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The vast majority of people in Kyrgyzstan are Muslims; as of 2020, 90% of the country's population were followers of Islam.[1][2] Muslims in Kyrgyzstan are generally of the Sunni branch, mostly of the Hanafi school, which entered the region during the eighth century.[3] Most Kyrgyz Muslims practice their religion in a specific way influenced by shamanic tribal customs. There has been a revival of Islamic practices since independence in Kyrgyzstan. For the most part religious leaders deal only with issues of religion and do not reach out to communities, but rather offer services to those who come to the mosque. There are regional differences, with the southern part of the country being more religious.[4] Kyrgyzstan remained a secular state after the fall of communism, which had only superficial influence on religious practice when Kyrgyzstan was a Soviet republic, despite the policy of state atheism. Most of the Russian population of Kyrgyzstan is Russian Orthodox. The Uzbeks, who make up 14.9 percent of the population, are generally Sunni Muslims.
- ^ "Kyrgyzstan - United States Department of State".
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-19. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Gendering Ethnicity: Implications for Democracy Assistance By L. M. Handrahan, pg. 100
- ^ U.S. Department of State, International Religious Freedom Report 2010