Christianity is the main religion in Sub-Saharan Africa. As of 2020, ** percent of the region's population was Christian. Muslims followed, accounting for **** percent of the total population. In addition, *** percent of the people in Sub-Saharan Africa practiced traditional African religions, while the unaffiliated constituted three percent of the population.

Christianity is the major religion in numerous African countries. As of 2024, around 96 percent of the population of Zambia was Christian, representing the highest percentage on the continent. Seychelles and Rwanda followed with roughly 95 percent and 94 percent of the population being Christian, respectively. While these countries present the highest percentages, Christianity was also prevalent in many other African nations. For instance, in South Africa, Christianity was the religion of nearly 85 percent of the people, while the share corresponded to 71 percent in Ghana. Religious variations across Africa Christianity and Islam are the most practiced religions in Africa. Christian adherents are prevalent below the Sahara, while North Africa is predominantly Muslim. In 2020, Christians accounted for around 60 percent of the Sub-Saharan African population, followed by Muslims with a share of roughly 30 percent. In absolute terms, there were approximately 650 million Christians in the region, a number forecast to increase to over one billion by 2050. In contrast, Islam is most prevalent in North Africa, being the religion of over 90 percent of the population in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Libya. Christianity in the world As opposed to other religions, Christianity is widely spread across continents worldwide. In fact, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Europe each account for around 25 percent of the global Christian population. By comparison, Asia-Pacific and North America make up 13 percent and 12 percent of Christians worldwide, respectively. In several regions, Christians also suffer persecution on religious grounds. Somalia and Libya presented the most critical situation in Africa in 2021, reporting the strongest suppression of Christians worldwide just after North Korea and Afghanistan.

Christianity is the main religion in Sub-Saharan Africa. As of 2020, over *** million people in the region were Christian. Muslims followed, amounting to around *** million, while folk religions counted over ** million adherents. By 2050, the number of Christians in Sub-Saharan Africa is forecast to exceed *** billion, Muslims are forecast to be around *** million, and folk religions to account for about ** million adherents.

Islam is the major religion in many African countries, especially in the north of the continent. In Comoros, Libya, Western Sahara, at least 99 percent of the population was Muslim as of 202. These were the highest percentages on the continent. However, also in many other African nations, the majority of the population was Muslim. In Egypt, for instance, Islam was the religion of 79 percent of the people. Islam and other religions in Africa Africa accounts for an important share of the world’s Muslim population. As of 2019, 16 percent of the Muslims worldwide lived in Sub-Saharan Africa, while 20 percent of them lived in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Together with Christianity, Islam is the most common religious affiliation in Africa, followed by several traditional African religions. Although to a smaller extent, numerous other religions are practiced on the continent: these include Judaism, the Baha’i Faith, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Number of Muslims worldwide Islam is one of the most widespread religions in the world. There are approximately 1.9 billion Muslims globally, with the largest Muslim communities living in the Asia-Pacific region. Specifically, Indonesia hosts the highest number of Muslims worldwide, amounting to over 200 million, followed by India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Islam is also present in Europe and America. The largest Islamic communities in Europe are in France (5.72 million), Germany (4.95 million), and the United Kingdom (4.13 million). In the United States, there is an estimated number of around 3.45 million Muslims.

Population by sex, religious affiliation and region(2010)

