Islam in North Macedonia

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Islam in Europe
by percentage of country population[1]
  90–100%
  70–80%
 Kazakhstan
  50–70%
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Albania
  30–50%
 North Macedonia
  10–20%
  5–10%
  4–5%
  • Italy
  • Serbia
  2–4%
  1–2%
  • Croatia
  • Ireland
  • Ukraine
  < 1%
Islam by country
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Religious structure of Macedonia by settlements 2002. Muslims (green), Orthodox Christian (blue)
Map of the muftiships of North Macedonia.

Muslims in North Macedonia represent a third of the nation's total population according to the census of 2002,[2][3] making Islam the second most widely professed religion in the country. Muslims in North Macedonia follow Sunni Islam of the Hanafi madhhab. Some northwestern and western regions of the country have Muslim majorities. A large majority of all the Muslims in the country are ethnic Albanians, with the rest being primarily Turks, Romani, Bosniaks or Torbeš.

Population[]

Ethnicity[]

The Šarena Džamija, built in 1438, is a mosque in Tetovo.
Mustafa Pasha Mosque in Skopje.
Gazi Hajdar Kadi Mosque in Bitola.

Albanian Muslims, forming roughly 25% of the nation's total population (2002 census), and most of the Muslim population, live mostly in the Polog and western regions of the country. The Turks, who make up about 4% of the country's total population (2002 census), are scattered throughout the country, but mostly in major cities, as are Roma Muslims. Bosniaks are mostly concentrated within Skopje. Muslims of Macedonian ethnicity number roughly 40,000 to 100,000 and can be found in the western part of North Macedonia in the Centar Župa, Debar, Struga and Plasnica areas.[citation needed]

Population of Macedonia according to ethnic affiliation in 1981 and 2002
Ethnic group Population 1981 Population 2002
Albanians 377,208[4][5] 509,083[5][6]
Turks 86,591[4][5] 77,959[5][6]
Romani 43,125[4][5] 53,879[5][6]
Macedonian Muslims 39,513[5] 2,553[5][7]
Bosniaks 17,018[5][6]

Historical population[]

The following table shows the Muslim population and percentage for each given year. The Muslim percentage in Macedonia generally decreased from 1904 to 1961 but began to rise again due to high fertility rate among Muslim families, reaching 33.33% in 2002. But according to a survey done by Pew Research Center, Muslims represented 28.6% of the nation's total population in 2011

Year Muslim population Muslim percentage
1904 634,000[8] 36.76%
1912 384,000[8] 33.47%
1921 269,000[8] 31.43%
1948 314,603[8] 27.29%
1953 388,515[8] 29.78%
1961 338,200[8] 24.05%
1971 414,176[8] 25.14%
1981 546,437[8] 28.62%
1991 611,326[8] 30.06%
1994 581,203[8][9] 30.04%
2002 674,015[8][10] 33.33%
  • Geographical distribution

(according to the 2002 census)

