Afghanistan is a predominantly Muslim country, along with neighboring Pakistan, Tajikistan, Iran, Iraq and Turkmenistan, where more than 90 percent of the population practice Islam. Formulated in the 1860s, it holds that God lives in all of us and strives to convert society into a paradise on earth, populated by believers transformed into intelligent moral beings with a high social conscience. COUNTRIES WITH THE LOWEST NUMBER POPULATION OF UNAFFILIATED Which country has the lowest number population of Unaffiliated? Alawites are a closed, secretive religious group who assert they are Shia Muslims, although outside scholars speculate their beliefs may have a syncretic mix with other faiths originating in the Middle East. There are 17 currently active dioceses and eparchies in Iraq. Non-Muslims, mostly Assyrian Christians, make up 5% of the population. The oldest Protestant Christianities include Lutheranism, Calvinism (Presbyterians), and Anglican Christianity (Episcopalians), which have established liturgies, governing structure, and formal clergy. While there are extensive traditions of Jewish halakhic and theological discourse, there is no final dogmatic authority in the tradition. Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism are officially recognized and protected, and have reserved seats in the Iranian parliament. Shintoism - A native animist tradition of Japan, Shinto practice is based upon the premise that every being and object has its own spirit or kami. Sikhs follow the teachings of Nanak and nine subsequent gurus. Hinduism has many scriptures; the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Bhagavad-Gita are among some of the most important. The Catholics of Iraq follow several different rites, but most are members of the Chaldean Catholic Church. The Druze have a key presence in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. Factbook > Countries > Iraq > Demographics, note: while there has been voluntary relocation of many Christian families to northern Iraq, the overall Christian population has decreased at least 50% and perhaps as high as 90% since the fall of the SADDAM Husayn regime in 2003, according to US Embassy estimates, with many fleeing to Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon. Mormons have a hierarchical religious leadership structure, and actively proselytize their faith; they are located primarily in the Americas and in a number of other Western countries. Indeed, Iraq’s GDP posted a sharp contraction of 10.4% in 2020. Christians in Iraq. Today, Iraq is home to a population of around 40,194,216 people. According to The World Factbook Sunni Muslims constitute between 82.7 - 89.7% of the population, and Shia Muslims between 10 - 17%. Taoism encourages a principle of non-force, or wu-wei, as the means to live harmoniously with the Tao. In Afghanistan, other religions total less than 1 percent of the total population. In shaman-based religions, the shaman is also responsible for leading sacred rites. The exact proportion is uncertain but McDowall gives the percentage as 'approximately 75%', while Martin van Bruinessen estimates around two thirds or three quarters at least. It is primarily a form of polytheistic shamanism, but includes elements of animism and ancestor worship. Confucianism: an ideology that humans are perfectible through self-cultivation and self-creation; developed from teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius. The modern nation-state of Iraq was created following World War I from the Ottoman provinces of Baghdad, Basra, and Mosul. Adherents simultaneously worship Jesus Christ and Palauan goddesses. Judaism - One of the first known monotheistic religions, likely dating to between 2000-1500 B.C., Judaism is the native faith of the Jewish people, based upon the belief in a covenant of responsibility between a sole omnipotent creator God and Abraham, the patriarch of Judaism's Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh. The most common figures of devotion are the gods Vishnu, Shiva, and a mother goddess, Devi. Sunni Islam accounts for over 75% of the world's Muslim population. Iraq Table of Contents. Surveys by ABC News found between 47% and 51% of the country identifying as Shia between 2007 and 2009, and a Pew Research survey conducted in Iraq in late 2011 found that 51% of Iraqi Muslims said they were Shia (compared with 42% saying they were Sunni). Islam derives from the word submission, and obedience to God is a primary theme in this religion. A Sunni Muslim may elect to follow any one of these schools, as all are considered equally valid. The United States based its policy on Iraq on two primary so-called facts: 1. Baha'i revelation contends the prophets of major world