Religion in Guinea-Bissau

Roman Catholic Cathedral in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau

An estimated 38 to 45 percent of the population of Guinea-Bissau is Muslim, and 5 to 13 percent is Christian.^[1] The remainder of the population follows traditional indigenous or animist religious practices.^[1] There are few atheists.^[1] Islam is practiced most widely by the Fula and Mandinka ethnic groups, and Muslims generally live in the north and northeast.^[1] Virtually all Muslims are Sunni.^[1] Guinea-Bissau is the only Portuguese-speaking nation with a Muslim majority, wherein others are mostly Christian.

Practitioners of traditional indigenous religious beliefs generally live in all but the northern parts of the country.^[1] Christians belong to a number of groups, including the Roman Catholic Church (including Portuguese Guinea-Bissauans) and various Protestant denominations.^[1] Christians are concentrated in Bissau and other large towns.^[1] Foreign missionaries operate in the country without restriction.^[1] The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respected this right in practice.^[1] In 2007, the US government received no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice.^[1]

See also

• Christianity in Guinea-Bissau
• Islam in Guinea-Bissau

References