Municipality Population (2002) Muslims (2002) Percentage (%)
Tetovo 70,841 49,927 70.5%
Gostivar 49,545 36,045 72.8%
Centar 82,604 34,325 41.6%
Čair 68,395 32,877 48.1%
Kumanovo 103,205 31,758 30.8%
Lipkovo 27,058 26,351 97.4%
Želino 24,390 24,210 99.3%
Saraj 24,253 22,768 93.9%
Tearce 22,454 19,508 86.9%
Struga 36,892 18,967 51.4%
Debar 17,952 17,083 95.2%
Studeničani 17,246 16,828 97.6%
16,813 16,720 99.4%
Gazi Baba 72,222 15,968 22.1%
Šuto Orizari 17,357 15,231 87.8%
Bogovinje 14,555 14,445 99.2%
Kamenjane 14,442 14,365 99.5%
Kičevo 30,138 13,703 45.5%
Čegrane 12,310 11,967 97.2%
Zajas 11,605 11,303 97.4%
Kondovo 11,155 11,047 99.0%
Aračinovo 11,992 10,925 91.1%
Oslomej 10,425 10,260 98.4%
Veles 57,602 9,786 17.0%
Brvenica 15,855 9,781 61.7%
Rostuša 9,451 8,940 94.6%
Velešta 8,156 8,072 99.0%
Labuništa 8,935 8,061 90.2%
Dolna Banjica 9,467 7,847 82.9%
Džepčište 7,919 7,789 98.4%
Šipkovica 7,820 7,783 99.5%
Delogoždi 7,884 7,724 98.0%
Ohrid 54,380 7,684 14.1%
Vrapčište 8,586 7,525 87.6%
Bitola 86,408 7,043 8.2%
Dolneni 11,583 6,688 57.7%
Centar Župa 6,299 6,215 98.7%
Vrutok 5,999 5,159 86.0%
Kisela Voda 125,379 4,654 3.7
Plasnica 4,545 4,465 98.2%
Prilep 73,351 4,393 6.0%
Radoviš 24,498 4,341 17.7%
Resen 16,825 3,927 23.3%
41,490 3,792 9.1%
Srbinovo 3,709 3,593 96.9%
Petrovec 8,255 3,564 43.2%
Štip 47,796 3,555 7.4%
Karpoš 59,810 3,107 5.2%
Strumica 45,087 3,038 6.7%
Kruševo 9,684 2,514 26.0%
7,227 2,511 34.7%
Sopište 9,522 2,310 24.3%
Kočani 33,689 2,273 6.7%
Vasilevo 12,122 2,196 18.1%
Vratnica 3,563 2,181 61.2%
Čučer-Sandevo 8,493 1,954 23.0%
Žitoše 2,128 1,917 90.1%
Zelenikovo 4,077 1,491 36.6%
Vinica 17,914 1,489 8.3%
Valandovo 11,890 1,355 11.4%
Bistrica 5,042 1,320 26.2%
Kavadarci 38,391 1,161 3.0%
Čaška 2,878 1,006 35.0%
Murtino 6,544 953 14.6%
Negotino 19,212 912 4.7%
Topolčani 2,923 859 29.4%
Gradsko 3,760 815 21.7%
Delčevo 17,505 773 4.4%
Ilinden 15,894 748 4.7%
Karbinci 4,012 729 18.2%
Pehčevo 5,517 702 12.7%
Bosilovo 12,457 618 5.0%
Berovo 13,941 556 4.0%
Kriva Palanka 20,820 530 2.5%
Konče 3,536 521 14.7%
Star Dojran 3,426 483 14.1%
Drugovo 3,249 448 13.8%
Mavrovi Anovi 984 415 42.2%
Demir Kapija 4,545 409 9.0%
Capari 1,424 320 22.5%
Vraneštica 1,322 287 21.7%
Demir Hisar 7,178 280 3.9%
Lozovo 2,858 253 8.9%
Dobruševo 2,174 218 10.0%
Kukliš 4,449 203 4.6%
Makedonski Brod 5,588 182 3.3%
Kratovo 10,441 173 1.7%
Mešeišta 2,567 163 6.3%
Sveti Nikole 18,497 159 0.9%
Kukurečani 2,511 69 2.7%
Bogdanci 8,707 60 0.7%
Gevgelija 20,362 51 0.3%
Probištip 12,765 49 0.4%
Bogomila 1,252 48 3.8%
Novaci 2,478 48 1.9%
Mogila 4,536 48 1.1%
Lukovo 1,509 43 2.8%
Rankovce 4,144 26 0.6%
Makedonska Kamenica 2,567 23 0.9%
Podareš 3,746 13 0.3%
Krivogaštani 6,007 8 0.1%
Novo Selo 11,966 8 0.1%
Rosoman 4,141 6 0.1%
Belčišta 2,940 4 0.1%
Konopište 350 3 0.9%
Vevčani 2,433 3 0.1%
Staro Nagoričane 4,258 3 0.1%
Staravina 316 1 0.3%
Bač 755 1 0.1%
Izvor 1,049 1 0.1%
Orašac 1,252 1 0.1%
Sopotnica 2,319 1 0.0%
Miravci 2,626 1 0.0%
Orizari 4,403 1 0.0%
Obleševo 5,071 1 0.0%
Zletovo 3,428 0 0.0%
Zrnovci 3,264 0 0.0%
Češinovo 2,419 0 0.0%
Blatec 2,024 0 0.0%
Klečevce 1,609 0 0.0%
Samokov 1,553 0 0.0%
Kosel 1,369 0 0.0%
Vitolište 494 0 0.0%
Macedonia (total) 2,022,547 674,015 33.3%

