Article
The Numbers and Percentages of Christians and Muslims in Africa, 2020.pdf
International Journal of African Catholicism
(2022)
Abstract
The study examined the numbers and percentages of Christians and Muslims in Africa in 2001, 2009, and 2020, to better understand the trends in the first two decades of the twenty-first century. Christians have become the majority in Africa in the year 2020. By 2020, Christians and Muslims combined accounted for over 9 out of every 10 people (94%) in Africa. Christians had increased from 304.3 (36.9%) million in 2001, to the majority in Africa, 657.3 (51.3%) million in 2020. Muslims increased their numbers from 371.5 million in 2001, to 553 million in 2020, but their percentage decreased from 45.1% in 2001 to 43.1% in 2020. Adherents of African Traditional Religion decreased substantially from 137.84 (16.7%) million in 2001 to 34.5 (2.7%) million in 2020. In 2020, of the five regions in Africa, Christians were the majority in Eastern Africa, Middle Africa, and Southern Africa; Muslims were the majority in Northern Africa and Western Africa. Christians have surpassed Muslims in numbers and percentages by 2020 due to demography and conversion, especially from adherents of African Traditional Religion to Christianity. The study recommended that Christians and Muslims should socialize with each other and attend each other’s ceremonies. They should also work together along with the African Union to improve the lives of all the people on the continent.
Disciplines
Publication Date
2022
Citation Information
Kaba, Amadu Jacky. 2022. .“The Numbers and Percentages of Christians and Muslims in Africa,” International Journal of African Catholicism (IJAC), 11 (1): 18-40.