Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant,
Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.)

Languages:

Belarusian (official) 36.7%, Russian (official) 62.8%, other 0.5% (includes small Polish- and Ukrainian-speaking minorities) (1999 census)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 99.6%

male: 99.8%

female: 99.4% (1999 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 15 years