Religion in Yemen

Yemen is an Islamic country. Nearly all Yemenis are Muslims: the U.S. government estimated in 2024 that more than 99% of the population is Muslim, with approximately 60–65% adhering to Sunni Islam (mostly Shaafiism) and 35–40% to Shia Islam (mostly Zaydism). Amongst the native population, there were an estimated 1,000 Christians and six Jews remaining in 2016. The U.S. State Department's International Religious Freedom Report for 2023 put the estimated number of Christians in Yemen at 16,500 but also acknowledged other estimates of a few thousand. The same report noted there was only one Jew left in Yemen following the expulsion of 13 by Houthis in 2021. However, using data collected in 2010, the Pew Research Center estimated there were over 40,000 Christians, though most do not publicly identify as such due to fears of religious persecution. According to 2017 WIN/Gallup International polls, Yemen has the most religious population among Arab countries, and it is one of the most religious populations worldwide.