Religion in Samoa

Christianity is the official and largest religion in Samoa, with its various denominations accounting for around 98% of the total population. The article 1 of the Constitution of Samoa states that "Samoa is a Christian nation founded of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit".

The following is a distribution of Christian groups as of 2021 (the most recent census available): Congregational Christian (27 percent), Roman Catholic (18 percent), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (17.6 percent), Methodist (11.8 percent), Assemblies of God (10.1 percent) and Seventh-day Adventist (4.9 percent). Groups together constituting less than 5 percent of the population include Baháʼí, Jehovah's Witnesses, Congregational Church of Jesus, Nazarene, nondenominational Protestant, Baptist, Worship Centre, Peace Chapel, Samoa Evangelism, Elim Church, and Anglican. A comparison of the 2006 and 2011 censuses shows a slight decline in the membership of major denominations and an increase in participation in nontraditional and evangelical groups.

Although there is no official estimate, there are reportedly small numbers of Hindus, Buddhists, Jews and traditional believers, primarily in Apia. The country has one of the world's eight Baháʼí Houses of Worship.

The number of Samoans who reported as non religious at the 2021 census was only 132, or 0.06% of the population.

Demographics Affiliation 2001 census 2006 census 2011 census 2016 censusFinal 2016 Census Brief No 1 2021 Congregational Christian Church of Samoa 35.0% 33.8% 31.8% 29.0% 27.0% Roman Catholic 19.7% 19.6% 19.4% 18.8% 18.0% The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 12.5% 13.3% 15.1% 16.9% 17.6% Methodist 15.0% 14.3% 13.7% 12.4% 11.8% Assemblies of God 6.6% 6.9% 8.0% 6.8% 10.1% Seventh-day Adventist 3.5% 3.5% 3.9% 4.4% 4.9% Others 7.7% 8.6% 8.1% 11.7% 10.6%

History

Before the introduction of Christianity, the various islands of the Samoan Archipelago followed a polytheistic religion. Christianity would be introduced to the Islands in the early 19th century, first by Methodist preacher Peter Turner in 1828, followed by John Williams and Charles Barff of the London Missionary Society two years later, in 1830.

Status of government respect for religious freedom The constitution and other laws and policies protect religious freedom. The constitution provides for the right to choose, practice, and change the religion of one's choice.

The government does not require religious groups to register.

Public-school syllabuses do not include religious education, but prayers may be used during the school day.

In 2012, the government observed the following religious holidays as national holidays: Good Friday, Easter Monday, White MondayAnnual Report on International Religious Freedom 2007, "Samoa", page 215: "Good Friday, Easter Monday, White Monday, and Christmas are considered national religious holidays." (Children's Day), Feast of the Ascension and Christmas."International Religious Freedom Report 2012: Samoa; United States Department of State, Human Rights and Labor" (Retrieved 19 June 2017). This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

In June 2017, the Samoan Parliament passed a bill to increase support for Christianity in the country's constitution, including a reference to the Trinity. According to The Diplomat, "What Samoa has done is shift references to Christianity into the body of the constitution, giving the text far more potential to be used in legal processes." The preamble to the constitution already described the country as "an independent State based on Christian principles and Samoan custom and traditions."

Status of societal respect for religious freedom

Traditionally, villages tended to have one primary Christian church. Village chiefs often chose the religious denomination of their extended families. Many larger villages had multiple churches serving different denominations and coexisting peacefully.

There can be strong societal pressure at village and local levels to participate in church services and other activities, and to support church leaders and projects financially. In some denominations, financial contributions often totaled more than 30% of family income.

In the past there have been minor tensions between Fa'a Samoa (the Samoan way) and individual religious rights. One of the elements of Fa'a Samoa was the traditional, tightly-knit village community. Often, village elders and the community at large were not receptive toward those who attempted to introduce another denomination or religion into the community. Observers stated that, in many villages throughout the country, leaders forbade individuals to belong to churches outside of the village or to exercise their right not to worship. Villagers in violation of such rules faced fines or banishment from the village.

Minority Religions There is a small Muslim community and one mosque."The World Factbook; U.S. Central Intelligence Agency; last updated 27 March 2014." In 1980s the Saudi Arabia-based World Assembly of Muslim Youth and Malaysia-based Regional Islamic Da'wah Council of Southeast Asia and the Pacific began their dawah activities in Samoa. According to the 2006 census, the number of Samoan Muslims was 61, or 0.04% of the population. There are also Mosques in the country.

There is a small population of Hindus constituted mainly by migrants from Fiji. The number of Hindus, like the number of Muslims, fluctuates repeatedly. As of the 2006 Samoan Census, there were 25 Hindus. More than 55% of Hindus are concentrated in Faleata West. According to other estimates in 2016 the religion claimed more than a thousand followers across Samoa.

Due to smaller numbers, the Muslim and Hindu population count was merged in the 2011 Census, with the total now being 38 adherents. The 2011 Census stated that of the 38 Muslims/Hindus, 25 were male and 13 female. This gender imbalance, which has inflated the proportion of male to females, may have been a consequence of the 2009 Samoa earthquake and tsunami, when more than 150 people died and many emigrated.

Freedom of religion in the 2020s

In 2023, the country was scored 3 out of 4 for religious freedom;Freedom House website, retrieved 2023-08-08 it was noted that provisions in three government-backed bills (the Constitution Amendment Bill 2020, the Lands and Titles Court Bill 2020, and the Judicature Amendment Bill 2020) could limit religious freedom by changing how legal decisions on Land and Titles are reviewed.

Gallery

Religion in Samoa

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