Religion in Singapore is characterised by a wide variety of religious beliefs and practices due to its diverse ethnic mix of people originating from various parts of the world. A secular state, Singapore is commonly termed as a "melting pot" or "cultural mosaic" of various religious practices originating from different religions and religious denominations around the world. Most major religious denominations are present in the country, with the Singapore-based Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO) recognising 10 major religions. Analyses in 2014 and 2026 (using data from 2020) by the Pew Research Center found Singapore to be the world's most religiously diverse nation. The numerous foreign workers from Indonesia, the Philippines and other countries temporarily residing in Singapore, who often have their own religious congregations based on their confessional, ethnic and linguistic background, make religious life in Singapore even more varied.
The most followed religion among residents in Singapore is Buddhism, with a plurality of 30.9% of the resident population identifying themselves as adherents at the most recent General Household Survey in 2025. A large number of Buddhists in Singapore are Chinese, with 40.1% of the ethnic Chinese population in Singapore identifying as Buddhist. Sizeable numbers of non-Chinese ethnic groups in Singapore also practice Buddhism. People with no religious affiliation (atheist, agnostic or other irreligious life stances) form the second largest group at 23.9% of the population. Christianity comes in at 17.1%. Islam, at 15%, is followed mainly by Malays, though there are also many Indians adhering to it. Taoism comes in at 7.3%. Hinduism, at 5.4%, is followed mainly by Indians.
History and culture
It is well known that the original inhabitants of Singapore are Malays and Orang Laut (Sea Nomads) with their native faiths. Since the time of the Srivijayan Empire, they have practiced Vajrayana Buddhism and later converted to Sunni Islam. Following the first British soldiers and officials, members of the London Missionary Society arrived in Singapore and opened a school for Malay and Chinese boys; Anglicans established themselves there in 1826, the Plymouth Brethren in 1864, Presbyterians in 1881, and Methodists in 1885.
The variety of religions is a direct reflection of the diversity of Singaporeans' races: the Chinese Singaporeans are mainly Buddhists, Taoists, Christians or irreligious. Taoist and Confucian doctrines and deities, together with ancestral worship, are combined in various ways in the Chinese folk religions and Chinese folk religious sects. The Malays are predominantly Muslims (98.6%), while Indians are mostly Hindus (58.8%), but with significant numbers of Muslims and Christians from the Indian ethnic groups. Some religions, especially those practised by Chinese ethnic groups, have merged their places of worship with other religions such as Hinduism and Islam, such as the Loyang Tua Pek Kong Temple.
Nowadays, most Singaporeans celebrate the major festivals associated with their respective religions, like Taoist Nine Emperor Gods Festival. A distinctive feature of Singapore is that many Chinese people (primarily Buddhists and Taoists) participate in Hindu ceremonies, holidays, and festivals, like Diwali, and also donate money to Hindu temples. The Sri Krishnan Temple and the nearby Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple are known for having evolved a social practice termed "cross-worshipping," where many devotees of either temple also worship at the other. This practice is commonly seen as a microcosm of Singapore's multi-religious society.
The oldest in Singapore and most important temple of the Hokkien Chinese is the Thian Hock Keng Temple built for the worship of the sea goddess Mazu, which was established around 1821–1822 and later rebuilt; the local Indian community also helped build it. The Sultan Mosque located within Malay-populated quarter of the city became the oldest mosque of the country and founded by Sultan Hussein Shah of Johor in 1824 and built in 1826. South Bridge Street, a major road through the old Chinatown, houses the Hindu Sri Mariamman Temple (complited in 1827) and the Masjid Jamae Mosque (established in 1826), which served Chulia Muslims from India's Coromandel Coast. Additionally, the Armenian Church of Gregory the Illuminator is the oldest church in Singapore, having been completed in 1836. It was also the first building in Singapore to have an electricity supply, having had the first electric fans and lights. Today, the church no longer holds Armenian services, as the last Armenian priest retired in the 1930s. Nonetheless, the church and its grounds have been preserved, with various Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria and Oriental Orthodox Church services still held in it.
In the middle of the 20th century, a number of race and religion-related riots occurred in Singapore, including the Maria Hertogh riots and the 1964 Race Riots. The Singapore government has since adopted a policy of promoting religious tolerance. The Inter-Religious Organisation of Singapore, established in 1949, coordinates the activities of the country's numerous religious groups. It is led by a council elected annually by representatives of the seven main faiths—Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Jews, and Zoroastrians—in proportion to the size of their respective congregations. Additionally, to foster interfaith engagement, the government established the Institute for the Study of Religions and Society in the late 1960s. Certain religious holidays in Singapore are officially recognized and designated as public holidays. However, some religions or denominations are officially banned by the government, as they are deemed as cults, such as Jehovah's Witnesses and the Unification Church, although their followers practised in secrecy in the 2010s.
Statistics and demographics The Singapore census includes detailed data on religion and ethnicity, and is taken on a ten or five-year basis.
