back to Sierra Leone, Christianity
| Group | Where | Number of Adherents |
% of total pop. |
Number of congreg./ churches/ units |
Number of countries |
Year | Source | Quote/ Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints | Sierra Leone | 2,400 | - | 14 units |
- | 1995 | Deseret News 1997-98 Church Almanac. Deseret News: Salt Lake City, UT (1996), pg. 188-408. | "Year-end 1995: Est. population [of country]; Members, [number shown in '# of adherents' column to left] " |
| Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints | Sierra Leone | 2,652 | - | - | - | 1997 | "LDS in Africa: Growing Membership Sees American Church with Unique Vision, " Salt Lake Tribune, 4 April 1998. Reprinted in Sunstone (June 1998, pg. 71). | Map: Membership totals as of December 1997. |
| Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints | Sierra Leone | 2,700 | 0.05% | 14 units |
- | 1997 | Deseret News 1999-2000 Church Almanac. Deseret News: Salt Lake City, UT (1998), pg. 267-410. | Information from a variety of sources. Figures for year-end 1997. |
| Churches of Christ | Sierra Leone | 1,523 | 0.03% | 31 units |
- | 1995 | *LINK* official organization web site | table: "STATUS OF CHURCHES OF CHRIST IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA--1995 " (Campbellite) |
| Islam | Sierra Leone | 1,000,000 | 30.00% | - | - | 1978 | Welch, Alford T. "Islam " in Hinnells, John R. (ed). A Handbook of Living Religions, Penguin Books: New York (1991) [reprint; 1st published in 1984], pg. 164-165. [Original src: Weeks, R. (ed.), "Muslim Peoples: A World Ethnographic Survey " (1978).] | Table: "Approximate Muslim populations and percentages of total populations " |
| Islam | Sierra Leone | 3,000,000 | 65.00% | - | - | 1986 | *LINK* Web site: "Arabic Paper "; web page: "Muslim Countries of the World " (viewed 15 June 1999). [Written 1998.] | [NOTE: Unreliable statistical methodology.] "In 1986... Muslim Education Trust organization [U.K.] obtained... 1971 census & [info. from] Embassies of the respective countires... 1971 census showed the Independent Muslim countries pop. was around 784.5 Million. "; "...add (784.5M + 308M [minority Muslim countries]) = 1092.5 Million Muslims in 1971 "; Table shows country, "population " [number of Muslims in the country], & % Muslim. Total adds up to 896,080,000, so these figures are apparently intended to be estimates for 1986. |
| Islam | Sierra Leone | - | 39.00% | - | - | 1992 | Goring, Rosemary (ed). Larousse Dictionary of Beliefs & Religions (Larousse: 1994) pg. 581-584. | Table: "Population Distribution of Major Beliefs "; "Figures have been compiled from the most accurate recent available information and are in most cases correct to the nearest 1% " |
| Islam | Sierra Leone | 2,934,928 | 60.00% | - | - | 1997 | *LINK* CIA World Factbook web site (viewed Aug. 1998) | Total population: 4,891,546. Muslim 60%, indigenous beliefs 30%, Christian 10% |
| Islam | Sierra Leone | 1,380,000 | 30.00% | - | - | 1997 | Dostert, Pierre Etienne. Africa 1997 (The World Today Series). Harpers Ferry, West Virginia: Stryker-Post Publications (1997), pg. 62. | Estimates of % of population in principal religions, & est. 1997 total pop. |
| Islam | Sierra Leone | - | 60.00% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Nance Profiles web site; (viewed Aug. 1998; now restricted.) | Total population: 3.5 million. Muslims comprise 60% of the people. They are strong in the North West and parts of the coast. The Ahmadiy Muslim Mission is located in the country. |
| Islam | Sierra Leone | - | 60.00% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* web site: "Wholesome Words: Worldwide Missions " by Stephen Ross, "First Edition, 1998 "; [original sources: The World Book Encyclopedia, c1998.] | Table: "Major Muslim Countries of the World " |
