Christianity was a widespread religion on the territory of contemporary Yemen as early as in 6th century before arrival of Islam in Yemen.[1] Divisions between Jews and Christians led to the latter being persecuted under the Jewish Kingdom of Himyar. After the Ethiopian invasion of Yemen, the Ethiopian-based Kingdom of Axum supported the local Christian community and tried to encourage the growth of Christianity in the region. This led to a revenge suppression of Yemenite Jews by their new rulers.[2][3]
In 2023, Christians as a group make up 0.06% of the country's population.[4] The World Christian Encyclopedia, Second edition, Volume 1, states that the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church are the largest denominations in Yemen. A 2015 study estimated that there were 400 Christians from a Muslim background in the country.[5] Pew-Templeton estimated the number of Christians in Yemen at 40,000 in 2013.[6]
In 2020, there were four hundred Catholics in the country, which included one priest and eight nuns.[7] There are also approximately 2,500 Catholics who are temporary foreign workers or refugees.[8][9]
In Aden there are one Catholic church and two Anglican churches. In San'a there are weekly Protestant services, with 436 Protestants. Christian missions from several countries are active in Yemen. There are hospitals that belong to foreign Christian institutions.
Protestants make up less than 1% of the population of Yemen. In 2006, an American Baptist congregation was affiliated with a hospital in Jibla;[10] the Anglican Church runs two charitable clinics in Aden and it was noted that in the past peaceful relations between Christians and Muslims contribute to religious freedom.[11] However, in 2020, Yemen is ranked as 'High' on the scale of state discrimination against minority religions[12] and it is reported that Christians and other religious minorities are often discriminated against when attempting to access humanitarian aid.[13]
Conversion from Islam to Christianity is not legally recognized by the state. Yemen was third on Open Doors' 2023 World Watch List, an annual ranking of the 50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution.[14] In the same year, it was scored 1 out of 4 for religious freedom.[15]