+ 1980–2020 statistics for major religions and philosophies by the Singapore CensusSaw Swee-Hock. The Population of Singapore (Third Edition). Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2012. . Percentage of religious groups from the censuses of 1980, 1990, 2000 and 2010 at page 42.Religion1980199020002010201520202025 Num. % Num. % Num. % Num. % Num. % Num. % Num. %Buddhism 1,060,662 1,032,879 1,074,159 1,120,200 No religion 370,094 527,553 692,528 865,100 Christianity 364,087 569,244 654,355 621,300 └ Catholicism 118,980 219,133 242,681 275,400 └ Other Christian 245,107 350,111 411,674 345,900 Islam 371,660 457,435 539,251 543,400 Taoism 212,344 339,149 303,960 266,000 Hinduism 99,904 157,854 172,963 194,200 Other religions 15,879 21,635 21,878 3,400 Population 2,494,630 3,105,748 3,459,093 3,625,000
The figures for the percent of Singaporeans practiced religion by ethnicity for the past four decades are as follows:
+ Percent of population practicing religions and philosophies by ancestryReligionCensus 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 ChineseBuddhism No religion Christianity Taoism Other religions MalaysIslam No religion Other religions IndiansHinduism Islam Christianity No religion Other religions
Below are the Singapore's Resident Population Aged 15 years and over by Religion and Age Group:
Age Group Buddhist Irreligious Muslim Christian Taoist Hindu Others 15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+
The above figures refer to the resident population only, and do not include the non-resident population (Singapore authorities do not release figures for the non-resident population, which accounted for 18.33% of Singapore's population in 2005).
Major religious communities Buddhism
A plurality of Singaporeans declared themselves as Buddhists, with 30.9% of the Singaporean population being Buddhists in the 2025 General Household Survey. The Singapore Buddhist Federation (SBF), a national umbrella institution to represent the Buddhist community, was established in 1949.
There is more than one sort of Buddhism in Singapore. Most Singaporean Buddhists are Chinese and adhere to Chan and Pure Land branches of the Mahayana Chinese Buddhist tradition, owing to decades of missionary activity from China. In recent years, some modernist transnational Buddhist organizations have reached Singapore such as the Chinese-origin Buddha's Light International Association (BLIA), Dharma Drum Mountain (DDM) and Tzu Chi Singapore, as well as the Japanese Nichiren Buddhist organizations Nichiren Shōshū Buddhist Association and Soka Gakkai International, are practised by many people in Singapore, and mostly by those of Chinese descent. As a result of the activities of Tibetan missionaries, there are adherents of the Gelug, Kagyu and Nyingma schools of the Vajrayana Tibetan Buddhism among Singaporeans.
Whilst a majority of Buddhists in Singapore are traditionally ethnic Chinese, there are also Buddhists in Singapore that come from other ethnic groups such as the Thai, Sinhalese and Burmese. Most missionaries hail from China, Tibet, Taiwan, Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Japan. That is why, there are Buddhist monasteries and centres from all three major traditions of Buddhism, namely Mahayana, Theravada and Vajrayana. Buddhism of every tradition is generally represented in Singapore, including Chinese Mahayana, Tibetan Buddhism, and Thai Buddhism. Due to the presence of Buddhists from these ethnic groups, there are Buddhist centres and temples that serve these communities, such as Wat Ananda Metyarama Thai Buddhist Temple, Sri Lankaramaya Buddhist Temple and Burmese Buddhist Temple.
Below is the ethnic breakdown of Buddhists according to the 2020 Singapore Census of Population as follows:
Ethnic Group Total Resident Population of Ethnic Group Population of Resident Ethnic Group registered as Buddhists Percentage of Resident Ethnic Group registered as Buddhists Percentage of Buddhist Residents by Ethnic Group Chinese 2,606,881 1,052,114 Malays 447,747 447 Indians 299,056 2,031 Others 105,410 19,566 Overall 3,459,093 1,074,159
Christianity
17.1% of Singaporeans identified as Christians in the 2025 general household survey.
Most of them identify as Protestant. Among them, the Methodist Church in Singapore is the largest denomination, with some 42,000 members in 46 churches. Prominent megachurches have emerged over the last two decades with the rise of the charismatic movement; these include New Creation Church, City Harvest Church and Faith Community Baptist Church, which count among Singapore's 10 largest charities, according to a report by The Straits Times in 2019.
35.8% or 220,900 people identified as members of Catholic Church in Singapore.
Some identifying as Eastern Orthodox (Eastern Orthodox Metropolitanate of Singapore and South Asia), Oriental Orthodox or other minority Christian denominations.
Below are the ethnic breakdown of Christians according to the 2020 Singapore Census of Population as follows:
Ethnic Group Total Resident Population of Ethnic Group Population of Resident Ethnic Group registered as Christians Percentage of Resident Ethnic Group registered as Christians Percentage of Christian Residents by Ethnic Group Chinese 2,606,881 562,861 Malays 447,747 2,743 Indians 299,056 37,605 Others 105,410 51,146 Overall 3,459,093 654,355
Islam
According to the 2020 census, 15.6% of the resident population declared themselves Muslims. Most mosques in Singapore cater to Sunni Muslims due to the vast majority of Singaporean Muslims adhering to the Sunni Shafi'i or Hanafi school of thought, Sunni Salafi movement is also introduced, although there are mosques that cater to the needs of the Shia community as well. There are approximately 200 Ahmadi. Singapore also contains the oldest Muslim women's organisation in the world: Young Women Muslim Association of Singapore.