Eritrea Population 2023 (Live) Show Source Eritrea Population Clock Net increase of 1 person every 7.87 minutes Some religious prisoners reported they were allowed to worship together in prison as long as they did so quietly. The government requires all citizens to obtain an exit visa prior to departing the country. Unregistered religious groups also faced restrictions in gathering for worship, constructing places of worship, and teaching their religious beliefs to others, although they reported that in many cases the government unofficially allowed them to worship in private homes as long as it was done discreetly. Some local authorities reportedly tolerated the presence and activities of unregistered groups, while others attempted to prevent them from meeting. On April 12, the BBC reported that 36 Christians were released on bail, including 22 from the previous group in Asmara reported by Release International and 14 who had been in prison on the Dahlak Islands for four years. There are two major religions in Eritrea: Christianity (four denominations) and Islam (only the Sunni school). The government recognizes four officially registered religious groups: the Eritrean Orthodox Church, Sunni Islam, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Eritrea. Catholics make up 4-5% of the Eritrean population. Representatives of each of the official religions attended the state dinners for several visiting foreign officials. No other Christian denomination exceeds five percent of the population; Sunni Muslims make up the rest. The government recognizes four officially registered religious groups: the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, Sunni Islam, the Catholic Church, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Eritrea. ), Attribution: A majority of the Tigrinya, the largest ethnic group, is Christian. Pope Shenouda III presided at the ceremony in Asmara, together with the Holy Synod of the Eritrean Orthodox Church and a Coptic Orthodox Church delegation. Judaism is not one of the four religions recognized by the Eritrean government and indeed, as of 2006 there was only one last native Jew left in Eritrea Sami Cohen, who tends to the Asmara Synagogue and cemetery. Proclamation 73/1995, which serves as the guiding law on religious issues, calls for separation of religion and state; outlines the parameters to which religious organizations must adhere, including concerning foreign relations and social activities; establishes an Office of Religious Affairs; and requires religious groups to register with the government or cease activities. Soon, Muslims settled in the coasts of Eritrea and built mosques and other structures. International religious organizations reported authorities interrogated detainees about their religious affiliations and asked them to identify members of unregistered religious groups. Other structures belonging to unregistered groups, such as the Church of Christ, remained shuttered. The various estimates shown above place Christianity (all denominations) as the religion of between 47% and 63% of the population of Eritrea. During British administration, Eritrea was often used as a location of exile for Irgun and Lehi guerrillas. According to CSW, officials released 70 Christian prisoners in the first two months of the year, six on January 27, and 64 on February 1. The constitution has not been implemented since its ratification in 1997. Ethiopian Christmas events are similar in neighboring Eritrea which also has a large Coptic Christian population. When the government opened the land border with Ethiopia in September, the government did not require exit visas or other travel documents for Eritreans crossing into Ethiopia. [4] They live in the Debubawi Keyih Bahri Region of Eritrea, as well as the Afar Region in Ethiopia, and Djibouti. Eritrea is a small African country on the coast of the Red Sea in eastern African. How long this procedure would remain in effect was unclear. Jehovahs Witnesses were largely unable to obtain official identification documents, which left many of them unable to study in government institutions and barred them from most forms of employment, government benefits, and travel. Most left the country in the 1980s and 1990s seeking refuge from tyranny and persecution. [21] Key findings of the survey included a drop from 1995 to 2002 of fertility from 6.1 to 4.8 children per woman; improved knowledge of contraception; a drop in post-neonatal mortality; improved antenatal care; a doubling of the full vaccination rate for 1223 month old babies from 41 to 76 percent; 38 percent of children under five years old were chronically malnourished or stunted; and near universal knowledge of HIV and AIDS. Eritrea is located on the coast of the Red Sea. Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom, Section III. The plight of the Eritrean Orthodox Church leader who was reportedly The government said its official party doctrine promoted national citizenship above religious sectarianism and stated that it did not officially prefer any religion. The law limits foreign financing for religious groups, including registered groups. The government, which has not approved the registration of additional religious groups since 2002, again approved no new religious groups during the year. Demographics of Eritrea - Wikipedia [3]:31, The 1995 DHS survey was carried out in Eritrea by the Eritrean National Statistics Office (NSO) and Macro International Inc., collecting data by interviewing 5,054 women aged 1549 and 1,114 men aged 1559, chosen to be a statistically representative sample, from September 1995 to January 1996. