Religion in Lebanon

Religion in Lebanon (2023) ^[1]

1. Shiism (32.2%)
2. Sunnism (31.2%)
3. Alawism and Ismailism (0.60%)
4. Maronite (16.0%)
5. Greek Orthodoxy (7.62%)
6. Other Christians (6.86%)
7. Druze (5.50%)

Religion in Lebanon is characterized by a diversity of religious beliefs and practices. The main religious groups in the country are Shia Muslims, Sunni Muslims, Maronite Christians, and Greek Orthodox Christians.

Lebanon officially recognizes 18 religious communities or sects: Islam (Sunni, Shia, Alawites, and Isma'ili), Druze, Christianity (the Maronite Church, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, evangelical Protestantism, the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Armenian Catholic Church, the Latin Church, the Syriac Catholic Church, the Syriac Orthodox Church, the Assyrian Church of the East, the Chaldean Catholic Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church) and Judaism. ^[2]

Saint George Maronite Cathedral and the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque, Beirut.

View of the Saint George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Beirut.

Statistics quoted in 2023 indicate that 32.2% are Shia, 31.2% are Sunni, 16.0% are Maronite, 7.6% are Greek Orthodox, 5.5% are Druze. ^[1] The rest belong to other smaller Muslim and Christian denominations. ^[1] Besides Lebanese citizens in Lebanon, a large proportion of the country's population are displaced refugees, accounting for 2 million out of 6 million in 2024. ^[3] The refugees, who are mostly of Syrian or Palestinian origin, are predominantly Sunni Muslims, but include Christians and Shia Muslims. ^{[3] [4]}

Lebanon differs from other Middle East countries in that Muslims have become the majority more recently, after the Lebanese Civil War. Christians were once a majority inside Lebanon and are still an overwhelming majority in the Lebanese diaspora, which consists of nearly 14 million people. ^{[5] [6]}

Under the National Pact, the president of Lebanon must be a Maronite Christian, ^[7] the prime minister a Sunni Muslim, ^[8] and the speaker of parliament a Shia Muslim. ^[9]

Population by religious affiliation

No official census has been taken since 1932, reflecting the political sensitivity in Lebanon over confessional (i.e., religious) balance. ^[10] As a result, the religious affiliation of the Lebanese population is very difficult to establish with certainty and various sources are used to get the possible estimate of the population by religious affiliation.

In 2023, the United States Department of State cited a study conducted by Statistics Lebanon, a Beirut-based research firm, estimating Lebanon's population to be 69.3% Muslim (32.2% Shia; 31.2% Sunni; 5.5% Druze; 0.6% Alawites and Ismailis combined) and 30.5% Christian. ^[1] 52.5% of Christians are Maronite and 25% Greek Orthodox, and other Christian groups include Greek Catholics (Melkites), Armenian Orthodox, Armenian Catholics, Syriac Orthodox, Syriac Catholics, Assyrians, Chaldean Catholics, Copts, Protestants (including Presbyterians, Baptists, and Seventh-day Adventists), Roman (Latin) Catholics, and members of the Church of Jesus Christ. ^[1]

According to Pew Research Center data from 2020, 67.8% of Lebanon's population was Muslim, and 27.9% of the population was Christian. ^[11] Pew reported that the Muslim percentage increased at least 5 percentage points between 2010 and 2020. ^[12] In a report from 2009, Pew estimated the number of Shia muslims at 45-55% of all Lebanese muslims. ^[13]

Lebanon has small community of Hindus estimated in 2020 to be less than 10,000. ^[14] There is a very small and ancient community of Zoroastrians, numbering between 100 and 500 individuals. ^[15] Lebanon has a Jewish population estimated at less than 100. ^[1]

Lebanon's complex socio-political environment and history of conflict have heavily influenced these trends, with shifts in population numbers reflecting broader regional upheavals, such as the Syrian civil war, the Lebanese-Israeli conflicts, and internal economic and political struggles.

Geographical distribution of religion in Lebanon

Christians

A Christian Church and a Druze Khalwa in the Shuf Mountains: Historically, the Druzes and the Christians in the Shuf Mountains lived in complete harmony.

Main article: Christianity in Lebanon

Lebanese Christians form a large proportion of the total population, and they are divided into many branches, including Maronite, Eastern Orthodox, Melkite, and other communities. Lebanon used to be a Christian majority country a few decades back, making up over 60% of the population. ^[17]

Lebanese Maronites are concentrated in the northern parts of Greater Beirut, the northern part of Mount Lebanon Governorate, the southern part of North Governorate, parts of Beqaa Governorate and South Governorate. ^[18]

Lebanese Greek Orthodox are concentrated in north Beirut, as well as Lebanese North areas including Zgharta, Bsharri, Koura, and Batroun.

Lebanese Greek Catholics are found across the country but in particular in districts on the eastern slopes of the Lebanese mountain range and in Zahlé where they are a majority.^{[ citation needed ]}

Lebanese Protestants are concentrated mainly within the area of Beirut and Greater Beirut.

