Home Interviews & Features Nigeria Holds The Largest Population Of Christians In Africa

Nigeria Holds The Largest Population Of Christians In Africa

253
0
National Church of Nigeria, Christians in Africa, Christians in Nigeria, Nigerian Christians
Photo/Moises/Flickr — The National Church of Nigeria, Abuja

Christians in Africa continues to increase in numbers although Christianity is an adopted religion in the continent. One thing remains clear amidst data collation and statistics, that is the fact that the spread of the religion bears witness to the scripture.

Research has shown that Christianity is the world’s Largest religion. Although, a decline in Christianity has been recorded in the USA in recent years, the religion continues to grow fast with 2.2 billion Christians in the world as at 2014, according to Pew Research Centre, and it is expected to exceed 3 billion followers by 2050 if current trend continues.

In Nigeria, the domination of Christian population reflects the world trend. 85 million persons belong to the church with various denominations distributed across the country and concentration in the southern, also central region of country. This makes Nigeria hold the largest number of Christians in Africa, according to Pews Research Centre.

The numbers of Christians in Nigeria have grown from 21.4% in 1953 to 49.3% in 2010. In 2015, a study estimates some 600,000 believers in Christ are from a Muslim background living in the country inspite of the violence towards non-muslim especially in the north where muslims are more concentrated.

The  85 million Christians in Nigeria also amount to the largest number in Africa and it is expected to grow between 2010 and 2015 to an estimate of about 154, 840, 000, a percentage of about 5.3% frrom its 4.9% in 2010. Though there were a large number of Christians living in Nigeria in 2010, they were slightly less than half of Nigeria’s population. Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ethiopia follows Nigeria with 63,210,000 (2.9%) and 52,070,000 (2.4%) respectively in 2010. However, in 2014, South Africa showed rapid growth with 36.04% of Christians.

The statistics also puts Nigeria at 6 amongst the top 10 countries with the largest number of Christians with United States sitting at the top of the list with 243,060,000 Christians. Followed by Brazil and Mexico with 173,300,000 and 107,910,000 respectively.

In the Northern part of Nigeria, violence towards non-Muslims has increased. Relations with Muslims have been strained, killings of Christians have been rampant since at least 1999 such as the  2010 Jos riots which saw clashes between Muslim herders against Christian farmers near the volatile city of Jos. Officials estimated that 500 people were massacred in night-time raids by rampaging Muslim gangs. Also, on Christmas Day in 2011, the Islamist sect Boko Haram bombed a catholic church near the nation’s capital Abuja killing over 30 people. The BBC reported that on Christmas Eve 2012 six Christians were killed and their church burned down. No group had claimed responsibility for the attack but the broadcaster drew comparisons with similar attacks carried out by Boko Haram at the same time in 2011.

Percentage of Christians in Africa by Country [2014]

Algeria 38.3 0.6 % 0.23
Angola 21.6 75  % 16.20
Benin 9.6 30 % 2.88
Botswana 1.9 50  % 0.95
Burkina Faso 18 23.2 % 4.18
Burundi 10.9 65  % 7.09
Cameroon 20.5 40   % 8.60
Cape Verde 0.5 93  % 0.47
Central African Rep. 4.7 50  % 2.35
Chad 12.2 25   % 3.05
Comoros 0.8 0.75  % 0.01
Congo Republic 4.4 50  % 2.20
Congo, Democratic Republic 71.1 80   % 56.88
Djibouti 0.9 % 0.01
Egypt 84.7 6   % 5.08
Equatorial Guinea 0.8 69  % 0.55
Eretria 5.8 40   % 2.32
Ethiopia 89.2 40  % 35.68
Gabon 1.6 73  % 1.17
Gambia 1.9 % 0.17
Ghana 26.1 24  % 6.26
Guinea 11.8 8   % 0.94
Guinea Bissau 1.7 % 0.09
Ivory Coast 21.1 30  % 6.33
Kenya 44.4 60  % 26.52
Lesotho 2.2 80  % 1.76
Liberia 4.2 40  % 1.76
Libya 6.5 1   % 0.07
Madagascar 22.5 41  % 9.23
Malawi 16.3 50  % 8.15
Mali 15.5 % 0.78
Mauritania 3.7 0.14 % 0.01
Mauritius 1.3 32.2  % 0.42
Mayotte 0.2 % 0.01
Morocco 33.6 0.05  % 0.02
Mozambique 24.3 42   % 10.21
Namibia 2.4 90  % 2.16
Niger 16.9 0.34  % 0.06
Nigeria 173.6 40   % 69.44
Rwanda 11.1 84  % 9.32
Reunion 0.8 86   % 0.69
Sao Tome & Principe 0.2 97  % 0.19
Seychelles 0.1 96  % 0.10
Senegal 13.5 % 0.68
Sierra Lione 6.2 30   % 1.86
Somalia 10.4 0  % 0.00
South Africa 53 68   % 36.04
Sudan 34.2 1.5   % 0.51
Swaziland 1.2 55  % 0.66
Tanzania 49.1 50  % 24.55
Togo 6.2 29  % 1.80
Tunisia 10.9 0.2  % 0.02
Uganda 34.5 65  % 22.43
Zambia 14.2 85  % 12.07
Zimbabwe 13 70  % 9.10

Total

1051.4 420.18

 

Sources: Wikipedia, Pew Research Centre, Religious Population

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.