The largest religious group in South Africa are Christians (mainly protestants) who account for 68% of the population. Other religions include indigenous beliefs and animism 28.5%, Islam 2% and Hinduism 1.5%.

Religious practices in South Africa are influenced along racial lines with Christianity being the religion of most whites and coloureds (mixed European and African descent), about 60% of blacks and about 40% of Indians. Hinduism is the religion of 60% of Indians and indigenous beliefs and animism are most common amoung blacks.

To view this information click the view all counries link. To list the countries in alphabetical order, click the country link at the top of the list of countries.

• In some countries, religions follow ethnic groups.


• In countries where religious freedom is limited, minority religions may not be recognised.


• In countries which have a national religion, the number of actual practicing adherents may be less than the proportion indicated by this statistic.


• In some countries there are financial or social benefits and detriments connected with adherence to certain religions.

For further information on some of the countries where these considerations apply see /graph/rel_rel>religions - A note.

More than half the countries of the world have a majority who identify themselves as members of a Christian sect. However, in some countries many or most of these are non-practicing Christians.

No country has a majority of people identified as having no religion, even though non-religious people account for close to a billion people worldwide.

According to the website Religious Tolerance.org , the five largest religions in the world are: Christianity, with 2.015 billion adherents; Islam, with 1.215 billion; no religion, with 925 million; Hinduism, with 786 million; and Buddhism, with 362 million. Combined, these five religious groups account for 87 percent of the world’s population.