Panama

The country has an area of 30,193 square miles and a population of 3.3 million. The Government does not collect statistics on religious affiliation, but various sources estimate that 75 to 85 percent of the population identifies itself as Roman Catholic and 15 to 25 percent as evangelical Christian. Smaller religious groups include Episcopalians who number between 7,000 and 10,000 members, Seventh-day Adventists, other Christians, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) with an estimated 38,000 members, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jewish and Muslim communities with approximately 10,000 members each, Hindus, Buddhists, and Rastafarians. Baha'is, with an estimated 4,000 members, maintain one of the world's seven Baha'i Houses of Worship. Indigenous religions include Ibeorgun (among Kuna), Mamatata and Mamachi (among Ngobe Bugle), and Embera (among Embera).

Catholics are found throughout the country and at all levels of society. Evangelical Christians also are dispersed geographically; however, 30 percent of the population in the metropolitan areas of Panama City and Colón identifies itself as evangelical Christian. Evangelical Christians are becoming more prominent in society. The mainstream Protestant denominations, which include Southern Baptist Convention and other Baptist congregations, United Methodist, Methodist Church of the Caribbean and the Americas, and Lutheran, derive their membership from the Antillean black and the expatriate communities, both of which are concentrated in Panama and Colón Provinces. The Jewish community is centered largely in Panama City. Muslims live primarily in Panama City and Colón, with a smaller but growing presence in David and other provincial cities. The vast majority of Muslims are of Lebanese, Palestinian, or Indian descent, of whom 80 percent identify as Sunni.