# Religion in Nigeria

> Nigeria has not asked a census question about religion since 1963, so every published figure on its Christian, Muslim, and traditional-religion populations is a survey-based estimate, not an official count. Pew Research, the Association of Religion Data Archives, and other bodies produce estimates that diverge by several points, generally placing Islam and Christianity close to parity and indigenous belief systems as a smaller, persistent minority.

**Category:** Culture & Religion · **Updated:** 2026-07-26 19:36:35 · **Canonical:** https://nigeriastuff.org/a/religion-in-nigeria

## Key facts
- **Last census to ask about religion:** 1963
- **Estimated Muslim share (Pew/DHS, 2020):** 56.1%
- **Estimated Christian share (Pew/DHS, 2020):** 43.4%
- **ARDA 2025 projection:** 46.3% Muslim, 45.8% Christian
- **Traditional/indigenous & other religions:** estimates range from under 1% to c. 7%, depending on body and method
- **Documented Shia Muslim minority:** Sokoto State
- **Major indigenous belief system:** Yoruba òrìṣà worship (e.g. Ṣàngó, Ọ̀ṣun)

## Sources
- 5 facts about religion in Nigeria — Pew Research Center (https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/11/11/5-facts-about-religion-in-nigeria/)
- Does Nigeria know its Muslim, Christian population? — Dubawa (https://dubawa.org/does-nigeria-know-its-muslim-christian-population/)
- Nigeria's population distribution across religious lines — FactCheckHub (https://factcheckhub.com/nigeria-population-distribution-across-religious-lines/)
- Religious Beliefs in Nigeria — WorldAtlas (https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/religious-beliefs-in-nigeria.html)
- Pew: U.S., Nigeria most religiously diverse among largest populations — Baptist Press (https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/pew-u-s-nigeria-most-religiously-diverse-among-largest-populations/)

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