Religion in Montenegro

Eastern Orthodox Christianity is the largest religion in Montenegro at 71% of the population, and is the religion of choice for the vast majority of ethnic Montenegrins and Serbs. In addition to Eastern Orthodox Christianity, there is also a sizeable number of adherents to Sunni Islam at 20% of the population, mainly from ethnic Bosniaks and Albanians.

The majority of Eastern Orthodox Christians in the country belong to the canonically recognized Serbian Orthodox Church, but a small minority adhere to the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, which is not canonically recognized by the Eastern Orthodox Church. According to a 2020 poll conducted by CEDEM, approximately 10% of Montenegro's Eastern Orthodox Christians have opted for the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, while approximately 90% have opted for or stayed with the Serbian Orthodox Church.^[2]

Religion in Montenegro by census (percentages)^[3]

	1953	1991	2003	2011	2023
Eastern Orthodox	45.84	69.12	74.23	72.07	71.10
Islam	17.65	19.18	17.74	19.11	19.99
Roman Catholic	4.81	4.41	3.54	3.44	3.27
Protestant	no data	1.41	0.39	0.44	0.09
Irreligious / Atheist	31.46	1.6	0.96	1.24	2.29
Agnostic				0.07	0.40
Undeclared	0.01	0.02	2.23	2.61	2.10
Other religions	0.03	0.17	0.07	1.02	0.09
Unknown	no data	4.03	0.8	no data	0.16

The results of the Montenegrin census of 2011 by ethnic groups, the latest census in which the indication of identification (whether by confession or as irreligious) in the question for confession was obligatory, are as follows:

Ethnic groups by confession	Total		Montenegrins		Serbs		Bosniaks		Albanians		Roma		Croats
	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%
Eastern Orthodox	446,858	72.1	248,523	88.7	177,091	99.4	19	0.03	37	0.1	516	8.2	90	1.5
Islam	118,477	19.1	12,931	4.6	79	0.04	74,343	99.7	22,267	73.1	5,034	80.5	3	0.0
Catholic	21,299	3.4	5,667	2.0	116	0.06	3	0.0	7,954	26.1	13	0.2	5,527	91.8
Protestantism	1,601	0.4	921	0.3	262	0.15			36	0.1	2	0.0	2	0.0
Atheism/Agnosticism	9,005	1.3	6,393	2.3	697	0.39	108	0.1	150	0.4	1	0.0	224	3.7

Eastern Orthodox Christianity is the dominant religion in Montenegro with 443,394 believers, which comprise 71.1% of the population.^[4] Adherents of Eastern Orthodoxy in Montenegro are predominantly ethnic Montenegrins and Serbs. Most ethnic Montenegrins and Serbs are adherents of the Serbian Orthodox Church and its dioceses in Montenegro: Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral, Eparchy of Budimlja and Nikšić, parts of Eparchy of Mileševa, and parts of Eparchy of Zahumlje and Herzegovina.^[5] Ethnic Montenegrins are divided between the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, which is considered by the Serbian Orthodox Church and the other autocephalous Orthodox Churches as a non-canonical schismatic, heretical, and a political fabrication Orthodox church.^[6]

Most Catholics are ethnic Albanians and Croats as well as some Montenegrins.

Muslims form the largest minority religion in the country. In 2023, Montenegro's 124,668 Muslims made up 19.99% of the total population.^[1]

Muslims in Montenegro are divided into two main groups, and further subgroups:

• • Bosnian-speaking ethnic Bosniak Muslim
  • Other Slavic Muslims (ethnic Muslims), including Gorani, and other Slavs of the Muslim faith who identify by religion rather than by ethnicity.
• Albanian Muslims
  • Albanian-speaking ethnic Albanian Muslims
  • Romani people

Islam is the dominant religion in the northeastern municipalities, which are part of the Sandžak geographical region, and in municipalities where Albanians form a majority. Islam is the majority religion in the municipalities of Gusinje, Petnjica, Plav, Rožaje, Tuzi and Ulcinj.

According to the World Jewish Congress, there were approximately 400 to 500 Jews in the country in 2022.^[7] There is a high respect for the Jewish people and its contribution to the secular civilization.^[8] In February 2012, the Prime Minister of Montenegro Igor Lukšić signed an agreement with the Montenegrin Jewish community to grant official recognition of Jews as a minority in Montenegro. The agreement also established Judaism as the country's fourth official religion, along with the Eastern Orthodox Church, Catholic Church and Islam.^[9]

The majority of Montenegro's population, 98.69%, declares to belong to a religion, though observance of their declared religion may vary widely.

On the census from 2011, atheists, those who declared no religion, comprised about 1.24% of the whole population, and agnostics 0.07%.

Religiosity is lowest in the Bay of Kotor region and the capital city of Podgorica. Municipalities with highest share of atheists are Herceg Novi (2.43%), Kotor (2.03%), Podgorica (1.99%) and Tivat (1.7%). In contrast, Rožaje has the fewest atheists, who make up only 0.01% of its population.^[10]

Montenegro's laws guarantee the freedom of religion and outlaw several forms of religious discrimination, as well as establishing that there is no state religion in Montenegro. The government provides some funding to religious groups.

According to a 2017 survey conducted by the Council of Europe in cooperation with the Office of the Ombudsperson of Montenegro, 45% of respondents reported having experienced religious discrimination.^[11]

In 2023, the country was scored 3 out of 4 for religious freedom.^[12]