Religion in Tajikistan (2020)[1]
Islam is the predominant religion in Tajikistan.
Islam was brought to the region by the Arabs in the 7th century. Since that time, it has become an integral part of Tajik culture. Tajikistan is a secular country,[2] but the post-Soviet era has seen a marked increase in religious practice in the country.[3] The majority of Tajikistan's Muslims adhere to the Sunni branch of Islam, and a smaller group (mostly in Gorno-Badakhshan in the east) belong to the Shia branch of Islam. The Russian Orthodox faith is the most widely practiced of other religions, although the Russian community shrank significantly in the early 1990s. Some other small Christian groups now enjoy relative freedom of worship. Tajikistan also has a small Jewish community.[4]