Which religious communities shape religion and religious life in Guyana?

Guyana is home mainly to Hindu, Pentecostal and other Christian, Roman Catholic, Muslim, Adventist and Anglican communities. It also has Rastafari, Bahá’í, Afro-diasporic, Areruya and Indigenous faith communities, among others.

What religious shares did the 2012 census report for Guyana?

The 2012 census reported, among other figures, 24.83% Hindu, 22.80% Pentecostal, 20.76% other Christian, 7.08% Roman Catholic and 6.77% Muslim. The preliminary 2022 census report did not yet contain a comparable religion table.

What rights does freedom of religion protect in Guyana?

Article 145 of the Constitution protects conscience, thought, religion, religious conversion, public and private religious practice, instruction and observance. Article 149 additionally protects against discrimination on grounds including religion, conscience, belief or culture.

Which religious holidays are officially recognised in Guyana?

Public holidays include Good Friday, Easter Monday, Christmas, Phagwah, Deepavali, Eid-ul-Azha and Youmun Nabi, among others. The specific dates are announced each year; Islamic dates follow the lunar calendar, and the public-holiday status of Eid-ul-Fitr must be checked each time.

What rules apply to religious instruction and religious ceremonies in Guyana?

The Grade 11 curriculum includes religious education covering Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism, while religious communities may provide their own instruction. Persons under 18 may not participate in another religion’s instruction or ceremony without the consent of their guardians.

How is a religious marriage legally recognised in Guyana?

A religious marriage must involve an authorised marriage official and must also be registered civilly. Depending on residence, the procedure may require banns or notice or a licence; a religious ceremony alone does not replace the civil marriage.

Religion in Guyana

Religion in Guyana includes Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Rastafari, Bahá’í and Indigenous communities, as well as their services, holidays, educational activities and life rituals. Official religious shares are currently based mainly on the 2012 census; an up-to-date table from the 2022 census has not yet been published. The Constitution protects freedom of conscience, religious conversion, and public and private religious practice.

Tip

Choose a community in Guyana based on available services, the religious practice you want and its own admission and fee rules. Check holiday dates, educational conditions and legal deadlines directly before the relevant event because availability, fees and individual dates are not uniform nationwide. Treat religious ceremonies for birth, death or marriage separately from the required civil registration.

byShivani&Malik

Guyana is a secular state with no state-established religion. In the 2012 census, 24.83% identified as Hindu, 22.80% as members of Pentecostal churches, 20.76% as members of other Christian churches, 7.08% as Roman Catholic, 6.77% as Muslim, 5.41% as Seventh-day Adventist and 5.22% as Anglican. Smaller groups included Methodists at 1.35%, Jehovah’s Witnesses at 1.29%, Rastafari at 0.47%, Bahá’í at 0.06% and other religions at 0.85%; 3.14% reported no religious affiliation. The 2022 census continued to include questions on religion and denomination, but its preliminary report did not publish a religion table. Religious institutions and umbrella bodies include Christian denominations, the Guyana Council of Churches, the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, the Maha-Sabha des Sanatan Dharma in Guyana (Guyana Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha), the Central Islamic Organization of Guyana, Ahmadiyya, the Guyana Rastafari Council, Bahá’í communities, and Afro-diasporic, Areruya and Indigenous faith communities. The Inter-Religious Organisation of Guyana, known as IROG, includes approximately 40 religious organisations from several faith traditions. Communities organise their own services and admissions; no nationwide registration requirement for religious communities or general licensing requirement for clergy is documented. Religious practice includes services, puja in a mandir, prayers in a masjid, namaz, Jummah, Ramadan, zakat and Hindu festivals. Phagwah is celebrated with colour rituals, while Deepavali is celebrated with lights. Public holidays include Good Friday, Easter Monday, Christmas, Phagwah, Deepavali, Eid-ul-Azha and Youmun Nabi. Dates are announced by the state each year; Islamic holidays follow the lunar calendar. Eid-ul-Fitr is observed religiously, but its status as a public holiday must be checked against the applicable official announcement each time. Article 145 of the Constitution protects conscience, thought, religion, religious conversion, public and private religious practice, religious instruction and religious observance. No one may be compelled to take an oath that conflicts with their beliefs. Article 149 protects, among other things, against discrimination on the grounds of religion, conscience, belief or culture. The Prevention of Discrimination Act applies to employment, education, professional associations, goods and services; religious institutions may follow special rules concerning ordination, religious education, religious functions and religiously compliant practice. In 2023, a legal conflict was reported concerning cannabis use and Rastafari religious practice, but no general religious exemption has been confirmed. Religious education is included in the Grade 11 curriculum of the Ministry of Education as a National Scheme and covers Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism. Article 145 allows religious communities to provide their own instruction. Persons under 18 may not participate in another religion’s religious instruction or religious ceremony without the consent of their guardians. The Hindu community and the relevant Sanatan Dharma organisation provide Hindi, Sanskrit and English instruction, scholarships, and temple, school and welfare activities; availability and quality may vary by location. Religious dialogue takes place through IROG, World Interfaith Harmony Week and discussion events at the University of Guyana, among other channels. The Kommission für ethnische Beziehungen (Ethnic Relations Commission) has a constitutional mandate to promote religious and ethnic harmony, but it is primarily responsible for racial and ethnic discrimination and redress and is not a general religious court. A Marriage Officer must be involved in a religious marriage. Depending on the procedure, residents require banns or notice or a licence; non-residents require a licence. Before a licence can be issued, at least one party must have resided in Guyana for 15 days, the application must be submitted at least two business days in advance, and the licence is valid for 90 days. For persons aged 16 or 17, the consent of the responsible persons is required. The Standesamt (General Register Office) lists 5,000 GYD for the licence, 2,600 GYD for a marriage at the office and 300 GYD for processing a certificate. Community fees are not uniform nationwide. Births and deaths must be registered civilly with the General Register Office; baptism or another religious ritual does not replace this registration.