The other Lebanese Christians and non-native Christian communities are concentrated in similar areas like in east Beirut (northern parts of Greater Beirut), Mount Lebanon, Zahlé, and Jezzine.

Muslims

Main article: Islam in Lebanon

Lebanese Muslims form a large number of the total population, and they are divided into many sects, which include Sunnis, Shias, Alawites, and Ismailis.^{[ citation needed ]}

Lebanese Sunnis are mainly residents of the major cities: west Beirut, Tripoli, and Sidon. Sunnis are also present in rural areas, which include Akkar, Ikleem al Kharoub, and the western Beqaa Valley.^{[ citation needed ]}

Lebanese Shias are concentrated in Southern Lebanon, Baalbek District, Hermel District and the south Beirut (southern parts of Greater Beirut).

Druze

Main article: Lebanese Druze

Religious map of Lebanon by municipality according to municipal elections data

The Druze are located in the areas known as the Matn, Gharb, Chouf, Wadi-al Taym, Beirut and its suburbs, and the Druze make up the majority in cities like Aley, Choueifat, Rashaya, Ras el-Matn and Baakleen.

Jews

Main article: History of the Jews in Lebanon

Estimated distribution of main religious groups, 1985, by the CIA ^{[ citation needed ]}

Lebanon religious groups distribution^{[ citation needed ]}

Maps of religion distribution in Lebanon

The demographic landscape of the Lebanese Jewish community has experienced profound shifts, particularly after the 1967 War. This period of conflict, along with escalating political and sectarian tensions, catalyzed a mass emigration. From an initial population of approximately 5,200 in 1948, which grew to 14,000 by 1958, the community entered a period of rapid decline throughout the 1960s. Estimates by 1970 showed a reduced population between 5,000 and 6,000. Today, fewer than 50 Jews remain in Lebanon, illustrating a stark reduction from its mid-20th-century figures. ^[19]

The majority of the remaining Jewish population is concentrated in Beirut. The Jewish community was traditionally located in Wadi Abu Jamil and Ras Beirut, with other communities in Chouf, Deir al-Qamar, Aley, Bhamdoun, and Hasbaya. ^[20]

Religion and society

Religion and politics

Taymur Jumblatt visits Eastern Orthodox Christian religious leaders.

The Maronite Catholics and the Druze founded modern Lebanon in the early eighteenth century, through a governing and social system known as the "Maronite-Druze dualism" in the Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate. ^[21]

Religion plays a major role in politics. Some researchers describe the political system in Lebanon as "coming out of the womb of religion and politics". ^[22] After independence from France in 1943, the leaders of Lebanon agreed on the distribution of the political positions in the country according to religious affiliation, known as the National Pact. Under the terms of this agreement between the various political and religious leaders of Lebanon, the president of the country must be a Maronite, the prime minister must be a Sunni, and the speaker of Parliament must be a Shia. ^{[23] [24]} This has further sustained a power balance which has been founded on religious-sectarian values.

Many political parties are organized along sectarian lines and represent the interests of their respective religious communities. It is not rare to find the clergy involved in political activities, either as members or as leaders. ^[25]

Since Lebanon is a country that is ruled by a sectarian system, family matters such as marriage, divorce and inheritance are handled by the religious authorities representing a person's faith. The modern Lebanese state regulates the intersection between rights, sex, and kinship through the simultaneous application of civil and personal status law and through civil institutions that provide oversight over the legal system as a whole. ^[26] Calls for civil marriage are unanimously rejected by the religious authorities but civil marriages conducted in another country are recognized by Lebanese civil authorities. In the case of Lebanon, many Lebanese couples therefore conducted their civil marriage in Cyprus, which became a well-known destination for such instances. ^[27]

Overall, societal norms and family dynamics create significant obstacles for mixed-sect couples in Lebanon, impacting their relationships and the acceptance of their unions within their communities and families. ^[28]

Non-religion is not recognized by the state. However, following intense pressure and lobbying by the Civil Center for National Initiative, the Minister of the Interior Ziyad Baroud made it possible to have a citizen's religious sect removed from his identity card in 2009. ^{[29] [30]}

In April 2010, Laïque Pride, a secular group co-founded by feminist Yalda Younes, called for "an end to the country's deep-rooted sectarian system" and for a "secular Lebanon". Laïque Pride supports the enacting of a unified Civil Code for the Personal Status Law. ^[31]

On April 26, 2010, in response to Hizb ut-Tahrir's growing appeal in Beirut and demands to re-establish an Islamic caliphate, a Laïque Pride march was held in Beirut. Three days later, 70,000 gathered in Martyrs' Square, Beirut for a march organized by Laïque Pride.

