Data collected during the Government's 2021 census has confirmed the Congregation Christ Church Samoa's position as the country's largest denomination.

The Samoa Population and Housing Census 2021 statistics released by the Samoa Bureau of Statistics (S.B.S.) in December showed that the total population by religious affiliation came down to 205,557 with the C.C.C.S. recording the highest number of congregation members for both male and female.

For the country's male population the C.C.C.S. membership recorded 28,204 or 26.9 per cent of the total and its female members accounted for 27 per cent of the total or 27,207 female members. The Catholic Church followed with 18,813 males (17.9 per cent) and 18,093 females (18.0 per cent) with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (L.D.S.) in third place with 18,502 male members (17.6 per cent) and 17,657 female members (17.5 per cent) to round off the top three.

The other churches that followed in order of their congregation population include the Methodist Church in fourth with 12,450 male members (11.9 per cent) and 11,868 female members (11.8 per cent) and the Assembly of God (AOG) in fifth position with 10,537 male adherents (10.0 per cent) and 10,196 female followers (10.1 per cent). 

A separate category which was labelled "Other religions" in the census recorded 16,263 male members (15.5 per cent) and 15,635 female members (15.5 per cent). As for respondents in the census who listed "no religion" when doing the survey in 2021, males recorded 84 and females numbered 48.

Meanwhile, officials from the newly established Office of External Affairs of Samoa's Baháʼí community, recently told the Samoa Observer that they would be visiting the S.B.S. to get more details on the data collected during the census on "Other religions" as they believe their members were included in that basket of census respondents.

Representing the Baháʼí Office of External Affairs, Galumalemana Steven Percival and Naomi Sone Eshraghi visited the Samoa Observer office recently to advise of the opening of their new office.