country
44 views | Status: cached on August 16 2025 11:34:13
↧ Download as ZWI file
Encyclosphere.org EncycloReader is supported by the EncyclosphereKSF