Religion in Guinea-Bissau
- Islam (56.0%)
- Christianity (22.0%)
- Other faiths (11.0%)
- Unaffiliated (12.0%)
Religion in Guinea-Bissau is diverse, with country ranking as the seventh most religiously diverse in the world. Recent sources indicate Islam is the largest religion practised by approximately half the population, while followers of Christianity and traditional African religions also constitute major religious groups in the country.[3][1][2] The relative share of Christians and Traditionalists in Guinea-Bissau is heavily disputed, and there exists little certainty on the precise religious demographics of the country.[4] Syncretism is especially common in Guinea-Bissau among both Christians and Muslims,[5] with some ethnic groups that have converted to Islam retaining animistic practices related to local spirits and ancestors.[6]
Christians mostly live along the coastal regions and belong to the Roman Catholic Church (including Portuguese Bissau-Guineans) and various Protestant denominations.[7] In 2017, Sunni Islam, including that of Sufi-oriented, were most concentrated in the northern and northeastern parts of the country, while practitioners of traditional indigenous religious beliefs generally live in all but the northern parts of the country.[8]
Guinea-Bissau is legally defined as a secular state, though in practice politicians often consider the religious sentiments of the public. There has traditionally been a prevailing sense of national cohesion across ethnic and religious lines in the country, owing to the unifying effect of the war of independence and the common Creole language spoken by most of the population.[9]
Statistics
[edit]
- Christianity (62.0%)
- Islam (38.0%)
In 2026, a new Pew Research Centre publication estimated that the religious composition of Guinea-Bissau was 56% Muslim, 22% Christian, 12% religiously unaffiliated, and 11% adherent to other religions (including traditional beliefs) as of 2020.[1] The Pew Research Centre estimates that the religiously unaffiliated share of the Bissau-Guinean population has experienced the highest proportional growth between 2010 and 2020, rising from 2% to 12% of the total population.[11] The 2025 Afrobarometer survey in Guinea-Bissau found 49.6% of the 1,200 adult respondents identified as Muslim, 37.8% as Christian, 6.4% as practitioners of traditional ethnoreligions, 5.4% as having no religion, and 0.8% as practising other faiths.[2]
The United States Department mentions that estimates vary greatly and cites the Pew Forum data (2020) of 46% Muslim, 31% indigenous religious practices, and 19% Christian.[12][13][14] The 2018 survey conducted by the Vozes do Povo found 47% of respondents identified as Muslim, 39% as Christian, and 9% as Traditionalists.[9]
Censuses
[edit]The 2009 general population and housing census found 45.1% of the population were Muslim, 22.1% Christian, 14.9% Traditionalist, and 2% had no religion. A statistically significant share of the population (15.9%) chose not to respond to the census question on religion, which could be because religious affiliation is considered a very personal matter in Guinea-Bissau.[15]
| Religion | 2009 Census | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | % | |
| Islam | 650,402 | 45.1 |
| Christianity | 318,021 | 22.1 |
| Unanswered | 228,718 | 15.9 |
| Traditional | 215,130 | 14.9 |
| Other | 414 | 0.0 |
| No religion | 29,542 | 2.0 |
| Total | 1,442,227 | 100 |
Religious geography
[edit]The eastern regions, Bafatá and Gabú, are majority Muslim, with three other regions having a Muslim plurality. Christians represent a plurality of the population in the autonomous sector of Bissau and Bolama region, consisting of the Bijagós Islands. In Cacheu and Biombo, adherents of traditional religions are the largest group though do not form the majority of the population in either region.[15]
Over one in five residents of the Quinara, Oio, Biombo, and Bolama regions chose not to declare their religious affiliation on the census.[15]
| Region | Muslim | Christian | Unanswered | Traditional | No religion | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bafatá | 77.1% | 6.8% | 11.3% | 3.9% | 0.9% | 0.0% |
| Biombo | 6.3% | 30.2% | 20.8% | 40.1% | 2.5% | 0.1% |
| Bissau | 34.2% | 40.2% | 14.4% | 7.9% | 3.3% | 0.0% |
| Bolama | 14.9% | 30.7% | 25.7% | 24.6% | 4.2% | 0.0% |
| Cacheu | 14.8% | 30.7% | 17.3% | 34.0% | 3.0% | 0.2% |
| Gabú | 86.5% | 2.6% | 10.5% | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| Oio | 42.1% | 15.8% | 20.5% | 20.8% | 0.9% | 0.0% |
| Quinara | 45.8% | 19.4% | 21.5% | 6.2% | 7.1% | 0.0% |
| Tombali | 43.0% | 14.7% | 17.8% | 24.1% | 0.4% | 0.0% |
| Total | 45.1% | 22.1% | 15.9% | 14.9% | 2.0% | 0.0% |
Christianity
[edit]
