Religion in Lebanon

Lebanon is an eastern Mediterranean country that has the most religiously diverse society within the Middle East, recognizing 18 religious sects.^[2][3] The recognized religions are Islam (Sunni, Shia, Alawites, Isma'ili and Druze), Christianity (the Maronite Church, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, evangelical Protestantism, the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Armenian Catholic Church, the Latin Church, the Syriac Catholic Church, the Syriac Orthodox Church, the Assyrian Church of the East, the Chaldean Catholic Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church) and Judaism.

Lebanon differs from other Middle East countries where Muslims have become the majority after the civil war, and somewhat resembles Bosnia-Herzegovina and Albania, both are in Southeast Europe, and have a diverse mix of Muslims and Christians that each make up a large proportion of the country's population. Christians were once a majority inside Lebanon and are still an overwhelming majority in the diaspora, which consists of nearly 14 million people.^[5][6]

Besides Lebanese citizens in Lebanon, a large proportion of people in the country are refugees, accounting for approximately 2 million people out of a bit over 6 million in 2017, which affects statistics.^[2] The refugees, who mostly are of Syrian or Palestinian origin, are predominantly Sunni Muslim, but include Christians and Shia Muslims.^[2]

Under the National Pact, the president of Lebanon must be a Maronite Christian,^[7] the prime minister a Sunni Muslim,^[8] and the speaker of parliament a Shia Muslim.^[9]