Saint Lucia Census Report Cites Shift In Religious Affiliation

Saint Lucia’s provisional census report for 2022 has indicated a shift in religious affiliation among the population, with smaller memberships in some traditional groups. The Roman Catholic faith remains the largest religious group, accounting for 86,967 adherents or 50.6 percent of the populace. The census report observed that Seventh-Day Adventists are the second largest group with 18, 60l members, or 10.8 percent of the population, followed by Pentecostals comprising 15,515 followers (9.0%). It revealed that other significant religions include Mennonite, Rastafarian, Baptist, and Jehovah’s Witnesses, representing 1.5% and 2.5% of the population. In contrast, the Bahai Faith, Brethren, Buddhism, Mormonism, and the Universal Church have minimal followers, each constituting less than 0.2% of the population. The census found that notably, 14.1% of the population has no religious affiliation but believes in God, while 0.3% identify as Atheists. Additionally, 4.1% did not report their religious affiliation. The report data revealed that traditional religious groups like the Anglican, Methodist, and Baptist denominations have small memberships, with shares of 1.3%, 0.4%, and 1.7%, respectively. “This suggests that these once-prominent organizations are becoming minor faiths compared to the rising number of individuals with no religious affiliation or who believe in God without adhering to...