Christianity arrived in Guinea-Bissau with Portuguese traders and missionaries in the 15th century, but only in its coastal regions.[16] Active missionary efforts started only in the 20th century, and in 1977 it became a diocese of the Holy See.[16] Protestant mission arrived in Guinea-Bissau in 1939, and Evangelical churches have been active through the second half of the 20th century. The Christian missions became a target of destruction during the 1999 civil war in Guinea-Bissau.[16]
According to the 2009 and 1991 censuses of Guinea-Bissau, the practice of Christianity has grown from 15% in 1991 to 22.1% of the total population in 2009; however, Christianity remains concentrated in the coastal regions of the country[17] and the Christian community predominantly consists of the Papel, Manjak, Mankanya, Bijagos, Felupe, and Balanta ethnic groups.[15] Catholics make up over half of the Christian population, whereas Brazilian Protestant denominations and other Protestant groups maintain numerous congregations and missions across the nation.[18] Christianity is perceived to be expanding in Guinea-Bissau, particularly among adherents of traditional religions. It is projected that by 2050, Christians will constitute approximately 30% of the population in Guinea-Bissau.[19]
Islam
[edit]
Most of Guinea-Bissau's Muslims belong to Sunni Islam and follow Sufi orders.[20] Islam is practiced most widely by the Fula, Soninke, Nalu,[6] Biafada, Susu, and Mandinka ethnic groups, and Muslims generally live in the north and northeast.[15][8][16]
Islam arrived in Guinea-Bissau before the 12th-century with trans-Saharan traders.[21] Initial growth of Islam was limited to the rulers and trading elites of Guinea-Bissau. Major expansion of Islam among the mainstream happened in the 18th and 19th centuries, after the invasion by Biafada kingdom, and the waves of Fulani jihads that arrived from the north led by Musa Ibrahim, Ibrahim Sori, El Hadj Umar Tall and Koli Tenguella.[21] The share of Muslims is believed to be growing in Guinea-Bissau as a result of increased conversion to Islam,[22] and immigration from neighboring Guinea-Conakry.[6]
Traditional religion
[edit]According to Pew Research Centre's 2010 report using a sample size of 1,000 Guinea-Bissau people, the country had 39% of its general population that believed in 6 or more tenants derived from tribal, traditional African, or Animist beliefs.[23] Ancestor veneration is a common practice in the country, with many households containing shrines dedicated to their departed kin. Villages in Guinea-Bissau also often have shrines for guardian spirits, which are seen as important for religious festivals.[22]
The traditional belief systems of Guinea-Bissau are generally animistic in that animals, plants, and other entities of the natural world are seen as possessing souls alongside human beings. Bissau-Guineans of different ethnic backgrounds have customarily safeguarded certain forests, believed to house local spirits (irãs). The increasing conversion of the population to Christianity and Islam has diminished the environmental protection afforded to these sacred forests, contributing to their decline.[6]
Freedom of religion
[edit]The Constitution sees freedom of conscience and religion as inviolable and provides for freedom of worship.[24]
In 2023, the country scored 3 out of 4 for religious freedom.[25]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Tong, Yunping (12 February 2026). "Religious Diversity Around the World". Pew Research Center. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Sumário de resultados s Afrobarometer Ronda 10 em Guiné-Bissau". Afrobarometer. 27 April 2026. pp. 6–7. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
- ↑ Johnson, Michelle C. (3 November 2016). Gottlieb, Alma; DeLoache, Judy S. (eds.). "Never Forget Where You're From: Raising Guinean Muslim Babies in Portugal". A World of Babies: Imagined Childcare Guides for Eight Societies (2 ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: 33. doi:10.1017/CBO9781316480625.002. ISBN 978-1-107-13729-5. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
Approximately half of the country's [Guinea-Bissau's] population of 1.4 million is Muslim.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: periodical has ISBN (link) - ↑ "Guinea-Bissau". Minority Rights Group. July 2024. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
There is little certainty on the exact religious composition of the population, with figures ranging widely...there is considerably disagreement of the relative proportion of Christians and animists who make up the remainder of the population
- ↑ "Religions in Guinea-Bissau: Diversity, Tradition, and Syncretism". Consulado Honorario de Guinea-Bissau en Málaga, España. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Palmeirim, Ana Filipa; Seck, Sambu; Palma, Luís; Ladle, Richard J. (6 July 2023). "Shifting values and the fate of sacred forests in Guinea-Bissau: are community-managed forests the answer?". Environmental Conservation. 50 (3): 152–155. doi:10.1017/S0376892923000164.