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The government denied this, stating these decisions were made entirely by religious communities. [22] By the 9th century, Islam had spread to the eastern coasts of Eritrea and some indigenous groups in the region began adopting the religion. The government recognizes four officially registered religious groups: the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, Sunni Islam, the Catholic Church, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Eritrea. The government protected the historic synagogue, which was maintained by the last Jew known to be remaining in the country. The Tigrayan-Tigrinyas thus converted to Christianity centuries before most of Europe, thereby establishing one of the oldest state churches in the world. The law prohibits any involvement in politics by religious groups. They are predominantly Muslim, although a few Christians known as the Irob live in the Debub Region of Eritrea and the Tigray region of Ethiopia. A new penal code was promulgated in 2015 that does not directly address penalties for religious groups that fail to register or otherwise comply with the law, but it includes a punishment for unlawful assembly of between one and six months imprisonment and a fine of 5,001 to 20,000 nakfa ($330-$1,300); however, the new code has not yet been implemented. Only about 3 percent are evangelical Christians. The UN estimates a population of approximately 3.5 million. Eritrea Church Records FamilySearch Catholics, Protestants, and other Christian denominations, including Greek Orthodox, Jehovahs Witnesses, and Pentecostals, constitute less than 5 percent of the Christian population. You can add more than one country or area. Their language is called Saho. PDF ERITREA - United States Commission on International Religious Freedom CIA. The government granted entry to prominent Ethiopian television evangelist Suraphel Demissie in June as part of the first set of flights between Addis Ababa and Asmara after the airways reopened; onlookers filmed him preaching on the streets of Asmara. 11 languages Read Edit View history Sources disagree as to the current population of Eritrea, with some proposing numbers as low as 3.6 million [1] and others as high as 6.7 million. The adherents of American Oriental Orthodox Churches are even more geographically concentrated than the followers of the Eastern Orthodox Churches. Since the constitution has not been implemented, the Proclamation to legally standardize and articulate religious institutions and activities is provided in Proclamation No. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, 2018 Report on International Religious Freedom, Section II. Embassy staff met with clergy, leaders, and other representatives of most religious groups, including unregistered groups. The government continued to detain without due process persons associated with unregistered religious groups, occasionally for long periods, and sometimes on the grounds of threatening national security, according to minority religious group members and international NGOs. Catholicism was first brought to Eritrea by the Jesuits in 1600. This Eritrean Orthodox community is filling an empty church in Germany For the national origin group of Eritrea, see. The government announced plans to continue its confiscation and nationalization of Catholic schools, begun in 2018. Such penalties may include imprisonment and fines. It was not clear how many protesters remained in detention at years end, although sources indicated authorities released many of them. Ecumenical and interreligious committees did not exist, although local leaders met informally, and religious holidays featured public displays of interfaith cooperation. The organizations stated that 76-year-old Habtemichael Tesfamariam died on January 3, and Habtemichael Mekonen, age 77, died on March 6. Protestants, sometimes known by the slang name P'ent'ay, in Eritrea make up between less than 1% to 5% of the Christians. The Anglican Church building held services but only under the auspices of the registered Evangelical Lutheran Church. Arrests and releases often went unreported. Eritrea - United States Department of State A large majority of the Christian population of Eritrea belongs to the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, which used to belong to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Eritrea, country of the Horn of Africa, located on the Red Sea.Eritrea's coastal location has long been important in its history and culturea fact reflected in its name, which is an Italianized version of Mare Erythraeum, Latin for "Red Sea."The Red Sea was the route by which Christianity and Islam reached the area, and it was an important trade route that such powers as Turkey, Egypt . However, Proclamation No. Diaspora groups noted authorities controlled virtually all activities of the four formally recognized groups. Only one Jew reportedly remains in the country. They also advocated for the release of Jehovahs Witnesses, including the remaining 24 still in prison, and for an alternative service option for conscientious objectors refusing to bear arms for religious reasons, and they expressed concern over the continued detention of Patriarch Abune Antonios. In some prisons, religious prisoners reportedly were not allowed to have visitors, but in others, visitors were allowed. Eritrea Growth Rate Eritrea Flag How Old is Eritrea? Eritrea - United States Department of State Authorities treatment of religious prisoners appeared to have been inconsistent. [11] They account for about 8% of the Tigrinya speakers in the nation. In addition, languages belonging to the Nilo-Saharan language family (Kunama and Nara) are spoken as a mother tongue by the Kunama and Nara Nilotic ethnic minorities that live in the north and northwestern part of the country. The government permitted church news services to videotape and publish interviews with foreign diplomats during the public celebration of the Eritrean Orthodox holiday Meskel. Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church - Wikipedia In March Al Diaa Islamic School President Hajji Musa Mohammed Nur died of unknown causes while in police custody. In the 19th century the Italians began to bring Eritrea under their sphere of influence and introduced Roman Catholicism again. The Eritrean Orthodox have their origins in the 4th century Coptic mission of Syrian Frumentius in East Africa, when the first Archbishop was elected for the Aksumite Empire, under Ezana of Axum (r. 320360). Although Proclamation No. Authorities reportedly continued to detain 24 Jehovahs Witnesses, more than half of whom had been in prison for more than 20 years, for refusing to participate in military service or renounce their faith. As of 2008, they were estimated at 900 people, down from around 38,000 residents at the end of World War II.