To Index| Group | Where | Number of Adherents |
% of total pop. |
Number of congreg./ churches/ units |
Number of countries |
Year | Source | Quote/ Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Orthodox | Ethiopia | - | 43.00% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Nazarene web site: Nazarene World Mission Society; (major source: Johnstone's Operation World) | Table "Religions " |
| Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus | Ethiopia | 1,625,994 | - | - | - | 1995 | *LINK* Evangelical Lutheran Church in America web site; web page: "January 25, 1996 News Releases " (viewed 9 July 1999). Story: "More than 60 Million Lutherans Worldwide " [96-01-003-FI] | List: "Lutheran Churches with more than 1/2 million members "; "Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (Ethiopia) 1,625,994 " |
| Ethiopian Jews | Ethiopia | 250,000 | - | - | - | 1905 | *LINK* web site: "Ethiopian Jewry Home Page " (1998); Article/web page: "The Last Jews in Ethiopia " by Larry Thompson. | "In the past, they comprised a sizable percentage of the population. Israeli Embassy officials cited to us estimates that Ethiopian Jews numbered from 160,000 to 250,000 in 1905. Their numbers declined as many Jews converted to Christianity, were absorbed into the Christian population, and lost their identity as Jews. " |
| Ethiopian Jews | Ethiopia | 25,000 | - | - | - | 1965 | Kaula, Edna Mason. The Land and People of Ethiopia (series: Portraits of the Nations Series). Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Co. (1965), pg. 23. | "Falashas are builders, thatchers, weavers, and expert potters. Their number is estimated to be twenty-five thousand. At one time Falashas are more numerous, but through the years they have been either conquered, killed, or absorbed into the Ethiopian culture. Their religion is a combination of paganism, Judaism, and Christianity. " |
| Ethiopian Jews | Ethiopia | - | - | - | - | 1970 | Cavendish, Richard (ed.). Man, Myth & Magic: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Supernatural (vol. 6). New York: Marshall Cavendish Corp. (1970), pg. 841. | "Among the Agaw tribes particular interest attaches to the Falasha, the indigenous Ethiopian Jews, who live according to the pre-Mosaic code of the Pentateuch in settled villages, fulfilling the despised roles of metalworkers and potters. " |
| Ethiopian Jews | Ethiopia | 28,000 | - | - | - | 1976 | Ross, Dan. Acts of Faith: A Journey to the Fringes of Jewish Identity. New York: St. Martin's Press (1982), pg. 145-146. | "Falashas... could be described as the most biblical of all Ethiopians. A rural people in the hills of northwest Ethiopia, their population is now estimated at twenty to twenty-five thousand--down somewhat from the twenty-eight thousand counted in a 1976 survey. All numbers are inexact because of the inaccessibility of their villages. " |
| Ethiopian Jews | Ethiopia | 30,000 | - | - | - | 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. 251. | "It is estimated that there are between twenty and thirty thousand Falasha present in Ethiopia, though official repression has made a more precise count impossible. " |
| Ethiopian Jews | Ethiopia | 25,000 | - | - | - | 1982 | Ross, Dan. Acts of Faith: A Journey to the Fringes of Jewish Identity. New York: St. Martin's Press (1982), pg. 145-146. | "Falashas... could be described as the most biblical of all Ethiopians. A rural people in the hills of northwest Ethiopia, their population is now estimated at twenty to twenty-five thousand--down somewhat from the twenty-eight thousand counted in a 1976 survey. All numbers are inexact because of the inaccessibility of their villages. " |
| Ethiopian Jews | Ethiopia | - | - | - | - | 1984 | Pankhurst, Richard. Let's Visit Ethiopia. London, UK: Burke Publishing Co. (1984), pg. 25-26. | "Judaism is represented in Ethiopia by the Falashas--sometimes refered to as the Black Jews of Africa... their influence later declied greatly, and today they number no more than fifteen thousand... There has also been a considerable amount of Falasha emigration in recent years, both to Israel and elsewhere. " |