| Islam | Sierra Leone | 2,457,900 | 43.00% | - | - | 2000 | K. F. Bin Mohd Noor. "Muslims Statistics... for Year 2000 " [orig. src: Barrett. World Christian Encyclopedia, 1982] | Table |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Sierra Leone | 709 | 0.02% | 32 units |
- | 1983 | Botting, Heather & Gary Botting. The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses. Toronto: University of Toronto Press (1984), pg. 53-59. | Table: "1983 Service Year Report of JWs Worldwide "; Adherent count here is from "1983 Peak Publishers " column |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Sierra Leone | 863 | 0.02% | 21 units |
- | 1997 | *LINK* official organization web site | Adherent/member count is for "1997 Peak Witnesses "; Memorial attendance (annual sacrament meeting) for same year: 3,616. |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Sierra Leone | 912 | 0.02% | 19 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* Jehovah's Witnesses official web site; section: "Statistics "; web page: "Worldwide Report " (viewed 16 April 1999). | Table: "1998 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide "; This adherent/member count is for "1998 Peak Witnesses " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Sierra Leone | 2,942 | - | 32 units |
- | 1983 | Botting, Heather & Gary Botting. The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses. Toronto: University of Toronto Press (1984), pg. 53-59. | Table: "1983 Service Year Report of JWs Worldwide "; Data from columns: "No. of congs. " and "Memorial attendance " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Sierra Leone | 3,616 | 0.08% | 21 units |
- | 1997 | *LINK* official organization web site | From 1997 Statistics "Memorial attendance " column. Count of all who attend this once-a-year meeting, whether or not a "publisher " in full standing. Most would be considered adherents. |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Sierra Leone | 2,486 | 0.06% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Jehovah's Witnesses official web site; section: "Statistics "; web page: "Worldwide Report " (viewed 16 April 1999). | Table: "1998 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide "; "Memorial attendance " column indicates attendance at yearly communion meeting. |
| Mende | Sierra Leone | - | - | - | 1 country |
1995 | Haskins, J. From Afar to Zulu>. New York: Walker Pub. (1995), pg. 191-7. | Table: Add'l African Cultures |
| Methodist | Sierra Leone | - | - | - | - | 1981 | Crim, Keith (ed.). The Perennial Dictionary of World Religions. San Francisco: Harper Collins (1989). Reprint; originally pub. as Abingdon Dictionary of Living Religions, 1981; pg. 478. | "[Methodist] Churches having more than 20,000 members are found in Angola, Congo, Dahomey-Togo, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone... " |
| Poro | Sierra Leone | - | - | - | - | 1985 | Davis, Wade. The Serpent and the Rainbow. New York: Simon & Schuster (1985), pg. 195. | "The Poro society of Sierra Leone, for example, left its mark on virtually every facet of Mende life, taking responsibility for tribal education, the regulation of sexual conduct, the supervision of political and economic affairs, as well as the operation of social services including recreation and medical care. " |
| Poro | Sierra Leone | - | - | - | - | 1985 | Davis, Wade. The Serpent and the Rainbow. New York: Simon & Schuster (1985), pg. 271. | "Poro: A secret society among the Mende of Sierra Leone. " |
| primal-indigenous | Sierra Leone | - | 52.00% | - | - | 1992 | Goring, Rosemary (ed). Larousse Dictionary of Beliefs & Religions (Larousse: 1994) pg. 581-584. | Table: "Population Distribution of Major Beliefs "; "Figures have been compiled from the most accurate recent available information and are in most cases correct to the nearest 1% "; Listed in table as "Traditional beliefs " |
