Buddhism Governments where
Buddhism, either a specific form of it, or Buddhism as a whole, has been established as an official religion: •
Bhutan: The
Constitution of Bhutan defines
Tibetan Buddhism as the "spiritual heritage of Bhutan". The Constitution is based on
Buddhist philosophy. It also mandates that the
Druk Gyalpo (King) should appoint the
Je Khenpo and
Dratshang Lhentshog (The Commission for Monastic Affairs). •
Cambodia: The
Constitution declared
Theravada Buddhism as the official religion of the country. About 98% of Cambodia's population is Buddhist. •
Myanmar: Section 361 of the
Constitution states that "The Union recognizes the special position of
Theravada Buddhism as the faith professed by the great majority of the citizens of the Union." The 1961 State Religion Promotion and Support Act requires the government to teach Buddhist lessons in schools, to give priority to Buddhist
monasteries in founding of primary schools, to make
Uposatha days holidays during
Vassa months, to broadcast Buddhist sermons by State media on Uposatha days, and otherwise promote and support Buddhism as State Religion. •
Sri Lanka: The constitution of Sri Lanka states under Chapter II, Article 9, "The Republic of Sri Lanka shall give to Buddhism the foremost place and accordingly it shall be the duty of the State to protect and foster the
Buddha Sasana, while assuring to all religions the rights granted by Articles 10 and 14(1)(e)". In some countries, Buddhism is not recognized as a state religion, but holds special status: •
Thailand: Article 67 of the
Constitution of Thailand states: The State should support and protect Buddhism [...] In supporting and protecting Buddhism, [...] the State should promote and support education and dissemination of dharmic principles of Theravada Buddhism [...], and shall have measures and mechanisms to prevent Buddhism from being undermined in any form. The State should also encourage Buddhists to participate in implementing such measures or mechanisms. •
Laos: According to the
Constitution of Laos, Buddhism is given special privilege in the country. The state respects and protects all the lawful activities of Buddhism. •
Mongolia: The
Emblem of Mongolia has multiple Tibetan Buddhist symbols, including a
Wheel of Dharma, a lotus, and the
Three Jewels. The
Buddha's Birthday is also a
public holiday in Mongolia. Moreover, the
100 tögrög coin depicts Janraisig Temple, a
Tibetan Buddhist monastery, on its obverse. •
Kalmykia (
Russia): The Kalmyk local government supports
Tibetan Buddhism and also encourages Buddhist teachings and traditions. It also builds various Buddhist temples and sites. Various efforts are taken by the Government for the revival of Tibetan Buddhism in the republic.
Christianity The following states recognize some form of
Christianity as their state or official religion or recognize a special status for it (by denomination):
Non-denominational Christianity • : On 12 March 2025, Parliament voted to amend the
Constitution of Papua New Guinea to include in its
preamble the words "[We] acknowledge and declare God, the Father; Jesus Christ, the Son; and Holy Spirit, as our Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe and the source of our powers and authorities, delegated to the people and all persons within the geographical jurisdiction of Papua New Guinea." • : In June 2017, Parliament voted to amend the wording of Article1 of the constitution, thereby making Christianity the state religion. Part 1, Section (1)(3) reads "Samoa is a Christian nation founded on God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit." The status of the religion had previously only been mentioned in the preamble, which Prime Minister
Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi considered legally inadequate. • : The preamble to the
Zambian Constitution of 1991 declares Zambia to be "a Christian nation", while also guaranteeing freedom of religion.
