Islam in Europe
by percentage of country population[1]
  90–100%
  70–90%
  50–70%
 Bosnia and Herzegovina
  30–40%
 North Macedonia
  10–20%
  5–10%
  4–5%
  2–4%
  1–2%
  < 1%
Religious structure of Macedonia by settlements 2002. Muslims (green), Orthodox Christian (blue)
Map of the muftiships of North Macedonia.

Muslims in North Macedonia represent just under one-third of the nation's total population according to the 2021 census,[2] making Islam the second most widely professed religion in the country. Muslims in North Macedonia follow Sunni Islam of the Hanafi madhhab. Some northwestern and western regions of the country have Muslim majorities. A large majority of all the Muslims in the country are ethnic Albanians, with the rest being primarily Turks, Romani, Bosniaks or Torbeš.

Population

Ethnicity

The Šarena Džamija, built in 1438, is a mosque in Tetovo.
Mustafa Pasha Mosque in Skopje.
Gazi Hajdar Kadi Mosque in Bitola.

Albanian Muslims, forming roughly 25% of the nation's total population (2002 census), and most of the Muslim population, live mostly in the Polog and western regions of the country. The Turks, who make up about 4% of the country's total population (2002 census), are scattered throughout the country, but mostly in major cities, as are Roma Muslims. Bosniaks are mostly concentrated within Skopje. Muslims of Macedonian ethnicity number roughly 40,000 to 100,000 and can be found in the western part of North Macedonia in the Centar Župa, Debar, Struga and Plasnica areas.

Population of Macedonia according to ethnic affiliation in 1948, 2002 and 2021
Ethnic group Population 1948 Population 2002 Population 2021
Albanians 197,389 509,083[3][4] 446,245
Turks 95,940 77,959[3][4] 70,961
Romani 19,500 53,879[3][4] 46,433
Macedonian Muslims 1,560 2,553[3][5] 1,187
Bosniaks 17,018[3][4] 16,042

Historical population

The following table shows the Muslim population and percentage for each given year. The Muslim percentage in Macedonia generally decreased from 1904 to 1961 but began to rise again due to high fertility rate among Muslim families, reaching 33.33% in 2002. According to the census of 2021, the share of Muslims was 32.17% of the total (resident) population, which was slightly lower compared to 33.33% in the census of 2002.

Year Muslim population Muslim percentage
1904 634,000[6] 36.76%
1912 384,000[6] 33.47%
1921 269,000[6] 31.43%
1948 314,603[6] 27.29%
1953 388,515[6] 29.78%
1961 338,200[6] 24.05%
1971 414,176[6] 25.14%
1981 546,437[6] 28.62%
1991 611,326[6] 30.06%
1994 581,203[6][7] 30.04%
2002 674,015[6][8] 33.33%
2021 590,878[9] 32.17%

Geographic distribution

(according to the 2021 census)

Municipality Population (2021) Muslims (2021) Percentage (%)
Tetovo 84,770 64,468 76.1%
Čair 62,586 50,755 81.1%
Gostivar 59,770 43,459 72.7%
Saraj 38,399 35,959 93.6%
Struga 50,980 32,231 63.2%
Kumanovo 98,104 28,528 29.1%
Lipkovo 22,308 21,570 96.7%
Bogovinje 22,906 21,329 93.1%
Kičevo 39,669 21,056 53.1%
Studeničani 21,970 19,968 90.9%
Šuto Orizari 25,726 19,350 75.2%
Vrapčište 19,842 18,224 91.8%
Želino 18,988 18,193 95.8%
Gazi Baba 69,626 17,476 25.1%
Butel 37,968 17,438 45.9%
Tearce 17,694 15,144 85.6%
Debar 15,412 13,611 88.3%
Aračinovo 12,676 12,363 97.5%
Dolneni 13,126 8,873 67.6%
Bitola 85,164 8,232 9.7%
Brvenica 13,645 7,386 54.1%
Veles 48,463 6,286 13.0%
Ohrid 51,428 5,908 11.5%
Prilep 69,025 5,063 7.3%
Čaška 7,942 4,710 59.3%
Radoviš 24,122 4,470 18.5%
Strumica 49,995 4,331 8.7%
Plasnica 4,222 4,115 97.5%
Štip 44,866 3,798 8.5%
Gjorče Petrov 44,844 3,680 8.2%
Mavrovo and Rostuša 5,042 3,669 72.8%
Karpoš 63,760 3,629 5.7%
Petrovec 9,150 3,588 39.2%
Jegunovce 8,895 3,522 39.6%
Resen 14,373 3,423 23.8%
Centar Župa 3,720 3,346 89.9%
Kruševo 8,385 2,859 34.1%
Vasilevo 10,552 2,557 24.2%
Centar 43,893 2,507 5.7%
Kisela Voda 61,965 2,267 3.7%
Aerodrom 77,735 2,184 2.8%
Sopište 6,713 2,159 32.2%
Kočani 31,602 2,069 6.5%
Valandovo 10,508 1,435 13.7%
Čučer-Sandevo 9,200 1,363 14.8%
Kavadarci 35,733 1,157 3.2%
Negotino 18,194 1,105 6.1%
Vinica 14,475 942 6.5%
Karbinci 3,420 865 25.3%
Ilinden 17,435 855 4.9%
Gradsko 3,233 740 22.9%
Bosilovo 11,508 702 6.1%
Delčevo 13,585 694 5.1%
Zelenikovo 3,361 654 19.5%
Konče 2,725 607 22.3%
Pehčevo 3,983 597 15.0%
Berovo 10,890 514 4.7%
Demir Kapija 3,777 419 11.1%
Kriva Palanka 18,059 418 2.3%
Mogila 5,283 336 6.4%
Dojran 3,084 309 10.0%
Makedonski Brod 5,889 259 4.4%
Demir Hisar 7,260 244 3.4%
Lozovo 2,264 236 10.4%
Kratovo 7,545 108 1.4%
Gevgelija 21,582 104 0.5%
Sveti Nikole 15,320 92 0.6%
Debarca 3,719 76 2.0%
Probištip 13,417 57 0.4%
Bogdanci 7,339 52 0.7%
Rankovce 3,465 52 1.5%
Rosoman 3,796 36 0.9%
Novaci 2,648 35 1.3%
Makedonska Kamenica 6,439 18 0.3%
Staro Nagoričane 3,501 14 0.4%
Vevčani 2,359 10 0.4%
Krivogaštani 5,167 8 0.2%
Češinovo-Obleševo 5,471 5 0.1%
Zrnovci 2,086 4 0.2%
Novo Selo 6,972 3 0.0%
Macedonia (total) 1,836,713 590,878 32.2%