religions reflect some truth or element of the divine, believes all were manifestations of God given to specific communities in specific times, and that Baha'u'llah is an additional prophet meant to call all humankind. Shinto practitioners worship several particular kamis, including the kamis of nature, and families often have shrines to their ancestors' kamis. Taoists believe the esoteric world is made up of a perfect harmonious balance and nature, while in the manifest world - particularly in the body - balance is distorted. Muslim (official) 95-98% (Shia 64-69%, Sunni 29-34%), Christian 1% (includes Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Assyrian Church of the East), other 1-4% (2015 est.) In order to live an Islamic life, believers must follow the five pillars, or tenets, of Islam, which are the testimony of faith (shahada), daily prayer (salah), giving alms (zakah), fasting during Ramadan (sawm), and the pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj). The official language in Iraq is Arabic, which is understood almost universally, although 10-15% of the population also speaks Kurdish (also used in official work). Kimbanguist: a puritan form of the Baptist denomination founded by Simon Kimbangu in the 1920s in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. In 2013, around 51% of the respondents said they trusted their religious leaders to a "great" or "moderate" extent. Jehovah's Witnesses structure their faith on the Christian Bible, but their rejection of the Trinity is distinct from mainstream Christianity. Growth was stymied by depressed global demand for oil and Iraq’s adherence to OPEC+ production cuts. It recognizes the Abu Bakr as the first caliph after Muhammad. Buddhism ascribes to a karmic system of rebirth. COUNTRIES WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER POPULATION OF UNAFFILIATED Which country has the highest number population of Unaffiliated?SUBREGIONS WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER POPULATION OF HINDUS Which subregion has the highest number population of Hindus?SUBREGIONS WITH THE HIGHEST PROPORTION OF FOLK RELIGION Which subregion has the highest proportion of Folk religion?SUBREGIONS WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER POPULATION OF UNAFFILIATED Which subregion has the highest number population of Unaffiliated?SUBREGIONS WITH THE HIGHEST PROPORTION OF HINDUS Which subregion has the highest proportion of Hindus?SUBREGIONS WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER POPULATION OF FOLK RELIGION Which subregion has the highest number population of Folk religion?COUNTRIES WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER POPULATION OF OTHER RELIGION Which country has the highest number population of Other religion?COUNTRIES WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER POPULATION OF HINDUS Which country has the highest number population of Hindus?COUNTRIES WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER POPULATION OF FOLK RELIGION Which country has the highest number population of Folk religion?SUBREGIONS WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER POPULATION OF OTHER RELIGION Which subregion has the highest number population of Other religion?SUBREGIONS WITH THE HIGHEST PROPORTION OF UNAFFILIATED Which subregion has the highest proportion of Unaffiliated?SUBREGIONS WITH THE HIGHEST PROPORTION OF OTHER RELIGION Which subregion has the highest proportion of Other religion? Islam - The third of the monotheistic Abrahamic faiths, Islam originated with the teachings of Muhammad in the 7th century. The Shia believe Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, Ali, was the only divinely ordained Imam (religious leader), while the Sunni maintain the first three caliphs after Muhammad were also legitimate authorities. It is supranational, and recognizes a hierarchical structure with the Pope, or Bishop of Rome, as its head, located at the Vatican. Protestant Christianity: Protestant Christianity originated in the 16th century as an attempt to reform Roman Catholicism's practices, dogma, and theology. Hindus may worship one or many deities, usually with prayer rituals within their own home. During ancient times, lands that now constitute Iraq were known as Mesopotamia. By proceeding to use this page you approve our Cookie policy. Its key beliefs center on a transcendent creator God, Ahura Mazda, and the concept of free will. Pagan is a blanket term used to describe many unconnected belief practices throughout history, usually in reference to religions outside of the Abrahamic category (monotheistic faiths like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). Shamanistic beliefs are organized around a shaman or medicine man who - as an intermediary between the human and spirit world - is believed to be able to heal the sick (by healing their souls), communicate with the spirit world, and help souls into the afterlife through the practice of entering a trance. 