Catholicism Jurisdictions where
Catholicism has been established as a state or official religion: • :
Article 75 of the Constitution of Costa Rica confirms that "The Catholic and Apostolic Religion is the religion of the State, which contributes to its maintenance, without preventing the free exercise in the Republic of other forms of worship that are not opposed to universal morality or good customs." • : It is an
elective,
theocratic (or
episcopal),
absolute monarchy ruled by the
Pope, who is also the
Vicar of Christ. The highest state functionaries are all
Catholic clergy of various national origins. It is the sovereign territory of the
Holy See () and the location of the Pope's official residence, referred to as the
Apostolic Palace. • : The
Constitution of Liechtenstein describes the Catholic Church as the state religion and enjoying "the full protection of the State". The constitution does however ensure that people of other faiths "shall be entitled to practice their creeds and to hold religious services to the extent consistent with morality and public order". • : Article 2 of the
Constitution of Malta declares that "the religion of Malta is the Catholic and Apostolic Religion". • : Article 9 of the
Constitution of Monaco describes the "Catholic, and
apostolic religion" as the religion of the state. Jurisdictions that give various degrees of recognition in their constitutions to Roman Catholicism without establishing it as the State religion: • : The
Constitution of Andorra allows the Roman Catholic Church to practice freely and openly, and keeps a special relationship between the Church and the government, based on tradition. It also recognizes the Church’s organizations as legal entities, according to their own rules.The government appoints the Roman Catholic Bishop of Urgell, based in Catalonia, Spain, as one of two heads of state, alongside the President of France. Following the revised Education Law of April 2022, the Constitution bans the use of conspicuous religious symbols in public schools and is an attempt to secularize public education. • : Article 2 of the
Constitution of Argentina explicitly states that the government supports the Roman Catholic Apostolic Faith, but the constitution does not establish a state religion. Before its 1994 amendment, the Constitution stated that the President of the Republic must be a Roman Catholic. • : Although Article 3 of the
Constitution of El Salvador states that "no restrictions shall be established that are based on differences of nationality, race, sex or religion", Article 26 states that the state recognizes the
Catholic Church and gives it legal preference. • : The
Constitution of Guatemala recognises the juridical personality of the
Catholic Church. Other churches, cults, entities, and associations of religious character will obtain the recognition of their juridical personality in accordance with the rules of their institution. • : The
Constitution of Italy does not establish a state religion, but recognizes the state and the Catholic Church as "independent and sovereign, each within its own sphere". The Constitution additionally reserves to the Catholic faith singular position in regard to the organization of worship, as opposed to all other confessions. • : The
Constitution of Panama recognizes Catholicism as "the religion of the majority" of citizens but does not designate it as the official state religion. • : The
Constitution of Paraguay recognizes the Catholic Church's role in the nation's
historical and
cultural formation. • : The
Constitution of Peru recognizes the Catholic Church as an important element in the
historical,
cultural, and moral formation of Peru and lends it its cooperation. • : The
Constitution of Poland states that "The relations between the Republic of Poland and the Roman Catholic Church shall be determined by international treaty concluded with the Holy See, and by statute." • : The
Constitution of Spain of 1978 abolished
Catholicism as the official state religion, while recognizing the role it plays in Spanish society. The State allocates the 0.7% of the personal income tax corresponding to taxpayers who express their will to support the Catholic Church. • : While the
Constitution of Timor-Leste enshrines the principles of
freedom of religion and
separation of church and state in Section 45 Comma 1, it also acknowledges "the participation of the Catholic Church in the process of national liberation" in its preamble (although this has no legal value).
Eastern Orthodoxy The jurisdictions below give various degrees of recognition in their constitutions to
Eastern Orthodoxy, but without establishing it as the state religion: • : The
Church of Greece is recognized by the Greek Constitution as the prevailing religion in Greece. However, this provision does not give exclusivity of worship to the Church of Greece, while all other religions are recognized as equal and may be practiced freely. • : In the Bulgarian Constitution, Eastern Orthodoxy is recognized as "the traditional religion" of the Bulgarian people, but the state itself remains secular. • : The
Constitution of Cyprus states: "The Autocephalous
Greek-Orthodox Church of Cyprus shall continue to have the exclusive right of regulating and administering its own internal affairs and property in accordance with the Holy Canons and its Charter in force for the time being and the Greek Communal Chamber shall not act inconsistently with such right." • : Both the
Finnish Orthodox Church and the
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland have judicial ties to the state, even if the Orthodox church has a minority status across the population. • : The
Georgian Orthodox Church has a constitutional agreement with the state, the constitution recognizing "the special role of the Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia in the history of Georgia and its independence from the state". (See also
Concordat of 2002)
Protestantism The following states recognize some form of
Protestantism as their state or official religion: ====
The Commonwealth==== =====
Anglicanism===== The Anglican
Church of England is the established church in England as well as all three of the
Crown Dependencies: • : The
Church of England is the established church in England, but not in the
United Kingdom as a whole. It is the only established Anglican church worldwide. The Anglican
Church in Wales, the
Scottish Episcopal Church and the
Church of Ireland are not established churches and they are independent of the Church of England. The
British monarch is the titular
Supreme Governor of the Church of England. The 26 most senior bishops in the Church of England are
Lords Spiritual and have seats in the
House of Lords of the
Parliament of the United Kingdom. • : The
Church of England is the established church in the
Bailiwick of Guernsey, and the leader of the Church of England in the territory is the
Dean of Guernsey. • : The
Church of England is the established church on the Isle of Man. The
Bishop of Sodor and Man is an
ex officio member of the
Legislative Council (the upper house of
Tynwald). • : The
Church of England is the established church in
Jersey, and the leader of the church on the island is the
Dean of Jersey, a non-voting member of the
States of Jersey.