| Ethiopian Jews | Ethiopia | - | - | - | - | 1985 | Bratvold, Gretchen (ed). Nigeria ...in Pictures (Visual Geography Series). Minneapolis, Minnesota: Lerner Publications Co. (1988), pg. 40, 43. | Pg. 40: "Ethiopia has 46 million people... "; Pg. 43: "In 1984 and 1985, about 8,000 Ethiopian Jews were airlifted to Israel from Sudan, where the Falasha had fled from Ethiopia's famine and wars. " |
| Ethiopian Jews | Ethiopia | 4,000 | 0.01% | - | - | 1988 | Fradin, Dennis Brindell. Ethiopia (series: Enchantment of the World). Chicago: Childrens Press (1988), pg. 88. | "The latest census says that Ethiopia's population is forty-two million... Ethiopia also has a few thousand Jewish people, the Falashas, who live mainly in the Gondar region in the northwest. " |
| Ethiopian Jews | Ethiopia | 14,000 | - | - | - | 1990 | Kertzer, Morris N. & Lawrence A. Hoffman. What is a Jew (New & Completely Revised Ed.); New York: Macmillan Publishing Co. (1993), pg. 9. | ".. in 1991, fourteen thousand Ethiopian Jews were saved by... 'Operation Solomon,' a thirty-six-hour airlift that rescued a Jewish community on the verge of extinction. " [Based on this, there must have been at least 14,000 Jews in Ethiopia prior to 1991. Other sources indicate today there are today very few left (around 500), so while 14,000 is a minimal figure, it probably accounted for the majority of Jews in Ethiopia at the time.] |
| Ethiopian Jews | Ethiopia | 12,500 | - | - | - | 1995 | Haskins, Jim & Joann Biondi. From Afar to Zulu: A Dictionary of African Cultures. New York: Walker Publishing Co. (1995), pg. 61-65. | "Falasha: Population: 25,000; Location: Northern Ethiopia, Israel... Today about half of the Falasha population resides in Israel... " |
| Ethiopian Jews | Ethiopia | 500 | - | - | - | 1997 | Breuilly, Elizabeth, et al. Religions of the World: The Illustrated Guide to Origins, Beliefs, Traditions & Festivals. Facts on File Inc.: New York, NY (1997). Pg. 41. | "There are now believed to be 500 Falashas [Ethiopian Jews] left in Ethiopia. " |
| Ethiopian Jews | Ethiopia | - | - | - | - | 1998 | Gall, Timothy L. (ed). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Culture & Daily Life: Vol. 1 - Africa. Cleveland, OH: Eastword Publications Development (1998), pg. 165. | "One cannot leave issues of religion [in Ethiopia] without mention of the Falasha, the Hebraic people of Ethiopia who practice an ancient, pre-Talmudic form of Judaism. From the 11th through the 13th century the Falasha formed a powerful political entity in the very high reaches of the Semien Mountains and for a period of time controlled the Abyssinian [Ethiopian] population. Because they were vanquished by the Abyssians at the end of the 13th century, they became landless... Because of the upheavals of famine and civil war... and because of high-level political manipulations and the massive airlift called Operation Solomon, the majority of Falasha people have migrated to Israel, their promised land. " |
| Ethiopian Jews | Ethiopia | 3,000 | - | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* web site: "Ethiopian Jewry Home Page " (1998); Article/web page: "The Last Jews in Ethiopia " by Larry Thompson. | "The Judaic - influenced population of Ethiopian can be divided into 3 groups: (1) Beta Israel.ΚΚ?Ethiopians who practiced Judaism. Most of the Beta Israel, with the exception of 2,500 - 3,000 people from lower Quara, are now in Israel. (2) Falas Mora... " |
| Ethiopian Jews | Ethiopia | 3,000 | - | - | - | 1999 | *LINK* Stack, Peggy Fletcher (compiler). "World View ", subtitle: "Ethiopians Arrive " in Salt Lake Tribune, June 26, 1999 (viewed online 26 June 1999). [Orig. source: Associated Press] | "Seventy-six Ethiopian Jews landed Tuesday in Israel in what officials say is the beginning of the end of a decade-long quest to seek a better life in Israel. Most of Ethiopia's Jews were brought to Israel in a series of dramatic airlifts that ended in 1991. But the 3,000 Jews from the remote region Quara were left behind, blocked by tribal feuds, war and bureaucracy. The group hopes to make it to Israel within the next four months. " |