2. Orthodox churches are highly nationalist and ethnic. In Iraq, Sunni Islam is found among both Arabs and Kurds. Religion is deeply intertwined with daily life, government and politics of Iraq. Modern Judaism has three basic categories of faith: Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform/Liberal. Its non-oil economy has undergone a 9% contraction, with religious tourism and the service sectors suffering the most from COVID-induced lockdowns. Iraq population density is 93.7 people per square kilometer (242.7/mi 2) as of May 2021. Other religious minorities comprise the remaining 10 percent… According to the CIA World Factbook, Shias make up 58% of population, while Sunnis make up 37%. Baghdad was a hub of Islamic learning and scholarship for centuries and served as the capital of the Abbasids.Baghdad also is home to two prominent Shia Imams in what is known as Kadhimiya, Iraq.The city of Karbala has substantial prominence in Shia Islam as a result of the Battle of Karbala, fought in 10 October 680. The Sunnis are a 20 % minority. The few available survey measures of religious identity in Iraq suggest that about half the country is Shia. Mahayana Buddhism, including subsets Zen and Tibetan (Lamaistic) Buddhism: Forms of Mahayana Buddhism are common in East Asia and Tibet, and parts of the West. Atheism: the belief that there are no deities of any kind. COUNTRIES WITH THE HIGHEST PROPORTION OF BUDDHISTS Which country has the highest proportion of Buddhists? Reported estimates from Christian leaders of the Christian population in 2003 ranged from 800,000 to 1.4 million. Santeria: practiced in Cuba, the merging of the Yoruba religion of Nigeria with Roman Catholicism and native Indian traditions. Mormonism (including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints): Originating in 1830 in the United States under Joseph Smith, Mormonism is not characterized as a form of Protestant Christianity because it claims additional revealed Christian scriptures after the Hebrew Bible and New Testament. Iraq, country of southwestern Asia. A majority of Shia are known as "Twelvers," because they believe that the 11 familial successor imams after Muhammad culminate in a 12th Imam (al-Mahdi) who is hidden in the world and will reappear at its end to redeem the righteous. Hoa Hao: a minority tradition of Buddhism practiced in Vietnam that stresses lay participation, primarily by peasant farmers; it eschews expensive ceremonies and temples and relocates the primary practices into the home. Their scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib - also known as the Adi Granth - is considered the living Guru, or final authority of Sikh faith and theology. Local communities have their own religious leadership. Sikhism emphasizes equality of humankind and disavows caste, class, or gender discrimination. Baha'i - Founded by Mirza Husayn-Ali (known as Baha'u'llah) in Iran in 1852, Baha'i faith emphasizes monotheism and believes in one eternal transcendent God. It emphasizes compassion for all living things, seeks liberation of the human soul from reincarnation through enlightenment, and values personal responsibility due to the belief in the immediate consequences of one's behavior. Buddhism - Religion or philosophy inspired by the 5th century B.C. Voodoo/Vodun: a form of spirit and ancestor worship combined with some Christian faiths, especially Catholicism. The capital city is Baghdad. Orthodox Christianity: The oldest established eastern form of Christianity, the Holy Orthodox Church, has a ceremonial head in the Bishop of Constantinople (Istanbul), also known as a Patriarch, but its various regional forms (e.g., Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Serbian Orthodox, Ukrainian Orthodox) are autocephalous (independent of Constantinople's authority, and have their own Patriarchs). Druze faith: A highly secretive tradition and a closed community that derives from the Ismaili sect of Islam; its core beliefs are thought to emphasize a combination of Gnostic principles believing that the Fatimid caliph, al-Hakin, is the one who embodies the key aspects of goodness of the universe, which are, the intellect, the word, the soul, the preceder, and the follower. Iraq is an overwhelmingly Muslim country, with an estimated 97% of the population following Islam. Today, though a minority, Zoroastrians remain primarily in Iran, India (where they are known as Parsi), and Pakistan. They believe that a Kingdom of God, the