Countries
Marshall Islands
Also Known As Marshallese
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The Marshall Islands, a scatter of coral atolls and low reef islands strung across two chains in the central Pacific, is overwhelmingly Christian, over 96 per cent by the 2021 census, with the United Church of Christ, Congregational, the descendant of Boston missionary work that reached the islands in 1857, still holding a plurality even as Assemblies of God, Catholic, Latter-day Saint and a home-grown movement called Bukot nan Jesus have all grown since. Public and government functions typically open and close with Christian prayer led by whichever major denomination is present, and the government funds schools run by religious groups for secular educational purposes, after the public school system's own needs are covered, without favoring one denomination's schools over another's. The constitution protects freedom of thought, conscience and belief and the free exercise of religion, subject only to reasonable restrictions for public order, and names no established church. Formal independence came on 21 October 1986, when the Compact of Free Association with the United States took effect, ending the US-administered Pacific Islands Trust Territory and leaving the Marshall Islands self-governing while the United States retains defense responsibility and maintains its Kwajalein Atoll missile range, one of the country's few large sources of formal employment. Twelve of the atolls sit at the heart of the country's Cold War legacy: Bikini and Enewetak hosted 67 US nuclear weapons tests between 1946 and 1958, and the resulting displacement and contamination claims remain a live issue in Marshallese politics.
Facts
Government
Government Typemixed presidential-parliamentary republic in free association with the United States 2 Sovereignty StatusSovereign UN member state 2 Established Year Status
Legal StatusThe constitution provides for freedom of thought, conscience and belief and the free exercise of religion, subject to reasonable restrictions in the interest of public order and the rights of others. No church is established, and government and public functions typically open with prayer led by whichever major denomination is present, without a fixed rotation favoring one over another. 3 Demographics
Religious CompositionOverwhelmingly Christian, above 96 per cent, led by the United Church of Christ, Congregational, with Assemblies of God, Catholic, Latter-day Saint and smaller Protestant and Jehovah's Witness minorities, alongside a very small Ahmadiyya Muslim community (Pew Research Center, Religious Composition of the World, 2010-2020). 1 Law and State
Establishment Status State Funding MechanismThe government allocates funding to schools operated by religious organizations for secular educational purposes, distributed after the public school system's own funding needs are met, with no denomination favored over another in the allocation. 3 Location
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Religion and History in the Marshall Islands
This article records tradition as it has been passed down and reported. Its sources are not yet part of the atlas's verified catalogue.
The Marshall Islands, a scatter of coral atolls and low reef islands strung across two chains in the central Pacific, is overwhelmingly Christian, over 96 per cent by the 2021 census, with the United Church of Christ, Congregational, the descendant of Boston missionary work that reached the islands in 1857, still holding a plurality even as Assemblies of God, Catholic, Latter-day Saint and a home-grown movement called Bukot nan Jesus have all grown since. Public and government functions typically open and close with Christian prayer led by whichever major denomination is present.
Formal independence came on 21 October 1986, when the Compact of Free Association with the United States took effect, ending the US-administered Pacific Islands Trust Territory and leaving the Marshall Islands self-governing while the United States retains defense responsibility and maintains its Kwajalein Atoll missile range, one of the country's few large sources of formal employment.
No Establishment and a Nuclear Legacy in the Marshall Islands
This article records tradition as it has been passed down and reported. Its sources are not yet part of the atlas's verified catalogue.
The constitution protects freedom of thought, conscience and belief and the free exercise of religion, subject only to reasonable restrictions for public order, and names no established church; government prayer rotates among whichever major denomination is present rather than favoring one by a fixed schedule. The government allocates funding to schools operated by religious organizations for secular educational purposes, distributed after the public school system's own funding needs are met, with no denomination favored over another in the allocation.
Twelve of the atolls sit at the heart of the country's Cold War legacy: Bikini and Enewetak hosted 67 US nuclear weapons tests between 1946 and 1958, and the resulting displacement and contamination claims remain a live issue in Marshallese politics, a secular grievance running alongside, and largely separate from, the country's otherwise uncontroversial religious freedom framework.
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