Religion in the Republic of the Congo

Christianity is the predominant religion in the Republic of the Congo, with Catholicism being its largest denomination.

Religion in the Republic of the Congo by the Association of Religion Data Archives (2020)[1]

  Roman Catholic (61.62%)
  Protestant (11.42%)
  Independent Christian (10.87%)
  Other Christian (10%)
  Traditional African religions (5.49%)
  None (3.0%)
  Other (2.2%)
St. Peter's Cathedral in Pointe-Noire.

Different sources give varying population figures for various denominations. According to the CIA World Factbook, in 2019 the people of the Republic of the Congo were largely a mix of Catholics (33.3%), Awakening/Revival churches (22.3%) and other Protestants (19.9%). Followers of Islam made up 1.6%, primarily due to an influx of foreign workers into the urban centers.[2]

According to the Association of Religion Data Archives, in 2020, 61.62% is Catholic, 11.42% is Protestant, 10.87% independent Christian (mainly Pentecostal), 10% other and unknown Christian), 5.49% practice Ethnoreligions (such as Animism and Shamanism), 2.2% are members of other religions (including Muslim, Baha'i and new religions), and 3.0% is not affiliated with any religion.[1]

Most Muslim workers in urban centers are immigrants from West Africa and Lebanon, with some also from North Africa. The West African immigrants arrived mostly from Mali, Benin, Togo, Mauritania, and Senegal. The Lebanese are primarily Sunni Muslims. There are also 6,000 followers of the Ahmadiyya school of Islam in the country.[3]

A small minority of Christians practice Kimbanguism, a syncretistic movement that originated in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo. While retaining many elements of Christianity, Kimbanguism also recognizes its founder (Simon Kimbangu) as a prophet and incorporates African traditional beliefs, such as ancestor worship.

Freedom of religion

In 2023, the country scored 3 out of 4 for religious freedom.[4]

See also

References
  1. "Congo, Republic of the". Association of Religion Data Archives. 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  2. "Congo, Republic of the". CIA - The World Factbook. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  3. "The World's Muslims: Unity and Diversity" (PDF). Pew Forum on Religious & Public life. August 9, 2012. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
  4. Freedom House website, retrieved 2023-08-01
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.