Islam and Christianity form the two dominant religions in Nigeria. The basis of traditional religions was systematically exterminated in the religio-cultural life of the Nigerian people after their contact with colonialism. Approximately 90 percent of the Nigerian people have since preferred to be identified with either Islam or Christianity.Nigeria’s contact with Islam predated that of Christianity and European colonialism; its spread was facilitated into Sub-Saharan Africa through trade and commerce. The northern part of Nigeria is symbolic to the history of Islam, as it penetrated the area through the Kanem-Borno Empire in the 11th century before spreading to the other predominately Hausa states. Islam was then introduced into the traditional societies of the Yoruba-speaking people of south-west Nigeria through their established commercial relationship with people of the North, particularly the Nupe and Fulani.Christianity reached Nigeria in the 15th century with the visitation of the Roman and Catholic missionaries to the coastal areas of the Niger-Delta region, although there were few recorded converts and churches built during this period. Christianity soon recorded a boost in the southern region given its opposition to the slave trade and its promotion of Western education. In contrast to the smooth process Christian evangelization underwent in the South, its process in the North was difficult because Islam had already become well-established.Given the philosophy of Islam as a complete way of life for a Muslim, Islam has always been closely attached to politics in Nigeria. The emergence of particular Islamic groups was significantly influenced by international events, particularly the 1979 Iranian revolution and the corresponding disenchantment from the West. These developments shaped Nigerian national politics of the period as Muslims radically redefined their political interests in line with religion and began to clamor for the incorporation of the Sharia legal system into the country’s judicial system. Nigeria then tried to harness opportunities accruable from other Muslim countries by becoming a registered member with the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) in 1985. This inflamed Christians and nurtured the fear of domination by their Muslim counterparts and the possibility of a gradual extinction of their religio-political strength in the national political structure. The distinct religious separation has also instigated violence in present-day Nigeria, including the Sharia riot in Kaduna in 2000, ongoing ethno-religious violence in Jos since 2001, and the 2011 post-election violence that erupted in some northern states. Nigerians’ continued loyalty to religion compared to that of the country continues to sustain major political debate, conflict, and violent outbreaks between populations of the two faiths.

ISO3 - International Organization for Standardization 3-digit country code

AREA_AFF - Geographic area affected by disease

DT_START - Date health event started

DT_END - Date health event ended

TYPE - Type of disease group

DISEASE - Name of disease

NUM_DTH - Number of people reported dead from disease

NUM_AFF - Number of people affected from disease

SOURCE_DT - Source creation date

SOURCE - Primary source

Collection

This HGIS was created using information collected from several websites. EM-DAT, the World Health Organization, and news reports provided information about the outbreaks.

The data included herein have not been derived from a registered survey and should be considered approximate unless otherwise defined. While rigorous steps have been taken to ensure the quality of each dataset, DigitalGlobe Analytics is not responsible for the accuracy and completeness of data compiled from outside sources.

Sources (HGIS)

Egunganga, Vincent, Ami Sadiq, and Hir Joseph. All AfricaHIR JOSEPH, "Nigeria: Lassa Fever Returns Vicio." Last modified March 09, 2013. Accessed April 16, 2013. http://allafrica.com/.

EM DAT, "Country Database; Nigeria." Last modified March 2013. Accessed April 16, 2013. http://www.emdat.be/.

World Health Organization, "Global Health Observatory; Nigeria." Last modified 2012. Accessed April 16, 2013. http://www.who.int/en/.

Sources (Metadata)

Encyclopedia of the Nations, "Nigeria Country Specific Information." Last modified 2013. Accessed March 28, 2013. http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com.

Kates, Jennifer, and Alyssa Wilson Leggoe. The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, "HIV/AIDS; The HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Nigeria." Last modified October 2005. Accessed April 16, 2013. http://www.kff.org/.

United States Embassy in Nigeria, "Nigeria Malaria Fact Sheet." Last modified December 2011. Accessed April 16, 2013. http://nigeria.usembassy.gov.

World Health Organization, "Global Task Force on Cholera Control." Last modified January 18, 2012. Accessed April 16, 2013. http://www.who.int/.

World Health Organization, "Meningococcal disease: situation in the African Meningitis Belt." Last modified 2012. Accessed March 14, 2013. http://www.who.int/csr/don/2012_05_24/en/index.html.

The average for 2013 based on 1 countries was 0.6 percent. The highest value was in Egypt: 0.6 percent and the lowest value was in Egypt: 0.6 percent. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2013. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

In 2024, Nigeria had the largest Muslim population in Africa, with around 105 million people who belonged to an Islamic denomination. Egypt and Algeria followed with 90.4 million and 39.4 million Muslims, respectively. Muslims have a significant presence in Africa, with an estimated 50 percent of the continent's population identifying as Muslim. The spread of Islam in Africa began in the 7th century with the arrival of Arab traders, and it continued through Islamic scholars and missionaries.

In 2024, Ethiopia had the largest Christian population in Africa, with around 77.5 million people who identified as Christian. The second highest Christian population was in Nigeria, with 74.4 million people. Christianity has a significant presence in Africa, with its history on the continent dating back to the fourth century in Ethiopia. Furthermore, Christianity has spread throughout Africa with different denominations and traditions, taking root in various regions. Some of the largest Christian denominations in Africa include the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Church, and the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements.