Calvinism • : The
Church of Scotland is the
national church, but not of the United Kingdom as a whole. While it is the national church, it 'is not State controlled' and the monarch is not the 'supreme governor' as in the Church of England. The
Constitution of Tuvalu guarantees freedom of religion, including the freedom to practice, the freedom to change religion, the right not to receive religious instruction at school or to attend religious ceremonies at school, and the right not to "take an oath or make an affirmation that is contrary to his religion or belief". ====
Nordic countries====
Lutheranism Jurisdictions where a
Lutheran church has been fully or partially established as a state recognized religion include the
Nordic States. • : Section 4 of the
Constitution of Denmark confirms the
Church of Denmark as the established church. • : The
Church of the Faroe Islands is the state church of the
Faroe Islands, an
autonomous administrative division within the
Danish Realm. • : The Church of Denmark is the state church of
Greenland, an autonomous administrative division within the Danish Realm. • : The
Constitution of Iceland confirms the
Church of Iceland as the state church of Iceland. Jurisdictions that give various degrees of recognition in their constitutions to Lutheranism without establishing it as the state religion: • : The
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland has a special relationship with the Finnish state, its internal structure being described in a special law, the Church Act. The Church Act can be amended only by a decision of the synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church and subsequent ratification by the Parliament of Finland. The Church Act is protected by the Constitution of Finland and the state cannot change the Church Act without changing the constitution. The church has the power to tax its members. The state collects these taxes for the church, for a fee. On the other hand, the church is required to give a burial place for everyone in its graveyards. • : The
Church of Sweden was the state church of Sweden between 1527 (when King Gustav Vasa broke all ties with Rome) and 2000 when the state officially became secular. The Church does have a special relation to the Swedish state unlike any other religious organizations. For example, there is a special law that regulates certain aspects of the church and the members of the royal family are required to belong to it in order to have a claim to the line of succession. A majority of the population still belongs to the Church of Sweden.
Other/mixed • : The
Armenian Orthodox Church has a constitutional agreement with the
State: "The Republic of Armenia shall recognise the exclusive mission of the Armenian Orthodox Holy Church, as a national church, in the spiritual life of the Armenian people, in the development of their national culture and preservation of their national identity." • : The constitution of the Dominican Republic specifies that there is no state church and provides for freedom of religion and belief. A
concordat with the
Holy See designates Catholicism as the official religion and extends special privileges to the Catholic Church not granted to other religious groups. These include the legal recognition of church law, use of public funds to underwrite some church expenses, and complete exoneration from customs duties. • : While Catholicism has not been the state religion since 1987, a 19th-century
concordat with the
Holy See continues to confer preferential treatment to the
Catholic Church, in the form of stipends for clergy and financial support to churches and religious schools. The Catholic Church also retains the right to appoint certain amounts of clergy in Haiti without the government's consent. • : The preamble to the
Hungarian Constitution of 2011 describes Hungary as "part of Christian Europe" and acknowledges "the role of Christianity in preserving nationhood", while Article VII provides that "the State shall cooperate with the Churches for community goals." However, the constitution also guarantees freedom of religion and separation of church and state. • : The
Nicaraguan Constitution of 1987 states that the country has no official religion, but defines "Christian values" as one of the "principles of the Nicaraguan nation". • : Although Church and State are formally separate, the
Catholic Church in Portugal still receives certain privileges.
