When most people think of the religion of the Middle East they think Islam. Yet, Christianity was born there. The map above shows the estimated share of the Christian population of various countries in the Middle East today.
The data comes from Pew Research Center and according to them:
The Middle East-North Africa region is home to less than 1% of the world’s Christians. Only about 4% of the region’s residents are Christian.
Although Christianity began in this region, it now has the lowest overall number of Christians and the smallest share of its population that is Christian. Christians are a minority in every country in the region.
About half (47%) of all Christians in the region live in either Egypt or Sudan. Lebanon has by far the highest percentage of Christians (38%) in the region.
The only other countries in the region where more than 10% of the population is Christian are the Gulf states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
In total, there are likely around 12-13 million Christians living in the Middle East today.
Here are the numbers from the map:
- Cyprus: 78%
- Lebanon: 31%
- Kuwait: 17%
- Bahrain: 14.5%
- Qatar: 14%
- Syria: 10%
- Egypt: 10%
- Oman: 6.5%
- Saudi Arabia: 4.4%
- UAE: 4.4%
- Jordan: 2.2%
- Israel: 2%
- Palestinian Territories: 1%
- Iraq: 0.8%
- Yemen: 0.2%
- Iran: 0.2%
- Türkiye: 0.5%
And here are the 10 countries in the Middle East by the total number of Christians in 2010 (estimated share of population):
- Egypt: 4,290,000 (5.3%)
- Sudan: 1,760,000 (5.4%)
- Lebanon: 1,620,000 (38.3%)
- Saudi Arabia: 1,200,000 (4.4%)
- Syria: 1,060,000 (5.2%)
- United Arab Emirates: 940,000 (12.6%)
- Kuwait: 390,000 (14.3%)
- Iraq: 270,000 (0.9%)
- Qatar: 240,000 (13.8%)
- Bahrain: 180,000 (14.5%)
So as you can see, some of the numbers in the map are probably not entirely accurate. For example, the map claims 10% of Egypt’s population is Christian (Mostly Coptic Christian) but Pew thinks it’s more likely half that number.
Similarly, Syria is listed as being around 10% Christian, but since 2011 due to the ongoing Syrian civil war, their share may have fallen to as ow as 2%.
Iraq is another tragic case and the number of Christians in the country may have fallen from a high of 1.5 million before the 2003 US led-invasion to fewer than 150,000 today.
From the map author:
Christians in the Middle East, one of the oldest religious communities in the region, face significant challenges today.
Once thriving across countries like Iraq, Syria, and Egypt, their numbers have sharply declined due to conflict, persecution, and displacement. The rise of extremist groups has further endangered their communities, particularly in areas controlled few years ago by ISIS and other militant factions.
The largest Christian communities in the Middle East are found in countries like Egypt, where the Coptic Orthodox Church represents a significant portion of the population.
Lebanon also has a substantial Christian presence, particularly among Maronites, while Syria and Iraq have historically housed large Assyrian and Chaldean communities, though their numbers have dwindled due to recent wars.
A different case is the one of Qatar, it’s Christian community is a diverse mix of European, North and South American, Asian, Middle Eastern and African expatriates.
In 2022, they formed around 14% of the total population. Most of them are European, Indian and Filipino.
Despite all these challenges, Christian groups continue to play a vital role in the cultural and religious fabric of the region, striving to maintain their traditions and protect their rights amid ongoing instability.
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