The constitution provides for freedom of religion and worship and prohibits political parties based on religious affiliation. The law states that the country has no national religion, but by decree and practice, the government gives preference to the Roman Catholic Church and the Reformed Church of Equatorial Guinea, which are the only religious groups not required to register their organization or activities with the Ministry of Justice, Religious Affairs, and Penitentiary Institutions (MJRAPI). The government provides funds to the Catholic Church and its schools for educational programming. Catholic masses remained a normal part of official ceremonial functions. The law also requires a permit for door-to-door proselytism. Authorities routinely granted permission for religious groups to proselytize and to hold activities outside of registered places of worship, but generally denied permission for religious activities not within the prescribed hours. Evangelical Christian groups continued to hold activities outside the prescribed period without government intervention.
There were no reports of significant societal actions affecting religious freedom.
U.S. embassy representatives met with government officials, including the MJRAPI director general of religion, to discuss the ability of individuals to practice any religion free of discrimination. Embassy staff members also met with the Imam for Malabo and the respective presidents of the evangelical and Pentecostal communities to discuss their experiences as nondominant religious denominations operating in country.