---
"title": "Chapter 2: Commitment to Christianity and Islam"
"description": "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 […]"
"date": "2010-04-15"
"authors":
  -
    "name": "No Author"
"url": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/religion/2010/04/15/commitment-to-christianity-and-islam-islam-and-christianity-in-sub-saharan-africa/"
"categories":
  - "Beliefs & Practices"
  - "Christianity"
  - "Comparison of Religions"
  - "Global Religious Demographics"
  - "Interreligious Relations"
  - "Islam"
  - "Muslims Around the World"
  - "Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project"
  - "Religion & Politics"
  - "Size & Demographic Characteristics of Religious Groups"
"datasets":
  -
    "name": "Tolerance and Tension: Islam and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa"
    "url": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/dataset/tolerance-and-tension-islam-and-christianity-in-sub-saharan-africa/"
---

# Chapter 2: Commitment to Christianity and Islam

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](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/06/sub-saharan-africa-chapter-2.pdf) (8-page PDF, \<1MB)

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Photo credit: Sebastien Desarmaux/GODONG/Godong/Corbis

*Part of the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project*

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**Next:** [Chapter 3: Traditional African Religious Beliefs and Practices](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/religion/2010/04/15/traditional-african-religious-beliefs-and-practices-islam-and-christianity-in-sub-saharan-africa/markdown)