Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Tolerance and Tension: Islam and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa

Chapter 2: Commitment to Christianity and Islam

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Large majorities in every country surveyed express belief in the core tenets of Christianity or Islam. For example, roughly three-in-four or more people express absolutely certain belief in the existence of God. In eight countries, at least nine-in-ten people express this view. By way of comparison, 71% of adults in the United States, arguably the most religious country in the industrialized world, say they are absolutely convinced of God’s existence. The only sub-Saharan African nations where fewer than eight-in-ten believe in God with absolute certainty are Botswana (74%), Chad, Mozambique and Uganda (77% in each).

The survey finds that nearly everyone in the countries surveyed who professes belief in God adopts a monotheistic rather than a polytheistic view, with very few people saying they believe in more than one God.

In keeping with the teachings of both Christianity and Islam, more than eight-in-ten people in nearly every country surveyed say they believe in heaven. Respondents in Mali, Senegal, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana and Kenya are all nearly unanimous on this question, with 97% or more of the populations of these countries expressing belief in heaven. Belief in hell tends to be somewhat less common, though in every country surveyed upwards of six-in-ten people say they believe hell exists.

In addition, large numbers of Christians – including at least half in every country surveyed and nearly nine-in-ten people in Nigeria and Liberia – say they believe the Bible is the word of God and should be taken literally, word for word. Most Muslims adopt a similar view of the Koran, including roughly nine-in-ten or more Muslims in Nigeria, Cameroon and Ghana.

This chapter includes information on:

  • Importance of religion in people’s lives
  • Religious beliefs, including belief in heaven and hell
  • Religious practices, including frequency of attendance at religious services and prayer
  • Intense religious experiences, including divine healings and exorcisms
  • Influence of the Pentecostal movement

Download chapter 2 in full (8-page PDF, <1MB)


Photo credit: Sebastien Desarmaux/GODONG/Godong/Corbis

Part of the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project


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