One of the two main religions on the African continent is Christianity, the other being Islam. In the middle of the first century, Egypt was where the religion was initially practiced in Africa. However, the Islamic invasions of significant portions of the continent hampered the continuing growth of Christianity in North Africa.
Just like in the Europe and America, Christianity is practiced by the majority of people in the majority of Central African, Southeast African, and Southern African countries. While Coptic Christians are a sizeable minority in Egypt, certain West African nations also have sizable Christian populations. The majority of these nations were colonized by European colonial powers, who introduced Christianity and expanded it through the efforts of Christian missionaries in those nations.
African Countries with A Majority Practice of Christianity
The national population of the following nations is made up of 90% or more Christians.
Sotomayor and Principe
Off the coast of Central Africa, in the Gulf of Guinea, is the tiny island republic of So Tomé and Principe. The Portuguese sailors who discovered the islands in the 15th century were the first to settle them. The island nation was a significant hub for the trade of African slaves. Roman Catholicism is the most common religion in this nation as a result of Portuguese colonialism. Roman Catholics make up 55.7% of the population of So Tomé and Principe, which has a 97.0% Christian affiliation.
Democratic Republic Of The Congo (DRC)
The majority of people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) practice Christianity as their main religion. The religion is practiced by 95.8% of the populace of the nation. There are about 35 million Catholics in the nation. The majority of youngsters in the nation’s schools are overseen by the Catholic church. The church oversees a huge network of hospitals, shops, farms, etc. The Church of Christ in Congo, commonly known as the Protestant Church, has around 25 million adherents, making it one of the largest Protestant organizations in the world.
Angola
Angola is one of the top 10 Christian countries in Africa. Christian people make up 95% of the population of Angola, which is also a very Christian country. About a quarter of the nation’s Christians are Protestant, including Methodists, Congregationalists, Baptists, and other churches, while more than 50% of all Christians are Catholic. The activity of Christian missionaries present in Angola helped to spread Christianity throughout the nation. Christian organizations have also done charitable work in Angola, such as offering free education and healthcare to the underprivileged.
Rwanda
Roman Catholicism is the most prevalent Christian denomination in Rwanda, where 93.6% of the population is Christian. The Rwandan genocide, however, prompted a change in outlook and a surge in Protestantism. Roman Catholics currently make up 43.7% of the entire population of Rwanda. Protestantism is practiced by 37.7% of the population, and 11.8% are Seventh-day Adventists. The Rwandan God Imana, who is frequently equated with the Christian God by many native Rwandans, is one example of how Christianity and traditional beliefs are frequently blended in Rwanda.
Seychelles
The Seychelles, an island nation, has a population that is 93.1% Christian, with 76.2% Roman Catholics and 10.6% Protestants. Only 1.1% of the country’s people identify as non-Christian, with the majority identifying as neither religious nor unaffiliated.
Equatorial Guinea
With 93% of the population being Christians, Equatorial Guinea is primarily a Christian nation. About 87% of this group identify as Roman Catholics, and 5% as Protestants. The remaining 5% of people are linked with other religions, such as the Bahá’ Faith, Animism, etc., whereas only 2% of the population practices Islam.
Lesotho
90% of people in Lesotho, a small landlocked country surrounded on all sides by South Africa, identify as Christians. Evangelicals, who make up 26% of the country’s population and represent the largest Protestant group, account for 45% of the population. About 19% of the population is made up of Anglicans and other Protestant denominations. Roman Catholics make up the remaining 45% of the Christian population. The remaining 10% of Lesotho’s population are members of other religions and those who are not religious.
Namibia
Christians make up 90% of Namibia’s total population. With 75% of the country’s population belonging to this Christian sect, Protestants make up the bulk of the country’s population of Christians. Nearly 50% of Namibia’s Protestant population is Lutheran as a result of the Finnish and German missionaries’ activity there. The remainder of the country’s Christian population is made up of Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Mormons, and members of other Christian denominations. The remainder of Namibia’s population practices numerous indigenous faiths.
Swaziland
In Swaziland, Christianity is also the most popular religion. Protestant and African traditional churches are attended by more than 40% of the populace. The Roman Catholic population is 20% or such. While traditional religions are practiced by a sizeable minority of the population of Swaziland, a tiny minority of people follow Islam, the Bahá’ Faith, and Hinduism.
The table below shows the population of Christian Countries in Africa:
| Rank | Country | Region | % of national population affiliated to Christianity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | São Tomé and Príncipe | Central Africa | 97.0 |
| 2 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | Central Africa | 95.8 |
| 3 | Angola | Central Africa | 95.0 |
| 4 | Rwanda | East Africa | 93.6 |
| 5 | Seychelles | East Africa | 93.1 |
| 6 | Equatorial Guinea | Central Africa | 93.0 |
| 7 | Lesotho | Southern Africa | 90.0 |
| 8 | Namibia | Southern Africa | 90.0 |
| 9 | Swaziland | Southern Africa | 90.0 |
| 10 | Zambia | East Africa | 87.0 |
| 11 | Republic of the Congo | Central Africa | 85.9 |
| 12 | Liberia | West Africa | 85.5 |
| 13 | Cape Verde | West Africa | 85.0 |
| 14 | Réunion | East Africa | 84.9 |
| 15 | Uganda | East Africa | 84.0 |
| 16 | Zimbabwe | Southern Africa | 84.0 |
| 17 | Central African Republic | Central Africa | 80.3 |
| 18 | Malawi | East Africa | 79.9 |
| 19 | South Africa | Southern Africa | 79.7 |
| 20 | Kenya | East Africa | 78.0 |
| 21 | Burundi | East Africa | 75.0 |
| 22 | Gabon | Central Africa | 73.0 |
| 23 | Botswana | Southern Africa | 71.6 |
| 24 | Ghana | West Africa | 71.2 |
| 25 | Cameroon | Central Africa | 69.2 |
| 26 | Ethiopia | Horn of Africa | 62.8 |
| 27 | Eritrea | Horn of Africa | 62.5 |
| 28 | Tanzania | East Africa | 61.4 |
| 29 | South Sudan | East Africa | 60.5 |
| 30 | Nigeria | West Africa | 58.0 |
| 31 | Mozambique | East Africa | 56.1 |
In Conclusion, the predominant religion in many African nations is Christianity. As of 2019, 97 percent of people in So Tomé and Principe were Christians. On the continent, this was the highest percentage. Following closely after were Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with 96% and 95% of their populations being Christians, respectively. Although these nations have the greatest percentages, the majority of people in numerous other African countries are Christians. In South Africa, about 80% of the population practices Christianity. In Nigeria, the percentage is equal to 58 percent.