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Orthodox Church of Albania Disputes Albanian Census Results 2023
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https://orthodoxalbania.org/
OCP News Service – 20/07/2024
Tirana – Albania: The Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania’s Press Office issued a statement on July 18,2024, questioning the accuracy of the 2023 census results regarding the number of Orthodox Christians in Albania.
The Church claims the census significantly underestimates the Orthodox population for several reasons:
- Incomplete Interviews: Enumerators, according to the Church, failed to ask all interviewees about their religious affiliation.
- Missed Households: The Church alleges documented evidence that a substantial number of believers were not visited by census officials.
- Baptismal Records Discrepancy: Church baptismal records reportedly indicate a far greater number of Orthodox faithful than reflected in the census data.
The statement further highlights historical statistics from 1927, which showed Orthodox Christians comprising 22.3% of the population compared to the much lower figure presented in the 2023 census.
The Church raises additional concerns regarding the high number of individuals categorized as:
- Unqualified believers (332,155)
- Atheist (85,311)
- Preferring not to answer (244,331)
- Not available (134,451)
This group, totaling nearly one-third of the population (796,248), is seen by the Church as evidence of the census’ inaccuracy.
The Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania calls for a more thorough investigation to ensure a more accurate representation of the religious demographics in the country.
OCP News Service