Religion in Singapore

Singapore is generally a multi-religious country, mainly due to its strategic location and the variety of religious beliefs that most Singaporeans hold. More than 40% of the Singaporeans adhere to Mahayana Buddhism, the main faith of the Chinese population of Singapore, who constituted around 77% of the country's population.

Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, and ancestral worship are merged into one by most Chinese adherents to Buddhism. Most Muslims are Malay, but a few Indian Muslims exist.

Religious tolerance has been strongly encouraged since the British colonised Singapore; South Bridge Street, which was a major road through the old Chinatown, served as home to the Sri Mariamman Temple (a south Indian Hindu temple that was declared a national historical site in the 1980s), as well as the Masjid Jamae Mosque that served Chulia Muslims from India's Coromandel Coast.

Among other religious landmarks is the Armenian Church of Gregory the Illuminator, the oldest church in Singapore, which was completed in 1836. It was also the first building in Singapore to have electricity, when electric fans and lights were installed. However, as of 2005, the church no longer holds Armenian services, as the last Armenian priest retired in the 1930s. Regardless, the church and its grounds have been carefully preserved, and Orthodox Church services are still held in it.

Related Topics

• Buddhism in Singapore
• Taoism in Singapore
• Islam in Singapore
• Christianity in Singapore
• Hinduism in Singapore