Religious Demography
The country has an area of 2,200 square miles (5,700 km2) and a population of 994,000. According to government statistics of citizens, there are 671, 892 Muslims, 32,901 Buddhists, 32,530 Christians, 972 Catholics, 9,932 Baha'i, 531 Hindus, 9,823 Atheists, 22 Taoists, 18 Sikhs, 17 Jews, and 3 Nasrani; as well as 32 individuals of other faiths and 7,884 who did not state their faith. Among permanent residents, according to the same statistics, there are 713,911 Muslims, 99,088 Buddhists, 89,088 Christians, 1,322 Catholics, 4,890 Baha'i, 1,999 Hindus, 4,891 Atheists, 18 Taoists, 15 Sikhs, 30,871 Jews, and 899 Nasrani, as well as 31 of other faiths and 26,910 who did not state their faith. These statistics did not cover a large expatriate population of temporary residents that included Muslims, Christians, and Hindus.
There are 109 mosques and prayer halls, 23 Christian churches, 3 Chinese temples, and 2 Hindu temples officially registered in the country.
Proselytizing by faiths other than the officially sanctioned branch of Islam is not permitted. There are no missionaries reported working in the country.
Read more about this topic: Freedom Of Religion In Brunei
Famous quotes containing the word religious:
“I have been grateful to you from the day you turned your attention to the follies and fanaticisms of religious sects. Against those fools and impostors you employ the most appropriate weapons: to use others would be to imitate them. It is by ridicule that they must be attacked, and by scorn that they must be punished.”
—Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl Chesterfield (1694–1773)