Islam Many
Muslim-majority countries have constitutionally established Islam, or a specific form of it, as a state religion.
Proselytism (converting people away from Islam) is often illegal in such states. •
Afghanistan: Officially, Afghanistan has continuously been an Islamic state under various constitutions since at least 1987. Since 2021, the
Taliban has made
Sunni Islam according to the
Hanafi school official, and has discriminated systematically against the
Shia minority. •
Algeria: "Islam shall be the religion of the State." •
Bahrain: "The religion of the State is Islam." •
Brunei: Article 3 of the
Constitution of Brunei: "The official religion of Brunei Darussalam shall be the Islamic Religion..." •
Djibouti: Article 1 of the
Constitution of Djibouti: "Islam is the Religion of the State." •
Egypt: Article 2 of the
Egyptian Constitution of 2014: "Islam is the religion of the State". •
Iran: Article 12 of the
Constitution of Iran: "The official religion of Iran is Islam and the
Twelver Ja'fari school [in usul al-Dîn and fiqh], and this principle will remain eternally immutable." Islam has been Iran's state religion
since 1501 dating back to the
Safavid dynasty and has continued ever since, excluding the period of breaks in the
Pahlavi dynasty. •
Iraq: Article 2 of the
Constitution of Iraq: "Islam is the official religion of the State and is a foundation source of legislation ..." •
Jordan: Article 2 of the
Constitution of Jordan: "Islam is the religion of the State and Arabic is its official language." •
Kuwait: Article 2 of the
Constitution of Kuwait: "The religion of the State is Islam and Islamic Law shall be a main source of legislation." •
Libya: Article 1 of the
Libyan interim Constitutional Declaration: "Islam is the Religion of the State and the principal source of legislation is Islamic Jurisprudence (Shari'a)." •
Malaysia: Article 3 of the
Federal Constitution of Malaysia: "Islam is the religion of the Federation; but other religions may be practised in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation." •
Maldives: Article 10 of the
Maldives's Constitution of 2008: "The religion of the State of the Maldives is Islam. Islam shall be the[sic] one of the bases of all the laws of the Maldives." •
Mauritania: Article 5 of the
Constitution of Mauritania: "Islam is the religion of the people and of the State." •
Morocco: Article 3 of the
Constitution of Morocco: "Islam is the religion of the State, which guarantees to all the free exercise of beliefs [cultes]." •
Oman: Article 2 of the
Constitution of Oman: "The religion of the State is Islam and Islamic Sharia is the basis for legislation." •
Pakistan: Article 2 of the
Constitution of Pakistan: "Islam shall be the State religion of Pakistan." •
Palestine: Article 4 of the
Basic Law of the State of Palestine: "Islam is the official religion in Palestine. Respect and sanctity of all other heavenly religions shall be maintained." •
Qatar: Article 1 of the
Constitution of Qatar: "Qatar is an independent sovereign Arab State. Its religion is Islam and Shari'a law shall be a main source of its legislations." •
Saudi Arabia: Article 1 of the
Basic Law of Saudi Arabia: "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a sovereign Arab Islamic State. Its religion is Islam." • : Article 2 of the
Constitution of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic declares that Islam is the state religion and law origin. •
Somalia: Article 2 of the
Provisional Constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia: "Islam is the religion of the State." •
United Arab Emirates: Article 7 of the
Constitution of the United Arab Emirates: "Islam shall be the official religion of the Union." •
Yemen: Article 2 of the
Constitution of Yemen: "Islam is the religion of the state, and Arabic is its official language."
