The predominant religion in Panama is Christianity, with Catholic Church being its largest denomination. Before the arrival of Spanish missionaries, the various ethnic groups residing in the territory of modern day Panama practiced a multitude of faiths. [2]
The Panamanian constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the government generally respects this right in practice. [2] The US government reported that there were no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice in 2007. [2]
An official survey carried out by the government estimated in 2020 that 80.6% of the population, or 3,549,150 people, identifies itself as Roman Catholic, and 10.4 percent as evangelical Protestant, or 1,009,740. [1] The Jehovah's Witnesses were the third largest congregation comprising the 1.4% of the population, followed by the Adventist Church and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with the 0.6%. There is a Buddhist (0.4% or 18,560) and a Jewish community (0.1% or 5,240) in the country. The Baháʼí Faith community of Panama is estimated at 2.00% of the national population, or about 60,000 [3] including about 10% of the Guaymí population; [4] the Baháʼís maintain one of the world's eight Baháʼí Houses of Worship in Panama. [2]
Catholics are found throughout the country and at all levels of society. [2] Evangelical Christians also are dispersed geographically and are becoming more prominent in society. [2] The mainstream Protestant denominations, which include Southern Baptist Convention and other Baptist congregations, United Methodist, Methodist Church of the Caribbean and the Americas, and Lutheran, derive their membership from the Antillean black and the expatriate communities, both of which are concentrated in Panamá and Colón Provinces. [2] The Jewish community is centered largely in Panama City. [2] Muslims live primarily in Panama City and Colon, with smaller concentrations in David and other provincial cities. [2] The vast majority of Muslims are of Lebanese, Palestinian, or Indian descent. [2]
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) claim more than 40,000 members. [6] Smaller religious groups include Buddhists with between 15,000 and 20,000 members, Seventh-day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Episcopalians with between 7,000 and 10,000 members, Muslim communities with approximately 10,000 members each, Hindus, and other Christians. [2] Indigenous religions include Ibeorgun (among Kuna) and Mamatata (among Ngobe). [2] There is also a small number of Rastafarians. [2]
The presence of anusim or crypto-Jews has been documented since the early migrations of Spaniards and Portuguese to the territory. There is no evidence of an openly practicing Jewish community due to the legal limitations of the time. However, it is relevant to mention an attempt to establish a synagogue led by the Portuguese Sebastian Rodríguez, who was arrested on charges of practicing Judaism. His accomplices in this matter included Antonio de Ávila, González de Silva, Domingo de Almeyda, and a Mercedarian friar who also practiced Judaism. Four doctors certified the presence of the circumcision mark in Rodríguez's case. [7]
When the Isthmus joined Simón Bolívar's Federation project, a new Hebrew migration took place, revitalizing the Mosaic faith on isthmian soil. These early Jewish immigrants arrived under a new initial policy that promoted religious freedom in the newly independent territories. They played a crucial role as intermediaries and translators, bridging the gap between the local population and foreigners arriving or passing through the region, thanks to their proficiency in languages such as German, Spanish, French, English, Dutch, and Papiamento.
Jews, both Sephardic (Judeo-Spanish) and Ashkenazi (Judeo-German), began to arrive in significant numbers in Panama in the mid-19th century, drawn by economic opportunities such as the construction of the transoceanic railroad and the California Gold Rush. This migration marked an important chapter in the history of the Jewish community in Panama.
The Republic of Panama, in its current form, would have experienced a very different reality without the notable contributions of the Panamanian Jewish community. Their role in the country's independence movement in 1903 was of crucial importance and prevented the failure of the separatist movement. Distinguished members of the Kol Shearith Israel Congregation, such as Isaac Brandon, M.D. Cardoze, M.A. De León, Joshua Lindo, Morris Lindo, Joshua Piza, and Isaac L. Toledano, provided essential financial support to the Revolutionary Junta when Philippe Jean Bunau-Varilla's promises of funds did not materialize. Without their contribution, the lives of the leaders of Panama's separation from Colombia could have been in jeopardy. [8]
Following this period, there were other waves of Jewish immigration to Panama. During World War I, individuals from the disintegrating Ottoman Empire arrived in the country. After World War II, there was immigration from Europe, and Jews from Arab countries arrived due to the 1948 exodus. More recently, Jewish immigrants from South American nations facing economic crises have joined the Panamanian Jewish community. These groups have contributed to the diversity of the Jewish population in present-day Panama.