| Ethiopian Jews - monastic | Ethiopia | 200 | - | - | - | 1899 | Ross, Dan. Acts of Faith: A Journey to the Fringes of Jewish Identity. New York: St. Martin's Press (1982), pg. 150. | "Falashas are the only Jews in the world with a monastic tradition... The cave where Abba Zabra lived became the largest Falasha monastary. Last century, 200 monks were said to be living there. " |
| Ethiopian Jews - monastic | Ethiopia | 6 | - | - | - | 1955 | Ross, Dan. Acts of Faith: A Journey to the Fringes of Jewish Identity. New York: St. Martin's Press (1982), pg. 150. | "Falashas are the only Jews in the world with a monastic tradition... The cave where Abba Zabra lived became the largest Falasha monastary. Last century, 200 monks were said to be living there. There are few--if any--monks left today. In the mid-1950s only a half-dozen were said to be left, none under 80 years old. " |
| Ethiopian Orthodox | Ethiopia | - | - | - | - | 200 C.E. | *LINK* Hexham, Irving. Concise Dictionary of Religion. Carol Stream, USA: InterVarsity Press (1994). (v. online 6 Oct. 1999) | "ETHIOPIAN CHURCH: the ancient CHRISTIAN CHURCH of Ethiopia which was founded by at least the third century and flourished for centuries as a genuine African expression of CHRISTIANITY cut off from contact with the West through ISLAM. " |
| Ethiopian Orthodox | Ethiopia | - | - | 200,000 units |
- | 1965 | Kaula, Edna Mason. The Land and People of Ethiopia (series: Portraits of the Nations Series). Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Co. (1965), pg. 21. | "The Ethiopian Orthodox Coptic Church is the established Empire church. In the regions where Christianity is practiced, every village, no matter how small, has its own round Coptic place of worship whose numbers believe themselves to be the 'chosen people.' Two hundred thousand priests administer to the needs of the congregations, which consist almost entirely of Amharic-Tigrai people. As a religion it is a curious blending of the Christian, Hebraic, and pagan. " |
| Ethiopian Orthodox | Ethiopia | - | - | 20,000 units |
- | 1970 | 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. 242-243. | "Ethiopic Church. Indigenous church in Ethiopia, until recently the established church... Until the fall of Emperor Haile Selassie (1974) this hierarchical church was involved with all aspects of political and family life. A quarter of the male Christian population performed some priestly functions... Priests administer the sacraments. Lay helpers chant, read, and teach in the schools. Large tracts of land were set aside for churches and monasteries. It has been estimated that until recently there were 20,000 churches in Ethiopia. " |
| Ethiopian Orthodox | Ethiopia | 8,000,000 | - | - | - | 1977 | Bishop, Peter & Michael Darton (editors). The Encyclopedia of World Faiths: An Illustrated Survey of the World's Living Faiths. New York: Facts on File Publications (1987), pg. 87. | "Until the Marxist takeover of the country in the late 1970s the Ethiopian Church was the state Church of Ethiopia and boasted some 8 million members. No revised figures of any accuracy have become available since the revolution, but it is thought that the numbers of the faithful have been greatly reduced through famine, disease and persecution. " |
| Ethiopian Orthodox | Ethiopia | 23,000,000 | 50.00% | - | - | 1988 | Bratvold, Gretchen (ed). Nigeria ...in Pictures (Visual Geography Series). Minneapolis, Minnesota: Lerner Publications Co. (1988), pg. 40, 42. | Pg. 40: "Ethiopia has 46 million people... "; Pg. 42: "Nearly half of the people of Ethiopia are members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, which belongs to the Monophysite... branch of Christianity. " |
