Religion in Ivory Coast
religion in the country
Religion in Ivory Coast is diverse, with no particular religion representing the majority of the population. According to the 2021 census, Islam (mainly Sunni) is professed by 42.5% of the total population, while adherents of Christianity (mainly Roman Catholic and Evangelical) represented 39.8% of the population. In addition, 12.6% of Ivorians reported to be non-religious and 2.2% claimed to follow Animism or traditional faiths. Between the 2014 and 2021 censuses, the share of Christians increased from 33.9 to 39.8 percent, while the share of Muslims declined from 42.9 to 42.5 percent of the total population.
Christianity is practised in a variety of forms throughout the country though mostly in the south. Islam has been practised in the far north for roughly seven centuries, shifting in influence over time due to contact with the Muslim areas to the north and immigration. Christian missionaries arrived at the coast in the 17th century but did not win converts in large numbers until the 19th century. Christianity's appeal was strongest among educated Africans and those who sought advancement through European contact.
Local religions
Indigenous African religions offer explanations for life's dilemmas in a local cultural context. Local religions reassure people that they are living in harmony with the universe and that this harmony can be preserved by maintaining proper relationships with all beings.
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