What is the main religion of Malta?

The Constitution of 1964 establishes the Roman Catholic Church as the state religion. Malta is one of the most Catholic countries in the world and has one of the highest rates of church attendance, although a steady decrease in church attendance, especially among the young, points to a changing culture. In 1967, weekly Mass enjoyed an 82% attendance rate, which dropped to 73% in 1982, then to 52% in 2005.

Malta’s population of 410,000 is 98% Catholic. The other 2% of the population, made up mostly of foreign residents, consists of about a thousand non-Catholic Christians, three thousand Muslims, one thousand Jews, and a handful of Hindus. A number of Maltese practice Buddhism and Freemasonry, including some members of the Catholic Church.

While many diverse religions are represented among Malta’s population, the culture remains very much Roman Catholic. Approximately 365 Catholic churches are shared among the three islands, and are the cultural center of every town and village. There are also three Anglican chapels, one mosque, and one synagogue.

Malta’s Catholic tradition harks back to the first century A.D., when Paul the Apostle shipwrecked on the isle of Melite, as recorded in Acts 27. Paul converted Publius, then the Roman governor over the island, and appointed him as the first Bishop of Malta.