- ↑ "US State Dept 2022 report on Guinea-Bissau". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2022-10-08.
- 1 2 "2017 report on Guinea-Bissau". International Religious Freedom Report for 2015. "United States Department of State. Retrieved 31 March 2017. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- 1 2 "Guinea-Bissau Country Report". BTI 2026. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
- ↑ "Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life / Islam and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa" (PDF). Pew Research. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 18, 2025.
- ↑ Hackett, Conrad; Stonawski, Marcin; Tong, Yunping; Kramer, Stephanie; Shi, Anne; Fahmy, Dalia (9 June 2025). "14. Religion in sub-Saharan Africa". Pew Research Center. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
- ↑ "US State Dept 2022 report on Guinea-Bissau". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2022-10-08.
- ↑ "Guinea-Bissau". CIA World factbook. January 21, 2026. Archived from the original on February 2, 2026.
- ↑ "Map of Guinea-Bissau Created By The CIA". Retrieved March 11, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mendes da Costa, Carlos; da Silva, Bessa Vitor; Vieira, Roberto; Manafá, Braima; Semedo, Simão; Gomes, Leonildo (2009). "TERCEIRO RECENSEAMENTO GERAL DA POPULAÇÃO E HABITAÇÃO (2009) - Características Socioculturais" (PDF). INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE ESTATISTICA (Guiné-Bissau). Graphic design by Osvaldo Cristo João Mendes. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Erwin Fahlbusch (1999). The Encyclopedia of Christianity. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. pp. 487–488. ISBN 978-90-04-11695-5.
- ↑ Peter Karibe Mendy; Richard Lobban Jr. (2013). Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, 4th Edition. Scarecrow. pp. 91–92. ISBN 978-0-8108-8027-6.
- ↑ "2023 Report on International Religious Freedom: Guinea-Bissau". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2024-07-12.
- ↑ "Religious Beliefs In Guinea-Bissau". WorldAtlas. 2018-04-09. Retrieved 2022-10-08.
- ↑ "The World's Muslims: Unity and Diversity" (PDF). Pew Forum on Religious & Public life. August 9, 2012. p. 31. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 24, 2012. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
- 1 2 Peter Karibe Mendy; Richard Lobban Jr. (2013). Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, 4th Edition. Scarecrow. pp. 435–436. ISBN 978-0-8108-8027-6.
- 1 2 Jurgensmeyer, Mark; Roof, Wade Clark, eds. (2012). "Guinea-Bissau". Encyclopedia of Global Religion. Sage Publications, Inc.: 490. doi:10.4135/9781412997898.n294. ISBN 978-0-7619-2729-7. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
...but demographic changes at the time of this writing are mostly in the direction of increasing conversion to Islam.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: periodical has ISBN (link) - ↑ Islam and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa, Chapter 3: Traditional African Religious Beliefs and Practices, p. 34, "Questions measure belief in reincarnation, witchcraft, evil spirits, the protective power of sacrifices to spirits or ancestors, juju or shrines, “evil eye” or curses, and the protective power of spiritual people as well as possession of traditional African sacred objects, participation in traditional ceremonies to honor ancestors, participation in traditional puberty rituals and use of religious healers. Those reporting 6-11 of these attributes are classified as having high levels of traditional African religious beliefs and practices." https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2010/04/sub-saharan-africa-full-report.pdf
- ↑ "US State Dept 2022 report on Guinea-Bissau". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2022-10-08.
- ↑ Freedom House website, retrieved 2023-08-03
