Religion in Nauru

The 2021 census counted 11,680 people. About 93% identified with Christianity. The Nauruan Congregational Church, including the Nauru Protestant Church, accounted for 4,001 people, or 34.3%, and the Roman Catholic Church for 3,959 people, or 33.9%. Assemblies of God accounted for 1,365 people, Pacific Light House for 706 and Nauru Independent Church for 410. Smaller communities included Baptist, Seventh-day Adventist, Protestant, Brethren, Methodist and Hindu groups. The census recorded 157 people with no religion and 57 whose religion was not stated; it also listed 485 people under other religion. These figures describe the 2021 census and do not establish why any community changed in size. Nauru's Constitution protects freedom of conscience, thought and religion, including the freedom to change religion and to worship, teach, practise and observe religious belief in public or private. It protects people from being hindered because of their religion. A person cannot be required to receive instruction or take part in a ceremony belonging to another religion. For a person under 20, parental or guardian consent applies to a change of religion under the constitutional rule. Peaceful assembly and association are also protected, subject to limits connected with defence, public safety, public order, public morality, public health and the rights of other people. Registration affects the scope of activity for religious groups. A 2023 freedom-of-religion report stated that registration was required for full official activity, including proselytising, building places of worship and conducting marriage blessings. Local religious leaders reported that ordinary worship services and meetings generally also take place without registration. The same report described a requirement for a new group to have at least 750 members, land, a building and a Nauruan clergy leader who lives in Nauru. It listed the Catholic Church, Nauruan Congregational Church, Assemblies of God, Nauru Independent Church and Seventh-day Adventist Church as officially registered at that time. The report stated that the Church of Jesus Christ was not registered in 2023, so this registration information should be treated as time-specific. Government schools are non-sectarian and secular under the Education Act 2011. They may offer religious education for up to one hour per week through an authorised representative of a recognised denomination. Participation is legally voluntary, the parents' wishes determine participation, and alternative instruction must be provided while religious education takes place. A Catholic school, including Kayser College, provides a non-government education pathway. Reported school practice has not always matched the legal description, so the applicable school policy should be checked. Good Friday, Easter Monday, Easter Tuesday and Christmas Day are public-service holidays in Nauru in 2026, reflecting the practical public importance of the Christian calendar. Churches also take part in services and choirs connected with national occasions such as Independence Day and Constitution Day. The Police Chaplain provides hospital visits, prayer and family support and uses scripture-based ethics in training for recruits. Churches and the Youth Council also support faith-based outreach and community work. No separate national interfaith council was established in the reviewed official sources; shared civic services, joint choirs and communication about tolerance provide functional forms of dialogue. Religious weddings are linked to a recognised or registered denomination, while civil marriage registration is handled separately through the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Baptisms, funerals and other rites are led by the relevant denomination. No reliable nationwide standard fee or timetable was established for these ceremonies, so the chosen church or office should provide the current cost, documents and appointment information.