6 per cent more members outside the church

Central Jamaat Ahle-Sunnat in Greenland in Oslo.Photo: Gorm Kallestad / NTB scanpix

6 per cent increase in members outside the Norwegian Church

The number of members of religious and religious communities outside the Norwegian Church increased by 6 per cent from 2017 to 2018. Of these, half belong to other Christian communities (Roman Catholic etc) and a quarter is in a Muslim society.

 

From 2008 to 2018, the number of religious communities outside the Norwegian Church receiving public support increased by 56 per cent, according to Statistics Norway (SSB).

Of the Christian communities outside of the Norwegian (Protestant) Church, the Roman Catholic Church is by far the largest, with over 152,000 members in 2018.

Percentually, members of the religious and other belief communities outside of the Church of Norway is in order of affinity:

  • Christianity 54.2 per cent,
  • Islam 25.5 per cent
  • Philosophy of Life 14.5 per cent
  • Buddhism 3.1 per cent
  • Hinduism 1.6 per cent
  • Sikhism 0.6 per cent
  • other beliefs and life communities 0.3 per cent
  • Bahai 0.2 per cent
  • Judaism 0.1 per cent

The figures do, according to SSB, not include non-affiliates (Atheists and the like).

 

© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today