Other/mixed In some countries, Islam is not recognized as a state religion, but holds special status: •
Bangladesh: Article (2A) of the
Constitution of Bangladesh declares: "The state religion of the Republic is Islam, but the State shall ensure equal status and equal right in the practice of the Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and other religions." But in 2010, the high court of Bangladesh reinstated secularism as a part of the Bangladesh constitution after terming the 1977 constitutional amendment done by then Bangladesh President
Ziaur Rahman as illegal. Political leaders and experts have expressed uncertainty if Bangladesh is a secular state or an Islamic state. Bangladesh regime changes often advocate for different type of religious freedom as in secularism or pluarism. •
Syria: The
Constitutional Declaration of the Syrian Arab Republic carries much of the same context of religion as prior constitutions, albeit with a slight wording change regarding the influence of Islamic jurisprudence on legislation. The new constitution however does not explicitly designate a State Religion in the same way as various other Middle Eastern countries do. Article 3 states "The religion of the President of the Republic is Islam;
Islamic jurisprudence is the principal source of legislation. •
Tajikistan: Although there is a separation of religion from politics, certain aspects of law also privilege Islam. One such law declares "Islam to be a traditional religion of Tajikistan, with more rights and privileges given to Islamic organizations than to religious groups of non-Muslim origin". •
Tunisia: Article 5 of the Constitution declares that "Tunisia is part of the
Muslim world, and the state alone must work to achieve the goals of pure Islam in preserving honourable life of religious freedom". Islam has been given special privileges by the Constitution, though it is no longer the state religion. •
Turkmenistan: The Constitution claims to uphold a secular system in which religious and state institutions are separate. However, in Turkmenistan, the state actively privileges a form of traditional Islam. The culture, including Islam, is a key facet, contributes to the Turkmen national identity. The state encourages the conceptualization of "Turkmen Islam". •
Uzbekistan: Since independence, Islam has taken on an altogether new role in the nation-building process in Uzbekistan. The government affords Islam in special status and declared it as a national heritage and a moral guideline.
Judaism • : Since the
Proclamation of Israeli independence in 1948, Israel is defined in several of its laws as a "
Jewish and democratic state" (). However, the term "
Jewish" is a
polyseme that can describe the Jewish people
as either an ethnic or a religious group. The debate about the meaning of the term "Jewish" and its legal and social applications is one of the most profound issues with which Israeli society deals. The problem of the status of religion in Israel, even though it is relevant to all religions, usually refers to the status of
Judaism in Israeli society. Thus, even though from a constitutional point of view Judaism is not the state religion in Israel, its status nevertheless determines relations between religion and state and the extent to which religion influences the political center. The
Law of Return, passed on 5 July 1950, gives the global
Jewish diaspora the right to relocate to Israel and acquire
Israeli citizenship. Section - (1) of that law declares that "Every Jew has the right to come to this country as an
Oleh ['immigrant']." In the Law of Return, the State of Israel gave effect to the
Zionist movement's "credo" which called for the establishment of Israel as a
Sovereign Jewish state with
Democratic setups, ideals and values. The State of Israel supports religious institutions, particularly
Orthodox Jewish ones, and recognizes the "religious communities" as carried over from those recognized under the British Mandate—in turn derived from the pre-1917 Ottoman system of
millets. These are Jewish and Christian (
Eastern Orthodox,
Latin Catholic,
Gregorian-Armenian,
Armenian-Catholic,
Syriac Catholic,
Chaldean,
Melkite Catholic,
Maronite Catholic, and
Syriac Orthodox). The fact that the Muslim population was not defined as a religious community does not affect the rights of the Muslim community to practice their faith. At the end of the period covered by the 2009 U.S. International Religious Freedom Report, several of these denominations were pending official government recognition; however, the Government has allowed adherents of not officially recognized groups the freedom to practice. In 1961, legislation gave Muslim Shari'a courts exclusive jurisdiction in matters of personal status. Three additional religious communities have subsequently been recognized by Israeli law: the
Druze (prior under Islamic jurisdiction), the Evangelical Episcopal Church, and followers of the
Baháʼí Faith.
Political religions In some countries, there is a
political ideology sponsored by the government that may be called
political religion.
Multiple religion recognition • : The government of China officially espouses
state atheism, and officially recognizes only five religions:
Buddhism,
Taoism,
Islam,
Christianity (
Catholicism and
Protestantism). Despite limitations on certain forms of religious expression and assembly, religion is not banned, and religious freedom is nominally protected under the Chinese constitution. Among the general Chinese population there is a wide variety of religious practices. The Chinese government's attitude to religion is one of skepticism and non-promotion. • : The
local law in Alsace-Moselle accords official status to four religions in this specific region of France:
Judaism,
Roman Catholicism,
Lutheranism and
Calvinism. The law is a remnant of the Napoleonic
Concordat of 1801, which was abrogated in the rest of France by the
law of 1905 on the
separation of church and state. However, at the time, Alsace-Moselle had been
annexed by Germany. The Concordat, therefore, remained in force in these areas, and it was not abrogated when France regained control of the region in 1918. Therefore, the separation of church and state, part of the French concept of
Laïcité, does not apply in this region. as well as traditional and indigenous beliefs.
