Religion in Niger

Religion in Niger (2015)

Islam is the dominant religion in Niger and is practiced by 94% of the population. The vast majority of Muslims are Sunni of Maliki school of jurisprudence. Other religions practiced in Niger include Animism and Christianity.

Islam in Niger accounts for the vast majority of the nation's religious adherents. The faith is practiced by more than 94% of the population, although this figure varies by source and percentage of population who are classified as Animist. Majority of the Muslim population identifies itself as Sunni with Shia and Ahmadiyya minorities representing 7% and 6% respectively. Many of the communities who continue to practice elements of traditional religions do so within a framework of syncretic Islamic belief, making agreed statistics difficult. Islam in Niger, although dating back more than a millennium, gained dominance over traditional religions only in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and has been marked by influences from neighboring societies. Sufi brotherhoods have become the dominant Muslim organisation, like much of West Africa. Despite this, a variety of interpretations of Islam coexist—largely in peace—with one another as well as with minorities of other faiths. The government of Niger is secular in law while recognising the importance of Islam to the vast majority of its citizens.

Christianity was brought with French colonial institutions, and its adherents include local believers from the educated, the elite, and colonial families, as well as immigrants from neighboring coastal countries, particularly Benin, Togo, and Ghana. Christians, both Roman Catholics and Protestants, account for less than 1% of the population. One estimate has Christians at 0.4% and Evangelicals at 0.1%—and are mainly present in the regions of Maradi and Dogondoutchi, and in Niamey and other urban centers with expatriate populations. Current estimates place the current Christian population at about 56,000 individuals with projected growth resulting in about 84,500 Christians by the year 2025.

...
Wikipedia