In short
In the 2020 Census of Population and Housing, 78.8% of the household population in the Philippines was Roman Catholic, some 85.6 million of 108.7 million people. Christians of all kinds made up at least 84%, making the Philippines one of the most Christian countries in the world and the largest Catholic-majority nation in Asia. Islam was the second-largest religion at 6.4% (6.98 million), followed by Iglesia ni Cristo at 2.6% (2.8 million), with Protestants and other denominations around 5%. Unlike most of the developed world, religious affiliation in the Philippines remains near-universal.
- In the 2020 census, 78.8% of the household population was Roman Catholic, some 85.6 million of 108.7 million people (PSA).
- Christians of all kinds made up at least 84% in 2020, making the Philippines the largest Catholic-majority nation in Asia (PSA).
- Islam was the second-largest religion at 6.4%, some 6.98 million people (PSA).
- Iglesia ni Cristo accounted for 2.6% (2.8 million) and Protestants and other denominations for about 5% (PSA).
The Philippines is one of the most Christian countries in the world and the largest Catholic-majority nation in Asia. In the 2020 Census of Population and Housing, 78.8% of the household population identified as Roman Catholic, some 85.6 million of 108.7 million people, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. Christians of all kinds made up at least 84%. These are household-population counts from a national census, not survey estimates. Islam followed as the second-largest religion at 6.4%, and the homegrown Iglesia ni Cristo at 2.6%. Unlike most of the developed world, where religious affiliation is falling fast, affiliation in the Philippines remains near-universal. The figures below draw on the PSA 2020 census and the Pew Research Center, the most authoritative sources on Christianity in the Philippines.
of the household population are Roman Catholic
Roman Catholics in the Philippines
of the population are Christian of all kinds
Key findings at a glance
| Metric | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roman Catholics (share) | 78.8% | 2020 | Philippine Statistics Authority (2020 Census) |
| Roman Catholics (count) | 85.6 million | 2020 | Philippine Statistics Authority (2020 Census) |
| Christians of all kinds | at least 84% | 2020 | Philippine Statistics Authority (2020 Census) |
| Muslims (second-largest group) | 6.4% | 2020 | Philippine Statistics Authority (2020 Census) |
| Iglesia ni Cristo | 2.6% | 2020 | Philippine Statistics Authority (2020 Census) |
| Protestants and other denominations | about 5% | 2020 | Philippine Statistics Authority (2020 Census) |
An overwhelmingly Catholic nation
Christianity in the Philippines is dominated by the Roman Catholic Church, a legacy of more than three centuries of Spanish rule. The affiliation numbers are unusually solid because they come from a national census that counts the entire household population, rather than being inferred from a sample survey.
In the 2020 census, 78.8% of the household population, some 85.6 million of 108.7 million people, identified as Roman Catholic, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.
Christians of all kinds made up at least 84% of the population in 2020, making the Philippines the largest Catholic-majority nation in Asia, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roman Catholics (share) | 78.8% | 2020 | Philippine Statistics Authority (2020 Census) |
| Roman Catholics (count) | 85.6 million | 2020 | Philippine Statistics Authority (2020 Census) |
| Total household population | 108.7 million | 2020 | Philippine Statistics Authority (2020 Census) |
| Christians of all kinds | at least 84% | 2020 | Philippine Statistics Authority (2020 Census) |
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Other Christians and the wider landscape
Beyond the Catholic majority, the Philippines has a substantial and varied Christian minority. The largest homegrown group is Iglesia ni Cristo, founded in Manila in 1914, alongside a range of Protestant and other Christian denominations.
Iglesia ni Cristo accounted for 2.6% of the household population, some 2.8 million people, in the 2020 census, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.
Protestants and other denominations together made up about 5% of the household population in 2020, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iglesia ni Cristo (share) | 2.6% | 2020 | Philippine Statistics Authority (2020 Census) |
| Iglesia ni Cristo (count) | 2.8 million | 2020 | Philippine Statistics Authority (2020 Census) |
| Protestants and other denominations | about 5% | 2020 | Philippine Statistics Authority (2020 Census) |
| Christians of all kinds (total) | at least 84% | 2020 | Philippine Statistics Authority (2020 Census) |
Islam and religious minorities
Islam is the largest non-Christian religion in the Philippines and the second-largest religion overall, concentrated in the southern regions of Mindanao. It is followed by the various Christian minorities and other smaller communities.
Islam was the second-largest religion in 2020 at 6.4% of the household population, some 6.98 million people, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muslims (share) | 6.4% | 2020 | Philippine Statistics Authority (2020 Census) |
| Muslims (count) | 6.98 million | 2020 | Philippine Statistics Authority (2020 Census) |
| Iglesia ni Cristo | 2.6% | 2020 | Philippine Statistics Authority (2020 Census) |
| Protestants and other denominations | about 5% | 2020 | Philippine Statistics Authority (2020 Census) |
How we compiled these statistics
Every number on this page is traceable to a primary source and dated to the year the data were collected. The affiliation figures come from the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, which counts the entire household population rather than a sample. Wider context on the Philippines as one of the most Christian countries in the world and the largest Catholic-majority nation in Asia draws on the Pew Research Center. Where data years differ, we use the most recent published year and label it.
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