Pancasila comes from the
Jakarta Charter whose first article was changed from "Divinity, with the obligation to carry out Islamic law for its adherents" to "the One Divinity", to respect other religions. The
Constitution of Indonesia guarantees freedom of religion and the practice of other religions and beliefs, including traditional animistic beliefs.
Atheism, although not prosecuted, is discouraged by the state ideology of
Pancasila. In addition, the province of
Aceh receives a special status and a higher degree of autonomy, in which it may enact laws (
qanuns) based on the
Sharia and enforce it to its Muslim residents. • : There are 18 officially recognized religious groups in Lebanon, each with its own family law legislation and set of religious courts. Under the terms of an agreement known as the
National Pact between the various political and religious leaders of Lebanon, the
president of the country must be a
Maronite, the
Prime Minister must be a
Sunni, the
Speaker of Parliament must be a
Shia, and the
Deputy Prime Minister must be
Greek Orthodox. • is a secular state, but the Grand Duchy recognizes and supports several denominations, including the
Catholic Church,
Greek Orthodox,
Russian Orthodox,
Romanian Orthodox,
Serbian Orthodox,
Anglican and some
Protestantism denominations as well as to
Jewish congregations. • is a secular nation, and secularism in Nepal under the interim constitution (Part 1, Article 4) is defined as "religious and cultural freedom, along with the protection of religion and culture handed down from time immemorial". That is, "the state government is bound for protecting and fostering Hindu religion" while maintaining "religious" and "cultural" freedom throughout the nation as fundamental rights. • : Though a
secular state under the constitution, Russia is often said to have
Russian Orthodoxy as the
de facto national religion, despite other minorities: "The Russian Orthodox Church is de facto privileged religion of the state, claiming the right to decide which other religions or denominations are to be granted the right of registration".
Islam in Russia is recognized under the law and by Russian political leaders as one of Russia's traditional religions, Islam is a part of
Russian historical heritage, and is
subsidized by the Russian government. The position of Islam as a major Russian religion, alongside
Orthodox Christianity, dates from the time of
Catherine the Great, who sponsored
Islamic clerics and scholarship through the
Orenburg Assembly. • is officially a secular country and does not have a state religion, and has been named in one study as the "most religiously diverse nation in the world", with no religious group forming a majority. However, the government gives official recognition to twelve different religions, namely
Buddhism,
Confucianism,
Christianity,
Islam,
Hinduism,
Taoism,
Sikhism,
Shintoism,
Judaism,
Zoroastrianism,
Jainism, and the
Baháʼí Faith, and Singapore's penal code explicitly prohibits "wounding religious feelings". The
Jehovah's Witnesses and
Unification Church are also banned in Singapore, as the government deems them to be a threat to national security. • is officially secular at the federal level but 24 of the 26 cantons support both the
Swiss Reformed Church and the
Roman Catholic Church in
various ways. •
Turkey: The Republic of Türkiye is officially a
secular country. None of the past and the latest
constitutions recognizes an
official religion nor promotes any. But; the
Directorate of Religious Affairs, an official state institution established by
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1924, expresses opinions only on religious matters regarding
Sunni institutions. The directorate regulates the operation of the country's hundreds of thousands of registered mosques and employs local and provincial imams (who are civil servants) who are appointed and paid by the state, whilst other sects of Islam with a sizeable minority such as
Alevism are not being regulated nor being funded by the directorate. In addition, the
Treaty of Lausanne explicitly guarantees the security and protection of both
Greek and Armenian Orthodox Christian minorities and the
Turkish-Jews. Their religious institutions are recognized officially by the state. • is officially
atheist (although sometimes also referred as atheist-Buddhist), but recognizes only 38 religious organizations and one
dharma practice. ==Former state religions==