| Ethiopian Orthodox | Ethiopia | 18,400,000 | 40.00% | - | - | 1988 | Bratvold, Gretchen (ed). Nigeria ...in Pictures (Visual Geography Series). Minneapolis, Minnesota: Lerner Publications Co. (1988), pg. 40, 43. | Pg. 40: "Ethiopia has 46 million people... "; Pg. 43: "About 40% of Ethiopians are Muslims, who live mostly in the lowland regions. Islam is practiced in its traditional form along the northern coast, which has been influenced by Arab populations across the Red Sea. In the interior, stretching southward toward Kenya and Somalia, religious practices become less formal, mainly because the lifestyle in these areas often make it difficult to follow Muslim rules. " |
| Ethiopian Orthodox | Ethiopia | 27,000,000 | 50.00% | - | - | 1992 | *LINK* Library of Congress Country Studies | Mid-1992 [total] population estimated at 54 million. About 50% of pop. Ethiopian Orthodox. About 2 percent Protestant and Roman Catholic combined. Approximately 40 percent adherents of Islam. Remainder indigenous religions. |
| Ethiopian Orthodox | Ethiopia | 29,880,000 | - | - | - | 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. |
| Ethiopian Orthodox | Ethiopia | 23,493,030 | 40.00% | - | - | 1997 | *LINK* CIA World Factbook web site (viewed Aug. 1998) | Muslim 45%-50%, Ethiopian Orthodox 35%-40%, animist 12%, other 3%-8%; Total Population: 58,732,577. |
| Ethiopian Orthodox | Ethiopia | 40,500,000 | 75.00% | - | - | 1997 | Dostert, Pierre Etienne. Africa 1997 (The World Today Series). Harpers Ferry, West Virginia: Stryker-Post Publications (1997), pg. 168. | Estimates of % of population in principal religions, & est. 1997 total pop. |
| Ethiopian Orthodox | Ethiopia | - | - | - | - | 1998 | Gall, Timothy L. (ed). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Culture & Daily Life: Vol. 1 - Africa. Cleveland, OH: Eastword Publications Development (1998), pg. 165. | "Ethiopian Coptic Christianity was adopted by the Abyssinian peoples (north central highland populations) in the 4th century. This religion has not changed very much in the almost 2,000 years it has been practiced by Ehtiopians of the highlands... Whereas Ethiopian Christianity is practiced by a minority of the total Ethiopian population, Islam is practiced by the great majority. " |
| Falas Mora | Ethiopia | 24,000 | - | - | - | 1992 | *LINK* web site: "Ethiopian Jewry Home Page " (1998); Article/web page: "The Last Jews in Ethiopia " by Larry Thompson. | "...size and location of the Falas Mora population. A 1992 census of the Falas Mora population in Ethiopia counted more than 24,000 people in 6,000 families... several thousand of these people have since immigrated to Israel " |
| Falas Mora | Ethiopia | 15,000 | - | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* web site: "Ethiopian Jewry Home Page " (1998); Article/web page: "The Last Jews in Ethiopia " by Larry Thompson. | "Estimates of the Falas Mora population in Ethiopia range upwards from 15,000. The known Falas Mora population is approximately as follows... Addis Ababa 8,000. Gonder 4,000. Chowit, Konzela, Alifa, and Takussa 2,000. Others, widely scattered 1,000. Total 15,000 " |
| Falas Mora | Ethiopia | 16,000 | - | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* web site: "Ethiopian Jewry Home Page " (1998); Article/web page: "The Last Jews in Ethiopia " by Larry Thompson. | "Abraham Neguise, leader of the Ethiopian advocacy organization, South Wing to Zion, estimates there are 16,000 Falas Mora in Ethiopia and about 2,000 Quara Jews. " |
| Galla | Ethiopia | - | - | - | - | 1995 | Haskins, J. From Afar to Zulu. New York: Walker Pub. (1995), pg. 191-7. | Table: Add'l African Cultures |
| Islam | Ethiopia | - | 50.00% | - | - | 1945 | Fradin, Dennis Brindell. Ethiopia (series: Enchantment of the World). Chicago: Childrens Press (1988), pg. 49. | "Many were angry that the Amhara, who comprised about 20% of the population, dominated political life. The Muslims, comprising almost half the population, were rarely appointed to government positions. " |
| Islam | Ethiopia | - | 35.00% | - | - | 1965 | Kaula, Edna Mason. The Land and People of Ethiopia (series: Portraits of the Nations Series). Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Co. (1965), pg. 21. | "Religion plays an enormous role in the lives of most Ethiopians... another source, which divides the practicing religions into 35% Orthodox Christian, 35% Muslim, 25% pagan, and 5% miscellaneous... Islam has its legion of followers in Ethiopia also, having made abortive attempts at conquest in both the tenth and the sixteenth centuries. Several thousand Moslems live in Ethiopia. As many more encircle the country except in the southwest, which is occupied by pagans. " |