In 2011, hundreds of protesters rallied in Beirut on 27 February in a Laïque Pride march, calling for reform of the country's confessional political system. At the same time, a peaceful sit-in took place in Sidon. ^[32]

In October 2019, and until August 2020, a series of civil protests ensued in Lebanon, now known as the 17 October Revolution condemning sectarian rule amongst a myriad of other issues plaguing their country. ^[33] Lina Khatib, a journalist for Al Jazeera, has labelled these protests as "cross-sectarian". She notes: "They are taking place across Lebanon, rather than only in Beirut. And they are demanding the fall of the government from the outset, while criticizing political leaders from every sect." ^[34]

Aspects

Religion plays a major role of many everyday lives in Lebanon. Rituals, worship, and other religious activities are very prominent in an individual's daily life; it is also a principal organizer of social life. ^[35] The degree of religiosity varies among individuals; in recent decades, religious households are becoming more connected through interreligious marriages. ^[36]

Sacred Sites and Pilgrimages

Our Lady of Mantara, a Melkite Greek Catholic Marian shrine, in Maghdouché, Lebanon.

Lebanon holds a historical significance in religious pilgrimages due its rich history of sacred sites admired by multiple faiths. Over the centuries, the shared religious sites have fostered a natural dialogue between the faithful from different religious communities. ^[37] In May 1997, pope John Paul II proclaimed Lebanon as the Holy Land for its place in the Bible and its sacred sites. ^[37]

Our Lady of Mantara is a Melkite Greek Catholic Marian shrine and sanctuary which is shared by many different religious communities. ^[37] The sanctuary is in the Maghdouché village of South Lebanon, which overlooks the city of Sidon and the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain-el-Hilweh. Saydet El Mantara attracts pilgrims from all over Lebanon and the world. For Christians and Muslims, the shrine is regarded as a miraculous and blessed site. ^[37] The Virgin of Maghdouche is visited particularly for eye problems, protection of children, and miracles are attributed to her like protecting the village from invaders and enemies. ^[37] She is called ‘Umm el Kol’ (‘the mother of all’) who reaches out to all pilgrims from different denominations. ^[37]

Maqam Shamoun Al Safa (Arabic: مقام شمعون الصفا), a Shi'ite Islamic shrine and mosque, located in the Shamaa village, in Tyre District of the South Governorate, Lebanon.

The Maqâm of Shamoun Al Safa is a Shi’ite Islamic shrine and mosque located in the Shamaa village in Tyre district in southern Lebanon. The shrine was built or renovated by the Fatimids in 1097. ^[37] The shrine is dedicated to Shamoun Al Safa, identified as the apostle Peter who preached in the area in the 1st century. ^[37] He is considered as a saint by the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches under the name of Saint Peter, but also under the name of Shamoun El Safa by followers of Islam. ^[38] On 15 November 2024, the shrine was heavily damaged during the 2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon. ^[38]

Figures

Saint Sharbel Makhlouf

Saint Sharbel Makhlouf (1828-1898), born as Yousef Antoun Makhlouf, in the village of Bkaakafra (North Lebanon). Saint Sharbal belonged to the Maronite community. He became Lebanon's first saint canonized by the Roman Catholic Church in 1977. ^[39] There are little to no sources authored by himself; his younger life is lightly documented. ^[39] Makhlouf was the youngest in a family of five children. His family lived in a rural mountain village. ^[39] On 25 February 1950, his tomb was re-opened and his body remained still intact after 52 years. In the second investigation, files indicated that 2,200 miraculous events were recorded over a two-year period. ^[39] By 1955, the Monastery of Saint Maron received more than 300,000 letters and thousands of pilgrims visiting the site. ^[39] In December 2025, pope Leo XIV became the first pope to visit Saint Sharbel Makhlouf in the Mount Lebanon region. ^[40]

Freedom of religion

See also: Freedom of religion in Lebanon

According to Article 9 of the Lebanese Constitution, all religions and creeds are to be protected and the exercise of freedom of religion is to be guaranteed providing that the public order is not disturbed. In 2023 and 2024, Freedom House gave Lebanon a score of 3 out of 4 for freedom of religious expression. ^{[41] [42]}

An individual may change religions if the head of the religious group the person wishes to join approves of this change. Religion is encoded on national identity cards and noted on ikhraaj qaid (official registry) documents, and the Government complies with requests of citizens to change their civil records to reflect their new religious status. In Lebanon, proselytizing is not punishable by law in contrast to many countries in the Arab World. ^[43]

Unrecognized groups, such as Baháʼís, Buddhists, Hindus, and some evangelical denominations, may own property and assemble for worship without government interference. However, they are disadvantaged under the law because legally they may not marry, divorce, or inherit property in the country.^{[ citation needed ]}

Gallery

• 
  Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque in downtown Beirut
• 
  Saint George Eastern Orthodox Cathedral in downtown Beirut
• 
  Cathedral of Saint Elias and Saint Gregory the Illuminator in Beirut
• 
  Druze Prophet of Job Shrine
• 
  Maghen Abraham Synagogue in Wadi Abu Jamil, Beirut

See also

• Christianity in Lebanon
• Islam in Lebanon
• History of the Jews in Lebanon
• Secularism in Lebanon
• Irreligion in Lebanon
• Freedom of religion in Lebanon
• Freemasonry in Lebanon
• Demographics of Lebanon

References

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