| primal-indigenous | Sierra Leone | 1,390,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table; listed in table as "traditional beliefs " |
| primal-indigenous | Sierra Leone | 2,070,000 | 45.00% | - | - | 1997 | Dostert, Pierre Etienne. Africa 1997 (The World Today Series). Harpers Ferry, West Virginia: Stryker-Post Publications (1997), pg. 62. | Estimates of % of population in principal religions, & est. 1997 total pop. |
| primal-indigenous | Sierra Leone | - | 30.00% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Nance Profiles web site; (viewed Aug. 1998; now restricted.) | Total population: 3.5 million. The animists (30%) are strongest in the eastern part. |
| Protestant | Sierra Leone | - | 6.00% | - | - | 1992 | Goring, Rosemary (ed). Larousse Dictionary of Beliefs & Religions (Larousse: 1994) pg. 581-584. | Table: "Population Distribution of Major Beliefs "; "Figures have been compiled from the most accurate recent available information and are in most cases correct to the nearest 1% "; Protestant "includes all non-Roman Catholic denominations " |
| Sunni | Sierra Leone | - | 39.00% | - | - | 1992 | Goring, Rosemary (ed). Larousse Dictionary of Beliefs & Religions (Larousse: 1994) pg. 581-584. | Table: "Population Distribution of Major Beliefs "; "Figures have been compiled from the most accurate recent available information and are in most cases correct to the nearest 1% " |
| Sunni | Sierra Leone | 2,770,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table: "Religion ": Divided by nations, with 2 columns: "Religious affiliation " & "1996 pop. " [of that religion]. Based on best avail. figures, whether census data, membership figures or estimates by analysts, as % of est. 1996 midyear pop. |
| Teme | Sierra Leone | - | - | - | 1 country |
1995 | Haskins, J. From Afar to Zulu>. New York: Walker Pub. (1995), pg. 191-7. | Table: Add'l African Cultures |
| Vai | Sierra Leone | - | - | - | - | 1995 | Haskins, J. From Afar to Zulu>. New York: Walker Pub. (1995), pg. 191-7. | Table: Add'l African Cultures |
| Arya Samaj | Singapore | - | - | 1 unit |
- | 1998 | *LINK* official organization web site; web page: "Global Directory: Directory of Arya Samaj in Asia " (viewed 24 Jan. 1999) | counted listings in directory |
| Baptist World Alliance | Singapore | 5,937 | 0.17% | 30 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* Baptist World Alliance web site; page: "BWA Statistics " (viewed 31 March 1999). | "Figures are for BWA affiliated conventions/unions only (no independents included). "; Table with 3 columns: Country, "Churches ", & "Members "; "1997/1998 Totals "; [BWA stats. in individual countries are sum of figures for member bodies of BWA in the countries.]; [County population figures for 1998 from United Nations data available here.] |
| Buddhism | Singapore | 757,025 | 28.30% | - | - | 1989 | *LINK* Library of Congress Country Studies | 2,674,362 [total pop.] (1994). Buddhist, 28.3 percent |
| Buddhism | Singapore | - | 28.00% | - | - | 1992 | Goring, Rosemary (ed). Larousse Dictionary of Beliefs & Religions (Larousse: 1994) pg. 581-584. | Table: "Population Distribution of Major Beliefs "; "Figures have been compiled from the most accurate recent available information and are in most cases correct to the nearest 1% " |
| Buddhism | Singapore | - | 41.00% | - | - | 1998 | "The Only Way " in Christianity Today (Jan. 12, 1998), pg. 37. | Or again, Singapore is "pluralistic " since it is roughly 41% Buddhist, 18% Christian, 17% Muslim, 17% secularist, and 5% Hindu. |
| Buddhist-Taoist | Singapore | 1,642,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table: "Religion ": Divided by nations, with 2 columns: "Religious affiliation " & "1996 pop. " [of that religion]. Based on best avail. figures, whether census data, membership figures or estimates by analysts, as % of est. 1996 midyear pop. |