| Islam | Ethiopia | - | 45.00% | - | - | 1970 | Cavendish, Richard (ed.). Man, Myth & Magic: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Supernatural (vol. 6). New York: Marshall Cavendish Corp. (1970), pg. 841. | "Ethiopia... Yet, although Christianity is the official religion, almost half the population is Moslem and considerable numbers of pagans thrive in isolated groups throughout the land. " |
| Islam | Ethiopia | 11,800,000 | 40.00% | - | - | 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 | Ethiopia | - | - | - | - | 1984 | Pankhurst, Richard. Let's Visit Ethiopia. London, UK: Burke Publishing Co. (1984), pg. 25. | "Islam, the second of the major religions in Ethiopia, made its first appearance at the time of the Prophet Muhammad, several of whose earliest followers found refuge at Aksum. Their faith has many adherents in modern Ethiopia, particularly towards the east, south and west of the country. " |
| Islam | Ethiopia | 27,000,000 | 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 | Ethiopia | 16,800,000 | 40.00% | - | - | 1988 | Fradin, Dennis Brindell. Ethiopia (series: Enchantment of the World). Chicago: Childrens Press (1988), pg. 88. | "The latest census says that Ethiopia's population is forty-two million... It is estimated that about 40% are Christians and about 40% are Muslims. " |
| Islam | Ethiopia | 23,400,000 | 45.00% | - | - | 1991 | Kurtz, Jane. Ethiopia: The Roof of the World (series: Discovering Our Heritage). New York: Dillon Press (1991), pg. 4, 33. | Pg. 4: "Population: 52,000,000 (1991) "; Pg. 33: "Perhaps 45% of the country's people are Muslims. " |
| Islam | Ethiopia | - | 31.00% | - | - | 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 | Ethiopia | 21,600,000 | 40.00% | - | - | 1992 | *LINK* Library of Congress Country Studies | Mid-1992 [total] population estimated at 54 million. About 50% of pop. Ethiopian Orthodox About 2 percent Protestant and Roman Catholic combined. Approximately 40 percent adherents of Islam. Remainder indigenous religions. |
| Islam | Ethiopia | 17,060,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table; Islam: Mostly Sunni |
| Islam | Ethiopia | 29,366,288 | 50.00% | - | - | 1997 | *LINK* CIA World Factbook web site (viewed Aug. 1998) | Muslim 45%-50%, Ethiopian Orthodox 35%-40%, animist 12%, other 3%-8%; Total Population: 58,732,577. |
| Islam | Ethiopia | 5,400,000 | 10.00% | - | - | 1997 | Dostert, Pierre Etienne. Africa 1997 (The World Today Series). Harpers Ferry, West Virginia: Stryker-Post Publications (1997), pg. 168. | Estimates of % of population in principal religions, & est. 1997 total pop. |
| Islam | Ethiopia | - | - | - | - | 1998 | Gall, Timothy L. (ed). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Culture & Daily Life: Vol. 1 - Africa. Cleveland, OH: Eastword Publications Development (1998), pg. 165. | "Location: Ethiopia; Population: 52 million "; "Whereas Ethiopian Christianity is practiced by a minority of the total Ethiopian population, Islam is practiced by the great majority. " |
| Islam | Ethiopia | - | 35.00% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Nazarene web site: Nazarene World Mission Society; (major source: Johnstone's Operation World) | Table "Religions " |
| Islam | Ethiopia | 17,280,000 | 32.20% | - | - | 2000 | K. F. Bin Mohd Noor. "Muslims Statistics... for Year 2000 " [orig. src: Barrett. World Christian Encyclopedia, 1982] | Table |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Ethiopia | 5,649 | 0.01% | 79 units |
- | 1997 | *LINK* official organization web site | Adherent/member count is for "1997 Peak Witnesses "; Memorial attendance (annual sacrament meeting) for same year: 15,716. |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Ethiopia | 6,021 | 0.01% | 93 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 | Ethiopia | 15,716 | 0.03% | 79 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 | Ethiopia | 15,293 | 0.03% | - | - | 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. |
