Religious Diversity in the ASEAN Region

Description: Religions of the ASEAN Countries

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar) are not a homogeneous block:

Political.

In the ASEAN Region (Southeast Asia), cohabits democratic regimes with authoritarian or military dictatorships (Myanmar).

Ethnical.

In the ASEAN Countries, there are local born Chinese, Arabic, or Hindu citizens

Socio-economic Development.

From the economic point of view, there are huge differences between the ASEAN-6 economies and the four CLMV countries (Cambodia, Laos, Burma, and Vietnam).

Religious.

1. Islam is the largest religion in the ASEAN Region (official religion in Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia)
2. The Buddhist bloc of the ASEAN Countries consists of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, and Vietnam.
3. The Philippines is mainly Christian.

About 42% of the ASEAN population is Muslim (mostly Sunni), then follow by Buddhism (18%) and Christianity (17%).

Linguistic.

Although the official language of the ASEAN is English practically every country or even region, speaks a different language.

* thousands of people.

If we compare the ASEAN with, for example, the European Union (EU); it is easy to see that the European Union could be considered almost as a monolithic block from the religious point of view.

Islam in Asia