| Catholic | Singapore | 132,000 | 4.40% | 30 units |
- | 1995 | 1998 Catholic Almanac: Our Sunday Visitor: USA (1997), pg. 333-367. | Figures are as of Dec. 31, 1995. Number used for "congregations " is from number of Catholic parishes. |
| Catholic | Singapore | 147,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table: "Religion ": Divided by nations, with 2 columns: "Religious affiliation " & "1996 pop. " [of that religion]. Based on best avail. figures, whether census data, membership figures or estimates by analysts, as % of est. 1996 midyear pop. |
| Chinese | Singapore | - | 75.00% | - | - | 1996 | Knoke, William. Bold New World: The Essential Road Map to the Twenty-First Century. New York: Kodansha International (1996), pg. 199. Chapter 10: "The Global Tribes " | "Almost all of Hong Kong and much of Taiwan is Chinese; so are three-quarters of Singaporeans. " |
| Christianity | Singapore | 1,800,000 | 10.00% | - | - | 1981 | Crim, Keith (ed.). The Perennial Dictionary of World Religions. San Francisco: Harper Collins (1989). Reprint; originally pub. as Abingdon Dictionary of Living Religions, 1981; pg. 181. | "Singapore, three quarters Chinese in population, by the early 1980s was perhaps 10 percent Christian on a population base of eighteen million. Ninety-seven percent of the Christians are Chinese, among whom some are enormously wealthy and some are devoted to a persistent and wide-ranging evangelism. " |
| Christianity | Singapore | 500,225 | 18.70% | - | - | 1989 | *LINK* Library of Congress Country Studies | 2,674,362 [total pop.] (1994). Christian, 18.7 percent. Rapid growth of Christianity and decline of Chinese folk religion in 1980s. |
| Christianity | Singapore | - | 18.00% | - | - | 1998 | "The Only Way " in Christianity Today (Jan. 12, 1998), pg. 37. | Or again, Singapore is "pluralistic " since it is roughly 41% Buddhist, 18% Christian, 17% Muslim, 17% secularist, and 5% Hindu. |
| Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints | Singapore | 1,900 | 0.06% | 7 units |
- | 1995 | Deseret News 1997-98 Church Almanac. Deseret News: Salt Lake City, UT (1996), pg. 188-408. | "Year-end 1995: Est. population [of country]; Members, [number shown in '# of adherents' column to left] " |
| Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints | Singapore | 2,000 | 0.06% | 7 units |
- | 1997 | Deseret News 1999-2000 Church Almanac. Deseret News: Salt Lake City, UT (1998), pg. 267-410. | Information from a variety of sources. Figures for year-end 1997. |
| Council for World Mission | Singapore | 10,000 | 0.36% | 40 units |
- | 1999 | *LINK* Web site: "Council for World Mission "; web page: "Presbyterian Church in Singapore (PCS) " (viewed 31 May 1999). | "Presbyterian Church in Singapore (PCS)... Country information: Population (1994 United Nations estimate): 2.8 million... Church information:... Members/Congregations: 10,000/40. " [PCS is the only Council for World Missions church in Singapore] |
| Hinduism | Singapore | 131,075 | 4.90% | - | - | 1989 | *LINK* Library of Congress Country Studies | 2,674,362 [total pop.] (1994). Hindu, 4.9 percent |
| Hinduism | Singapore | - | 5.00% | - | - | 1992 | Goring, Rosemary (ed). Larousse Dictionary of Beliefs & Religions (Larousse: 1994) pg. 581-584. | Table: "Population Distribution of Major Beliefs "; "Figures have been compiled from the most accurate recent available information and are in most cases correct to the nearest 1% " |
| Hinduism | Singapore | 145,000 | - | - | - | 1994 | *LINK* "Global Dharma " in Hinduism Today International (Oct. 1994) | As Singapore readies to enter its 30th year of independence, it will do so with a new publication to serve its 145,000 Hindus. TDGK Trading is launching a Singapore Edition of Hinduism Today this month. |