| Judaism | Ethiopia | 32,000 | - | - | - | 1959 | Gilbert, Martin (ed.) The Illustrated Atlas of Jewish Civilization: 4,000 Years of Jewish History. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co. (1990), pg. 209. | "The Jewish community in Afghanistan numbered 32,000 before the 1960s... The Ethiopian community was about the same size as the one in Afghanistan. These black Jews -- called Falashas... " |
| Judaism | Ethiopia | 14,000 | - | - | - | 1990 | Kertzer, Morris N. & Lawrence A. Hoffman. What is a Jew (New & Completely Revised Ed.); New York: Macmillan Publishing Co. (1993), pg. 9. | ".. in 1991, fourteen thousand Ethiopian Jews were saved by... 'Operation Solomon,' a thirty-six-hour airlift that rescued a Jewish community on the verge of extinction. " [Based on this, there must have been at least 14,000 Jews in Ethiopia prior to 1991. Other sources indicate today there are today very few left (around 500), so while 14,000 is a minimal figure, it probably accounted for the majority of Jews in Ethiopia at the time.] |
| Judaism | Ethiopia | 500 | - | - | - | 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. " |
| Kale Heywet Church | Ethiopia | 1,500,000 | - | 3,500 units |
- | 1999 | *LINK* "Eastern Africa " in SIM NOW, Feb. 1999 (vol. #85); (viewed online 6 July 1999); SIM International web site. | "In 1974, the SIM-related congregations formed their own denomination called the Kale Heywet Church (KHC), which today numbers 3,500 congregations and 1.5 million baptized believers. " |
| Lutheran | Ethiopia | 1,625,994 | - | - | - | 1995 | *LINK* Evangelical Lutheran Church in America web site; web page: "January 25, 1996 News Releases " (viewed 9 July 1999). Story: "More than 60 Million Lutherans Worldwide " [96-01-003-FI] | List: "Countries with more than 1/2 million Lutherans " |
| Marya | Ethiopia | - | - | - | 1 country |
1995 | Haskins, J. From Afar to Zulu. New York: Walker Pub. (1995), pg. 191-7. | Table: Add'l African Cultures |
| Mennonite World Conference | Ethiopia | 57,011 | - | - | - | 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. |
| Mensa | Ethiopia | - | - | - | 1 country |
1995 | Haskins, J. From Afar to Zulu. New York: Walker Pub. (1995), pg. 191-7. | Table: Add'l African Cultures |
| Meserete Kristos Church | Ethiopia | 57,011 | - | 192 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* Mennonite World Conference web site. Directory 1998. Web page: "Africa: Mennonite & Brethren in Christ Churches " | "ETHIOPIA: Meserete Kristos Church; Members: 57,011; Congregations: 192 " |
| Monophysite Church | Ethiopia | - | - | - | - | 1970 | Cavendish, Richard (ed.). Man, Myth & Magic: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Supernatural (vol. 6). New York: Marshall Cavendish Corp. (1970), pg. 841. | "Ethiopia... The nation is made up of a wide variety of peoples, faiths and cultures; it is dominated by the Monophysite Church... to which the Emperor and most of the ruling class owe allegiance... Yet, although Christianity is the official religion, almost half the population is Moslem and considerable numbers of pagans thrive in isolated groups throughout the land. " |
| Oromo | Ethiopia | 16,800,000 | 40.00% | - | - | 1988 | Fradin, Dennis Brindell. Ethiopia (series: Enchantment of the World). Chicago: Childrens Press (1988), pg. 83. | "The Oromo people live mainly in the southern half of the country and are Ethiopia's largest [ethnic] group. The Oromos comprise as much as 40% of the population. Most of them are Muslims, but some are Christians and others worship their traditional god. Their language is called Afan Oromo. "; Pg. 88: "The latest census says that Ethiopia's population is forty-two million. " |
