Religion in Antigua and Barbuda

The published religious breakdown is based on the 2011 Census and, according to the 2023 report, is the most recent breakdown available. Anglicans account for 17.6 percent, Seventh-day Adventists 12.4 percent, Pentecostals 12.2 percent, Moravians 8.3 percent, Roman Catholics 8.2 percent and Methodists 5.6 percent of the population. A total of 5.5 percent was not assigned to a specific religion, while 5.9 percent reported no religion. Other religious groups together account for 12.2 percent; these include, among others, Rastafarians, Muslims, Hindus and Baháʼí. Baptists, the Church of God and Wesleyan Holiness each account for less than 5 percent. According to the available information, the Muslim community comprises approximately 100 families, mostly of foreign origin. Antigua and Barbuda has no central state religious authority. Congregations and denominations organize worship services and religious offerings largely on their own. The interdenominational Christian Council, individual ministries and religious communities support dialogue, but no central statutory access point for all faiths is documented. No separate religious institution or special rule was established for Barbuda. Article 11 of the Constitution protects changing religion as well as worship, teaching, religious practice and religious observance, alone or in community, in public or in private. No one is to be compelled to take an oath that conflicts with their religious convictions. Restrictions may arise from defence, public safety and order, morality, health or the rights of others. The 2023 report also states that ministers cannot stand for elected office. Religious communities can register with the tax authority (Inland Revenue Department) using an online tax form. This registration is particularly relevant for tax or customs concessions and for the ownership, construction and renovation of religious property. Uniform fees and deadlines are not documented; practical processing is handled by the responsible authorities and the respective community. The education law (Education Act 2008), §§ 147–148, provides for collective religious observance and religion-related instruction in the curriculum at public and assisted private schools. Collective observance is not intended to be denomination-specific, and instruction must not follow a particular catechism or creed. Parents may request an exemption from worship, religious observances or religion-related instruction; admission or school attendance may not depend on participation. A 2023 report by the U.S. Department of State describes parts of the legal position differently and distinguishes between prohibited religious instruction in public schools and permitted private denominational instruction. Therefore, collective worship, general religious education and denominational religious instruction should be examined separately when implementing the rules. Muslim students may wear the hijab, and the Muslim community was invited to give talks on Islam at schools. Statutory holidays include Good Friday, Easter Monday, Whit Monday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. National Prayer Day takes place on the second Thursday in September. Sundays, Good Friday and Christmas Day are also considered Common Law Holidays. Carnival and Caribana have religious associations for some participants, but primarily belong to the field of traditions rather than the religious core of this topic. A religious marriage has legal effect only within the requirements of the marriage law (Marriage Act, Cap. 261). Clergy must be recognized in writing by the registrar-general (Registrar-General) as an authorized marriage officer (Marriage Officer). A recognized marriage officer may act nationwide, while a denomination may refuse a ceremony that conflicts with its religious rules. A ceremony outside the statutory requirements or without an authorized marriage officer does not result in a legally valid marriage or a register entry. Civil and religious marriage must therefore be considered separately. For funerals, the public health law (Public Health Act, Cap. 353), § 158, allows a denomination-specific funeral service; the presence of a minister is not mandatory. Cemetery rules determine registers, burial and funeral fees and other procedures. Cremation is also available for different religious groups. The Muslim community reported reserved areas in public cemeteries, but availability, scheduling and costs depend on the individual cemetery and the local administration. The cannabis law (Cannabis Act 2018), as subsequently amended, provides for a religious special licence for sacramental cannabis cultivation and use. Use is possible in a private residence or at an approved place of worship and while transporting cannabis between those places; commercial or financial transactions are not covered. Adults aged 18 or over are also subject to a possession limit of 15 grams and a limit of no more than four plants per household. According to the 2023 report, licences were issued to Rastafarian communities. Current application and licensing requirements must be checked with the medicinal cannabis authority (Medicinal Cannabis Authority).