| Hinduism | Singapore | 108,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table: "Religion ": Divided by nations, with 2 columns: "Religious affiliation " & "1996 pop. " [of that religion]. Based on best avail. figures, whether census data, membership figures or estimates by analysts, as % of est. 1996 midyear pop. |
| Hinduism | Singapore | - | 5.00% | - | - | 1998 | "The Only Way " in Christianity Today (Jan. 12, 1998), pg. 37. | Or again, Singapore is "pluralistic " since it is roughly 41% Buddhist, 18% Christian, 17% Muslim, 17% secularist, and 5% Hindu. |
| Islam | Singapore | 400,000 | 15.00% | - | - | 1978 | Welch, Alford T. "Islam " in Hinnells, John R. (ed). A Handbook of Living Religions, Penguin Books: New York (1991) [reprint; 1st published in 1984], pg. 164-165. [Original src: Weeks, R. (ed.), "Muslim Peoples: A World Ethnographic Survey " (1978).] | Table: "Approximate Muslim populations and percentages of total populations " |
| Islam | Singapore | 428,000 | 16.00% | - | - | 1989 | *LINK* Library of Congress Country Studies | 2,674,362 [total pop.] (1994). Islam, 16 percent |
| Islam | Singapore | - | 16.00% | - | - | 1992 | Goring, Rosemary (ed). Larousse Dictionary of Beliefs & Religions (Larousse: 1994) pg. 581-584. | Table: "Population Distribution of Major Beliefs "; "Figures have been compiled from the most accurate recent available information and are in most cases correct to the nearest 1% " |
| Islam | Singapore | 468,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table: "Religion ": Divided by nations, with 2 columns: "Religious affiliation " & "1996 pop. " [of that religion]. Based on best avail. figures, whether census data, membership figures or estimates by analysts, as % of est. 1996 midyear pop. |
| Islam | Singapore | - | 17.00% | - | - | 1998 | "The Only Way " in Christianity Today (Jan. 12, 1998), pg. 37. | Or again, Singapore is "pluralistic " since it is roughly 41% Buddhist, 18% Christian, 17% Muslim, 17% secularist, and 5% Hindu. |
| Islam | Singapore | 506,400 | 16.20% | - | - | 2000 | K. F. Bin Mohd Noor. "Muslims Statistics... for Year 2000 " [orig. src: Barrett. World Christian Encyclopedia, 1982] | Table |
| Judaism | Singapore | 300 | - | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Jewish Communities of the World web site (1998) | Table: World Jewry. "collected our data from from demographic and other academic studies, community reports, and up-dates in the general media... consulted with experts to verify findings before reaching our assessments and estimates. " |
| Mennonite Church | Singapore | 16 | - | 1 unit |
- | 1998 | *LINK* Mennonite World Conference web site. Directory 1998. Web page: "Asia/Pacific: Mennonite & Brethren in Christ Churches " | SINGAPORE... Mennonite Church (Singapore)... Members: 16; Congregations: 1 |
| Mennonite World Conference | Singapore | 16 | - | - | - | 1997 | *LINK* Mennonite World Conference web site; page: "Mennonite and Brethren in Christ World Membership Totals " (viewed 8 Aug. 1999). | Table: "Mennonite and Brethren in Christ World Membership Totals "; "based on the most recent data available... from 1996 or 1997... statistics indicate baptized members "; Dif. religious bodies: 1. |
| Methodist | Singapore | - | - | - | - | 1981 | Crim, Keith (ed.). The Perennial Dictionary of World Religions. San Francisco: Harper Collins (1989). Reprint; originally pub. as Abingdon Dictionary of Living Religions, 1981; pg. 478. | "[Methodist] Churches having more than 20,000 members are found in... India, Malaysia-Sinagpore, Korea, the Philippines... " |
| Nonreligious | Singapore | 470,800 | 17.60% | - | - | 1989 | *LINK* Library of Congress Country Studies | 2,674,362 [total pop.] (1994). no religion, 17.6 percent |