| Oromo | Ethiopia | 31,200,000 | 60.00% | - | - | 1991 | Kurtz, Jane. Ethiopia: The Roof of the World (series: Discovering Our Heritage). New York: Dillon Press (1991), pg. 4, 27. | Pg. 4: "Population: 52,000,000 (1991) "; Pg. 27: "The Oromo [ethnic group], about 60% of thepopulation, can be found in every Ethiopian province except two, but live mostly in central, southern, and southwestern Ethiopia. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Oromo groups began to fight their way onto the plateau, adopting their neighbors' customs wherever they settled. Those close to Muslim groups adopted Islam and those near the Ethiopian Christian communities adopted Orthodox Christianity... " |
| Oromo | Ethiopia | - | - | - | - | 1995 | Haskins, J. From Afar to Zulu. New York: Walker Pub. (1995), pg. 191-7. | Table: Add'l African Cultures |
| Oromo | Ethiopia | 22,140,000 | 41.00% | - | - | 1997 | Dostert, Pierre Etienne. Africa 1997 (The World Today Series). Harpers Ferry, West Virginia: Stryker-Post Publications (1997), pg. 168. | Estimates of % of population in ethnic (NOT religious) backgrounds, & est. 1997 total pop. |
| Orthodox (Eastern Christian) | Ethiopia | - | 35.00% | - | - | 1965 | Kaula, Edna Mason. The Land and People of Ethiopia (series: Portraits of the Nations Series). Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Co. (1965), pg. 21. | "Religion plays an enormous role in the lives of most Ethiopians... another source, which divides the practicing religions into 35% Orthodox Christian, 35% Muslim, 25% pagan, and 5% miscellaneous. " |
| other | Ethiopia | - | 5.00% | - | - | 1965 | Kaula, Edna Mason. The Land and People of Ethiopia (series: Portraits of the Nations Series). Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Co. (1965), pg. 21. | "Religion plays an enormous role in the lives of most Ethiopians... another source, which divides the practicing religions into 35% Orthodox Christian, 35% Muslim, 25% pagan, and 5% miscellaneous. " |
| other | Ethiopia | 2,760,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table; "other " = NOT Ethiopian Orthodox, Islam or primal-indigenous |
| primal-indigenous | Ethiopia | - | 25.00% | - | - | 1965 | Kaula, Edna Mason. The Land and People of Ethiopia (series: Portraits of the Nations Series). Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Co. (1965), pg. 21. | "Religion plays an enormous role in the lives of most Ethiopians... another source, which divides the practicing religions into 35% Orthodox Christian, 35% Muslim, 25% pagan, and 5% miscellaneous... Paganism, now confined to the lowlands of west and south Ethiopia, combines the practice of animism--the worship of inanimate objects--with a belief in a Supreme God who now rests since completing the creation of the world. Followers pay homage to spirits also, praying to the good, fearing the evil. " |
| primal-indigenous | Ethiopia | - | - | - | - | 1970 | Cavendish, Richard (ed.). Man, Myth & Magic: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Supernatural (vol. 6). New York: Marshall Cavendish Corp. (1970), pg. 841. | "Ethiopia... Yet, although Christianity is the official religion, almost half the population is Moslem and considerable numbers of pagans thrive in isolated groups throughout the land. " |
| primal-indigenous | Ethiopia | 6,900,000 | 15.00% | - | - | 1988 | Bratvold, Gretchen (ed). Nigeria ...in Pictures (Visual Geography Series). Minneapolis, Minnesota: Lerner Publications Co. (1988), pg. 40, 43. | Pg. 40: "Ethiopia has 46 million people... "; Pg. 43: "Traditional belief in the power of nature and of a natural life force is shared by about 15% of Ethiopians. Even those who support another faith, however, may combine elements of these ancient ideas into their own religious faith. " |
| primal-indigenous | Ethiopia | 8,400,000 | 20.00% | - | - | 1988 | Fradin, Dennis Brindell. Ethiopia (series: Enchantment of the World). Chicago: Childrens Press (1988), pg. 88. | "The latest census says that Ethiopia's population is forty-two million... It is estimated that about 40% are Christians and about 40% are Muslims. Several million Ethiopians are neither Christians or Muslims, but follow various traditional religions in which they worship their own god. Ethiopia also has a few thousand Jewish people... " |