Theocracy, will emerge following Armageddon and usher in a new earthly society. Iran - Iran - Religion: The vast majority of Iranians are Muslims of the Ithnā ʿAsharī, or Twelver, Shiʿi branch, which is the official state religion. Variants    Ismaili faith: A sect of Shia Islam, its adherents are also known as "Seveners," because they believe that the rightful seventh Imam in Islamic leadership was Isma'il, the elder son of Imam Jafar al-Sadiq. Religions > All: Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 9%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 2% 2006: Secularism and atheism > Population considering religion important: 82.5% Kirant: the belief system of the Kirat, a people who live mainly in the Himalayas of Nepal. Population: 31,670 Percentage: 0.1% Folk religion: Population: 0 Percentage: 0% Other religion: Population: 20,000 Percentage: 0.06% Traditional beliefs     Animism: the belief that non-human entities contain souls or spirits. Muslim > Muslim percentage of total population : … Today, that number is less than 250,000 — an eighty percent drop in less than two decades. Haitian and Louisiana Voodoo, which have included more Catholic practices, are separate from West African Vodun, which has retained a focus on spirit worship.Non-religious     Agnosticism: the belief that most things are unknowable. Adherents are required to evangelize and to follow a strict moral code. Confucianism has strongly influenced the culture and beliefs of East Asian countries, including China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Vietnam. COUNTRIES WITH THE SMALLEST PROPORTION OF HINDUS Which country has have the lowest proportion of Hindus. Eastern-Rite Churches, such as the Maronite Church and the Ukrainian Catholic Church, are in communion with Rome although they preserve their own worship traditions and their immediate hierarchy consists of clergy within their own rite. How big is the proportion of Folk religion in Iraq? Pope Francis is the first-ever pontiff to visit Iraq, where over 95% of the population is thought to be Muslim. Five percent of Iraq’s population does not identify as Muslim. Definition: This entry is an ordered listing of religions by adherents starting with the largest group and sometimes includes the percent of total population. Mahayanas have additional scriptures beyond the Pali Canon and believe the Buddha is eternal and still teaching. To get a better idea of the numerical population size statistics please consult the following list of the major world religions. Zoroastrianism - Originating from the teachings of Zoroaster in about the 9th or 10th century B.C., Zoroastrianism may be the oldest continuing creedal religion. In modern Islam, Sunnis and Shia continue to have different views of acceptable schools of Islamic jurisprudence, and who is a proper Islamic religious authority. Ismaili tradition awaits the return of the seventh Imam as the Mahdi, or Islamic messianic figure. In 2003, before the US invasion of Iraq, there were an estimated 1.2 million Christians living there. Divine revelation of principles and prohibitions in the Hebrew Scriptures form the basis of Jewish law, or halakhah, which is a key component of the faith. Shintoism has no fixed tradition of prayers or prescribed dogma, but is characterized by individual ritual. Religious Beliefs. Shia Islam represents 10-20% of Muslims worldwide, and its distinguishing feature is its reverence for Ali as an infallible, divinely inspired leader, and as the first Imam of the Muslim community after Muhammad. Afghanistan is an Islamic republic, in which most citizens follow Islam.As much as 90% of the population follow Sunni Islam. Buddhism focuses on the goal of spiritual enlightenment centered on an understanding of Gautama Buddha's Four Noble Truths on the nature of suffering, and on the Eightfold Path of spiritual and moral practice, to break the cycle of suffering of which we are a part. The vast majority of Iraqi Christians are indigenous Eastern Aramaic-speaking ethnic Assyrians who are the descendants of the inhabitants of ancient Assyria, and follow the Syriac Christian tradition. Respect for the kamis in nature is a key Shinto value. The Catholic Church has a comprehensive theological and moral doctrine specified for believers in its catechism, which makes it unique among most forms of Christianity. Small communities of Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians are also found throughout the country. Jainism - Originating in India, Jain spiritual philosophy believes in an eternal human soul, the eternal universe, and a principle of "the own nature of things." Hinduism - Originating in the Vedic civilization of India (second and first millennium B.C.