| Nonreligious | Singapore | - | 18.00% | - | - | 1992 | Goring, Rosemary (ed). Larousse Dictionary of Beliefs & Religions (Larousse: 1994) pg. 581-584. | Table: "Population Distribution of Major Beliefs "; "Figures have been compiled from the most accurate recent available information and are in most cases correct to the nearest 1% " |
| Nonreligious | Singapore | 426,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table: "Religion ": Divided by nations, with 2 columns: "Religious affiliation " & "1996 pop. " [of that religion]. Based on best avail. figures, whether census data, membership figures or estimates by analysts, as % of est. 1996 midyear pop. |
| Om Sakathi | Singapore | - | - | 1 unit |
- | 1997 | *LINK* official organization web site; web page: "Om Sakathi Organization " (viewed 26 Jan. 1999) | Table "Numbers of Registered Mandrams "; "Data for the year 1997 "; "Each Mandram has between eight and several thousand members. "; [also called "Adhiparasakthi Movement "] |
| other | Singapore | 16,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table; "other " = NOT Buddhist-Taoist, Islam, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Hinduism, nonreligious |
| Presbyterian Church in Singapore | Singapore | 10,000 | 0.36% | 40 units |
- | 1999 | *LINK* Web site: "Council for World Mission "; web page: "Presbyterian Church in Singapore (PCS) " (viewed 31 May 1999). | "Presbyterian Church in Singapore (PCS)... Country information: Population (1994 United Nations estimate): 2.8 million... Church information:... Members/Congregations: 10,000/40. " |
| Protestant | Singapore | 238,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table: "Religion ": Divided by nations, with 2 columns: "Religious affiliation " & "1996 pop. " [of that religion]. Based on best avail. figures, whether census data, membership figures or estimates by analysts, as % of est. 1996 midyear pop. |
| Protestant Reformed Churches in America | Singapore | - | - | 2 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* official organization web site of PRCA; web page: "Protestant Reformed Churches " (directory); (viewed 27 Feb. 1999); "Last modified, 17-Oct-1998 " | directory; Listed as a "sister church " |
| Ramakrishna Order | Singapore | - | - | 1 unit |
- | 1998 | *LINK* official organization web site | Counted from "Ramakrishna Order Centers in the West " list |
| Revival Fellowship | Singapore | - | - | 1 unit |
- | 1998 | *LINK* official organization web site | directory of assemblies (or contacts?). This is the number of listings in a particular country, but I'm not sure it can be taken as a count of congregations. |
| secular | Singapore | - | 17.00% | - | - | 1998 | "The Only Way " in Christianity Today (Jan. 12, 1998), pg. 37. | Or again, Singapore is "pluralistic " since it is roughly 41% Buddhist, 18% Christian, 17% Muslim, 17% secularist, and 5% Hindu. |
| Sikhism | Singapore | 20,000 | - | - | - | 1983 | *LINK* Nance Profiles web site (orig. source: 2/23/83 issue of GLOBAL PRAYER DIGEST); (viewed Aug. 1998; now restricted.) | Sikhs also moved to Malaysia. Today as many as 50,000 Sikhs live in the western part and to the south, in the city-country of Singapore, there are an estimated 20,000 more Sikhs. |
| Sikhism | Singapore | - | - | 12 units |
- | 1993 | O'Brien, J. & M. Palmer. The State of Religion Atlas. Simon & Schuster: New York (1993). Pg 30-31. | Map: Number of Sikh gurdwaras ( "a gurdwara is both a place of worship and community centre ") |
| Singapore Baptist Convention | Singapore | 5,937 | - | 30 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* Baptist World Alliance web site; page: "BWA Statistics " (viewed 31 March 1999). | "Figures are for BWA affiliated conventions/unions only (no independents included). "; Table with 3 columns: Country, "Churches ", & "Members "; "1997/1998 Totals " |