Population by Nationality,Sex and Religion(2010)

ObjectivesThe elderly are particularly prone to complications from a number of vaccine-preventable diseases. However, there are limited data on vaccine uptake for this vulnerable population in South Africa. Consequently, this study investigated influenza, pneumococcal and shingles vaccine uptake among elderly people in South Africa; reasons for their vaccination status; and factors associated with their uptake.MethodsCross-sectional study using an interviewer-administered questionnaire to survey 985 consenting adults aged ≥65 years in 2018. Participants were recruited from across South Africa. Bivariate analysis was used to identify socio-demographic variables associated with vaccine uptake, with multivariate logistic regression analysis used to identify key factors associated with vaccine uptake.ResultsInfluenza vaccine uptake was 32.3% (318/985), with uptake highest in those aged 85–90 years. Pneumococcal and shingles vaccine uptake was 3.8% (37/985) and 0.4% (4/985) respectively, being highest among those aged >90 years. The strongest statistically significant predictors for influenza vaccination were previous influenza vaccination (OR: 8.42 [5.61–12.64]); identifying as ‘Coloured’ (OR: 8.39 [3.98–17.69]); and residing in Gauteng Province (OR: 5.44 [3.30–9.02]). The strongest statistically significant predictors of receiving pneumococcal vaccination included receiving influenza vaccination (OR = 10.67 [3.27–37.83]); residing in the Western Cape Province (OR: 7.34 [1.49–36.22]); identifying as ‘Indian’ (OR: 5.85 [2.53–13.55]); and having a university education (OR: 5.56 [1.25–24.77]). Statistically significant barriers to receiving influenza vaccination included following the Traditional African religion (OR: 0.08 [0.01–0.62]) and residing in Limpopo Province (OR: 0.16 [0.04–0.71]). The main reasons for non-vaccination were considering influenza as a mild illness (36.6%; 242/661), and lack of knowledge about the pneumococcal (93.4%; 886/948) and shingles (95.2%; 934/981) vaccines.ConclusionVaccine uptake for all vaccines was sub-optimal, with multiple non-modifiable factors predicting vaccine uptake. These pre-COVID-19 data provide a baseline for measuring the effectiveness of future interventions to increase vaccine uptake and safeguard the health of the elderly.

This map shows the percentage of the population that practice other religions not accounted for in the other categories.

2009 Census Volume 2 Table 12 Population by Religious Affiliation

Pew Research Center surveyed 13,122 adults across six countries in Asia about religious identity, beliefs, and practices, using nationally representative methods. Interviews were conducted face-to-face in Cambodia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. They were conducted on mobile phones in Malaysia and Singapore. Local interviewers administered the survey from June to September 2022, in eight languages.

This survey is part of the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures project, a broader effort by Pew Research Center to study religious change and its impact on societies around the world. The Center previously has conducted religion-focused surveys across sub-Saharan Africa; the Middle East-North Africa region and many countries with large Muslim populations; Latin America; Israel; Central and Eastern Europe; Western Europe; India; and the United States.

This survey includes three countries in which Buddhists make up a majority of the population (Cambodia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand); two countries with Muslim majorities (Malaysia and Indonesia); and one country that is religiously diverse, with no single group forming a majority (Singapore). We also are surveying five additional countries and territories in Asia, to be covered in a future report.

Pew Research Center has produced a supplemental syntax file containing SPSS code to generate common analytic variables in the survey's corresponding report and toplines. The ARDA has provided this syntax in a copyable PDF document as an additional download.

This statistic shows religious diversity in Middle East and North Africa in 2010, by share of religious population. In 2010, about 93 percent of population in the Middle East and North Africa were Muslims.

Frequency distribution of main reasons for vaccine decisions.

Financial overview and grant giving statistics of African Cultural and Religious Society of Washington Dc

2009 Census: Population by Religious Affiliation, Swahili Version

In 2024, Nigeria accounted for 7.08 percent of the global Muslim population, the highest share among African countries. Egypt and Algeria followed, with shares of 6.12 percent and 2.67 percent, respectively. Islam has a significant presence in Africa, with an estimated 50 percent of the continent's population identifying as Muslim. The spread of Islam in Africa began in the 7th century with the arrival of Arab traders, and later continued through Islamic scholars and missionaries.

Multivariate model of factors related to influenza and pneumococcal vaccine uptake.