The Ss. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje stated in 2012 that "religion is primary importance to Macedonia's Muslims." The university conducted a survey of 1.850 Muslims in North Macedonia, which found that 81.6% described themselves as religious, 60.5% of which were very religious. Approximately 22% never went to a mosque(48,6% attend mosque at least once a week) and 17.3% did not pray at home(42,1% pray five times a day). About 28,6% believed that disputes should be resolved using Islamic Sharia law(41,7% say that should be resolved using North Macedonia's laws,29,7% didn't know or refused to answer), and 27,8% said that wearing a veil in school was "unacceptable." 16,4% of the respondents said cohabitation without marriage was "acceptable"(74,2% said " non acceptable" and 9,3% refused to answer), 13,6% ate pork and 24,8% drank alcohol. Also 94% of respondents said they circumcised their boys and 98% observed Muslim burial practices for their relatives.[10]

According to a 2017 Pew Research Center survey, 64% of Macedonian Muslims responded that religion is "very important" in their lives.[11] The same survey found that 43% of Macedonian Muslims pray all five salah,[12] 51% attend mosque at least once a week,[13] and 46% read Quran at least once a week.That makes Macedonian Muslims the most religious Muslim community between the Balkan countries with the Muslim communities in Montenegro and Serbia.[14]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Religious Composition by Country, 2010-2050". Pew Research Center. 12 April 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  2. ↑ "Total resident population in the Republic of North Macedonia by religious affiliation and sex, Census 2021".
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Macedonia, 2016, p. 67" (PDF). Republic of Macedonia, State Statistical Office. 2016. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Census of Pupulation, Households and Dwellings in the Republic of Macedonia, 2002, p. 591" (PDF). Republic of Macedonia, State Statistical Office. 2002. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  5. ↑ Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Macedonia, 2014, p. 67, Retrieved 11 December 2016
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Kettani, Houssain (2010). "Muslim Population in Europe: 1950 – 2020" (PDF). International Journal of Environmental Science and Development vol. 1, no. 2, p. 156. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  7. ↑ Coughlin, Kathryn M. (2006). Muslim Cultures Today, A Reference Guide. Greenwood Press, Westport, Connecticut, London. p. 16. ISBN 9780313323867.
  8. ↑ Census of Pupulation, Households and Dwellings in the Republic of Macedonia, 2002, p. 518
  9. ↑ "Попис на населението, домаќинствата и становите во Република Северна Македонија, 2021 - прв сет на податоци" (PDF). popis2021.stat.gov.mk (in Macedonian). 30 March 2022. p. 82. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  10. ↑ "Bulgaria's Muslims not deeply religious: study". Hürriyet Daily News. 9 December 2011. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  11. ↑ "Religious Belief and National Belonging in Central and Eastern Europe: Final Topline" (PDF). Pew Research Center. 10 May 2017. p. 121. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  12. ↑ "Religious Belief and National Belonging in Central and Eastern Europe: Final Topline" (PDF). Pew Research Center. 10 May 2017. p. 154. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  13. ↑ "Religious Belief and National Belonging in Central and Eastern Europe: Final Topline" (PDF). Pew Research Center. 10 May 2017. p. 118. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  14. ↑ "Religious Belief and National Belonging in Central and Eastern Europe: Final Topline" (PDF). Pew Research Center. 10 May 2017. p. 122. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
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