This is a list of prime ministers of Canada by religious affiliation. It notes party affiliation after the name. Of the 24 persons to have held the office, 13 have been Protestants and 11 have been Catholics. However, Catholicism is the denomination that has provided the most prime ministers, as all 11 Catholic prime ministers have been Roman Rite Catholics, while the Protestant ones have belonged to no less than five denominations.
In early Canadian history, religion played an important role in politics. The Conservative Party was composed mainly of Anglicans and conservative French-Canadian Catholics while the Liberal Party was backed by reform-minded French Canadian Catholics and non-Anglican English Canadians due to their support in Quebec and Ontario.
List of prime ministers by religious affiliation
{|class="wikitable sortable sticky-header" style=text-align:left" style="margin:1em auto;"
|-
! Name
! colspan="2" | Party
! Religion
! Branch
! Denomination
! In office
! Notes
|-
|
| style="background:"|
| Liberal-Conservative
| frameless|15x15px Christian
|
| Anglican
| –, <br />–
| Raised Presbyterian, converted in 1875.
|-
|
| style="background:|
|Liberal
| frameless|15x15px Christian
| frameless|15x15px Protestant
| Baptist
| –
| Raised Presbyterian, but converted to Baptist at age 19 or 20.
|-
|
| style="background:"|
| Liberal-Conservative
| frameless|15x15px Christian
| frameless|15x15px Protestant
| Anglican
| –
|
|-
|
| style="background:"|
| Liberal-Conservative
| frameless|15x15pxChristian
| frameless|15x15px Catholic
| Latin Church
| –
| Born a Methodist but converted to Catholicism when he married.
|-
|
| style="background:"|
| Conservative (historical)
| frameless|15x15px Christian
| frameless|15x15px Protestant
| Presbyterian
| –
| Orange Order leader
|-
|
| style="background:"|
| Conservative (historical)
| frameless|15x15px Christian
| frameless|15x15px Protestant
| Baptist
| –
| Born a Baptist, married an Anglican and attended that church with his family. On his own sometimes attended Baptist churches.
|-
|
| style="background:|
|Liberal
| frameless|15x15px Christian
| frameless|15x15px Catholic
| Latin Church
| –
| Strongly anti-clerical.
|-
|
| style="background:"|
| Conservative (historical)
| frameless|15x15px Christian
| frameless|15x15px Protestant
| Anglican
| –
| Raised Presbyterian.
|-
|
| style="background:"|
| Conservative (historical)
| frameless|15x15px Christian
| frameless|15x15px Protestant
| Presbyterian
| –,<br />–
| Became a major fundraiser for the Salvation Army.
|-
|
| style="background:|
|Liberal
| frameless|15x15px Christian
| frameless|15x15px Protestant
| Presbyterian
| –,<br />–,<br />–
| Also a believer in various forms of mysticism.
|-
|
| style="background:"|
| Conservative (historical)
| frameless|15x15px Christian
| frameless|15x15px Protestant
| United Church of Canada
| –
| Was a Methodist before that denomination merged into the United Church of Canada.
|-
|
| style="background:|
|Liberal
| frameless|15x15px Christian
| frameless|15x15px Catholic
| Latin Church
| –
|
|-
|
| style="background:"|
|Progressive Conservative
| frameless|15x15px Christian
| frameless|15x15px Protestant
| Baptist
| –
|
|-
|
| style="background:|
|Liberal
| frameless|15x15px Christian
| frameless|15x15px Protestant
| United Church of Canada
| –
| Was a Methodist before that denomination merged into the United Church of Canada.
|-
|
| style="background:|
|Liberal
| frameless|15x15px Christian
| frameless|15x15px Catholic
| Latin Church
| –,<br />–
| Believer in Catholic Personalism. Former board member of the Humanist Fellowship of Montreal.
|-
|
| style="background:"|
|Progressive Conservative
| frameless|15x15px Christian
| frameless|15x15px Catholic
| Latin Church
| –
|
|-
|
| style="background:|
|Liberal
| frameless|15x15px Christian
| frameless|15x15px Catholic
| Latin Church
| –
|
|-
|
| style="background:"|
|Progressive Conservative
| frameless|15x15px Christian
| frameless|15x15px Catholic
| Latin Church
| –
|
|-
|
| style="background:"|
|Progressive Conservative
| frameless|15x15px Christian
| frameless|15x15px Protestant
| Anglican
| –
| Does not attend church and criticizes the treatment of women by organized religion. In 2004 she stated that religion "gets in the way of morality".
|-
|
| style="background:|
|Liberal
| frameless|15x15px Christian
| frameless|15x15px Catholic
| Latin Church
| –
| Strongly anti-clerical in his youth.
|-
|
| style="background:|
|Liberal
| frameless|15x15px Christian
| frameless|15x15px Catholic
| Latin Church
| –
| Came into conflict with the Catholic Church over his support for the Civil Marriage Act, by not allowing Cabinet ministers to have conscience votes.
|-
|
| style="background:|
| Conservative (modern)
| frameless|15x15px Christian
| frameless|15x15pxProtestant
| Christian and Missionary Alliance
| –
| Raised in the United Church of Canada.
|-
|
| style="background:|
|Liberal
| frameless|15x15px Christian
| frameless|15x15px Catholic
| Latin Church
| –
| Baptized and raised as a Catholic, became a lapsed Catholic in his youth until the death of his brother Michel. His mother is Anglican.
|-
|
| style="background:|
|Liberal
| frameless|15x15px Christian
| frameless|15x15px Catholic
| Latin Church
| –present
|
|}
Timeline
See also
- Religion in Canada
;Other countries
- Religious affiliations of chancellors of Germany
- Religious affiliations of presidents of Lebanon
- Religious affiliations of prime ministers of the Netherlands
- Religious affiliations of presidents of the United States