The Ss. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje stated in 2012 that "religion is primary importance to North Macedonia's Muslims." The University conducted a survey of 1.850 Muslims in North Macedonia, which found that 81.6% described themselves as religious, 60.5% of which were very religious. Approximately 22% never went to a mosque(48,6% attend mosque at least once a week) and 17.3% did not pray at home(42,1% pray five times a day). About 28,6% believed that disputes should be resolved using Islamic Sharia law(41,7% say that should be resolved using North Macedonia's laws,29,7% didn't know or refused to answer), and 27,8% said that wearing a veil in school was "unacceptable." 16,4% of the respondents said cohabitation without marriage was "acceptable"(74,2% said " non acceptable" and 9,3% refused to answer), 13,6% ate pork and 24,8% drank alcohol. Also 94% of respondents said they circumcised their boys and 98% observed Muslim burial practices for their relatives.[11]

According to a 2017 Pew Research Center survey, 64% of Macedonian Muslims responded that religion is "very important" in their lives.[12] The same survey found that 43% of Macedonian Muslims pray all five salah,[13] 51% attend mosque at least once a week,[14] and 46% read Quran at least once a week.That makes Macedonian muslims the most religious muslim community between the Balkan countries with the muslim communities in Montenegro and Serbia.[15]

Gallery[]

  • Yeni Mosque in Bitola

  • The Monastir (Bitola) bazaar in 1914.

  • Bitola

  • Mustafa Pasha's Mosque

  • Door detail from Mustafa Pasha's Mosque

  • Islamic inscription from Mustafa Pasha's Mosque.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Religious Composition by Country, 2010-2050". Pew Research Center. 12 April 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  2. ^ "naslovna-10PUB" (PDF). Retrieved 2018-06-22.
  3. ^ "Macedonia country profile". 22 February 2018 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c Ortakovski, Vladimir T. "Interethnic Relations and Minorities in the Republic of Macedonia" (PDF). Southeast European Politics. 2 (1): 25–45.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i "Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Macedonia, 2016, p. 67" (PDF). Republic of Macedonia, State Statistical Office. 2016. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Census of Pupulation, Households and Dwellings in the Republic of Macedonia, 2002, p. 591" (PDF). Republic of Macedonia, State Statistical Office. 2002. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  7. ^ Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Macedonia, 2014, p. 67, Retrieved 11 December 2016
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k Kettani, Houssain (2010). "Muslim Population in Europe: 1950 – 2020" (PDF). International Journal of Environmental Science and Development vol. 1, no. 2, p. 156. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  9. ^ Coughlin, Kathryn M. (2006). Muslim Cultures Today, A Reference Guide. Greenwood Press, Westport, Connecticut, London. p. 16. ISBN 9780313323867.
  10. ^ Census of Pupulation, Households and Dwellings in the Republic of Macedonia, 2002, p. 518
  11. ^ "Bulgaria's Muslims not deeply religious: study". Hürriyet Daily News. 9 December 2011. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  12. ^ "Religious Belief and National Belonging in Central and Eastern Europe: Final Topline" (PDF). Pew Research Center. 10 May 2017. p. 121. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  13. ^ "Religious Belief and National Belonging in Central and Eastern Europe: Final Topline" (PDF). Pew Research Center. 10 May 2017. p. 154. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  14. ^ "Religious Belief and National Belonging in Central and Eastern Europe: Final Topline" (PDF). Pew Research Center. 10 May 2017. p. 118. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  15. ^ "Religious Belief and National Belonging in Central and Eastern Europe: Final Topline" (PDF). Pew Research Center. 10 May 2017. p. 122. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
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