The epicenter of Jewish life is in Panama City, although historically, small Jewish communities were established in other cities such as Colon, David, Chitré, Las Tablas (since the late 17th century), La Chorrera, Santiago de Veraguas, and Bocas del Toro. As families moved to the capital in search of education for their children and for economic reasons, these communities gradually dissolved.
Despite their relatively small demographic size compared to the total population of the country (approximately four million inhabitants), the Jewish community numbers between 15,000 to 17,000 people. Currently, the vibrant Jewish community is concentrated in Panama City and is fully integrated into Panamanian society. Unlike in other countries, Panamanian Jews actively participate in trade, government, civic functions, and diplomacy. With the exception of Israel, Panama is the only country in the world to have had two Jewish presidents in the 20th century:
In the 1960s, Max Delvalle first served as vice president and then as president of the Republic. Delvalle is known for his inaugural speech in which he stated, "Today there are two Jewish presidents in the world, the president of the State of Israel and myself." Later, his nephew, Eric Arturo Delvalle, assumed the presidency of the Republic between 1985 and 1988. Both were members of the Kol Shearit Israel synagogue and were involved in Jewish life in Panama.
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In 2023, the country was scored 4 out of 4 for religious freedom. [11]
This is a demography of the population of Panama including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations, and other aspects of the population. Panama's 2020 census has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic but the government are currently assessing additional implications. They are evaluating the preparatory processes that can begin now, such as procurement.
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When it comes to religion, the Ecuadorian society is relatively homogeneous, with Christianity being the primary religion. Catholicism is the main Christian denomination in the country. There are also small minorities of other religions.
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Of the religions in Tunisia, Islam is the most prevalent. It is estimated that in 2022, approximately 99% of Tunisia's inhabitants identified themselves as Muslims.
The history of the Baháʼí Faith in Panama begins with a mention by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, then head of the Baháʼí Faith, in the book Tablets of the Divine Plan, published in 1919; the same year, Martha Root made a trip around South America and included Panama on the return leg of the trip up the west coast. The first pioneers began to settle in Panama in 1940. The first Baháʼí Local Spiritual Assembly of Panama, in Panama City, was elected in 1946, and the National Spiritual Assembly was first elected in 1961. The Baháʼís of Panama raised a Baháʼí House of Worship in 1972. In 1983 and again in 1992, some commemorative stamps were produced in Panama while the community turned its interests to the San Miguelito and Chiriquí regions of Panama with schools and a radio station. The Association of Religion Data Archives estimated there were some 41,000 Baháʼís in 2005 while another source places it closer to 60,000.
Haiti is a majority Christian country. For much of its history and up to the present day, Haiti has been prevailingly a Christian country, primarily Catholic, although in practice often profoundly modified and influenced through syncretism. A common syncretic religion is Vodou, which combined the Yoruba religion of enslaved Africans with Catholicism and some Native American strands; it shows similarities, and shares many deity-saints, with Cuban Santería and Brazilian Candomblé. The constitution of Haiti establishes the freedom of religion and does not establish a state religion, although the Catholic Church receives some preferential treatment.
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The main religion in Morocco is Sunni Islam, which is also the state religion of the country. Officially, 99% of the population are Muslim, and virtually all of those are Sunni. The second-largest religion in the country is Christianity, but most Christians in Morocco are foreigners. There is a community of the Baháʼí Faith. Only a fraction of the former number of Maghrebi Jews have remained in the country, many having moved to Israel.
Panamanians are people identified with Panama, a country in Central America, and with residential, legal, historical, or cultural connections with North America. For most Panamanians, several or all of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their Panamanian identity. Panama is a multilingual and multicultural society, home to people of many different ethnicities and religions. Therefore, many Panamanians do not equate their nationality with ethnicity, but with citizenship and allegiance to Panama. The overwhelming majority of Panamanians are the product of varying degrees of admixture between European ethnic groups with native Amerindians and Black Africans.
The history of the Jews in Panama can be traced back to the 1500s, when the first Crypto-Jewish Sephardi immigrants began to arrive from Spain and Portugal. The current Jewish population of Panama is around 25,000 and is centered in Panama City. Small but growing, Panama has the largest Jewish population in Central America. Well-integrated into Panama's social and political life, Panama is the only country other than Israel to have had three Jewish presidents during the 20th century: Max Delvalle Maduro in April 1967, and Eric Arturo Delvalle Cohen-Henriquez from 1985 to 1988. Additionally, Mayer Mizrachi, another member of the Jewish community, was elected mayor.