section_path: Demographics/Religion
section_name: Religion
paragraph_text: Religion
  
  The religious affiliation in the country was estimated by the Pew Forum in 2010 as 99% Muslim, with all remaining groups accounting for less than 1% of the population. Of those affiliated with Islam, virtually all are Sunni Muslims, with Shia Muslims accounting for less than 0.1%. However, nearly 15% of Moroccans nonetheless describe themselves as non religious according to a 2018 survey conducted by the research network Arab Barometer; the same survey saw nearly 100 percent of respondents identify as Muslims. Another 2021 Arab Barometer survey found that 67.8% of Moroccans identified as religious, 29.1% as somewhat religious, and 3.1% as non religious. The 2015 Gallup International poll reported that 93% of Moroccans considered themselves to be religious.
  
  Prior to Morocco's independence in 1956, the country was home to a significant Christian community, numbering over 500,000 Christians, predominantly of Spanish and French ancestry. These Catholic settlers had a historic legacy and a powerful presence. However, following Morocco's independence, many of these Christian settlers left to Spain or France. The predominantly Catholic and Protestant foreign-resident Christian community consists of approximately 40,000 practising members. Most foreign resident Christians reside in the Casablanca, Tangier, Marrakesh and Rabat urban areas. Meanwhile, the Moroccan Association of Human Rights estimates there are 25,000 Christian citizens.
  
  Before the founding of the State of Israel in 1948, there were about 265,000 Jews in the country, which gave Morocco the largest Jewish community in the Muslim world. The most recent estimates put the size of the historic Casablanca Jewish community at about 2,500, and the Rabat and Marrakesh Jewish communities at about 100 members each. The remainder of the Jewish population is dispersed throughout the country. This population is mostly elderly, with a decreasing number of young people. The Baháʼí Faith community, located in urban areas, numbers 350 to 400 persons.