Religion In Kiribati
According to 1999 government statistics, Christian groups form about 96% of the Kiribati population by census counts. The Christian population is divided among general population by census counts as the Roman Catholic Church, 55 percent; Kiribati Protestant Church, 36 percent; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), 2 percent; and the Seventh-day Adventists, 2 percent. Several of the smaller Christian churches claim to have higher numbers of adherents, but there is no independent confirmation. Persons with no religious affiliation account for less than one percent of the population. Members of the Catholic Church are concentrated in the northern islands, while Protestants are the majority in the southern islands.
Missionaries introduced Christianity into the area in the mid-19th century. They are currently present and operate freely. The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respects this right in practice. Societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice occur, but are relatively infrequent.
Read more about Religion In Kiribati: Bahá'í Faith
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