10 Most Religious Countries in the World, is Indonesia Included?

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Religion plays a significant role in the lives of people around the world, shaping cultures, traditions, and daily practices. Some countries are particularly known for their strong religious beliefs, where faith deeply influences their societies.

Data from the Pew Research Center reveals that countries in Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Latin America exhibit the highest levels of religious commitment. In contrast, European, East Asian, and North American countries, as well as Australia, tend to be less religious.

But, among those continents, which country is the most religious in the world? According to World Atlas and CEOWORLD Magazine, here is the list of most religious countries in the world.

The Top 10 Most Religious Countries in the World

This list is based on a survey conducted by CEOWORLD Magazine. The survey consists of responses from more than 820,000 participants around the globe. Scroll down to find out more.

1. Somalia

Topping the list is Somalia, a country on the eastern side of Africa. According to the Harvard Divinity School page, Islam is the dominant religion in the country. Around 99 percent of the population practices Islam, and most are Sunni muslims.

Although Christianity was introduced to Somalia in the 12th century, Islam remains the dominant religion in the country. In fact, Somalia was one of the earliest adopters of Islam.

2. Niger

Niger is often cited as one of the most religious countries. The vast majority of its population adheres to Sunni Islam, thanks to the Songhai Empire spreading the religion to the country in the 15th century.

To be specific, around 80 percent of the muslims are Sunni of the Maliki school of jurisprudence, according to a 2022 Report on International Religious Freedom by the US Department of State.

3. Bangladesh

Bangladesh is another highly religious country where Islam plays a central role in the lives of its people. The Embassy of Bangladesh page reported, Islam constitutes approximately 80 percent of the population, consisting of a majority of Sunnis, and a small community of Shia.

Muslims in Bangladesh coexist with people embracing Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity. Hinduism itself arrived in Bangladesh in the 3rd century, however, only 12 percent of its population actually embraces the religion.

4. Ethiopia

Ethiopia has a rich religious history, with Christianity being the dominant religion. The country is known for its ancient churches and religious traditions that have been preserved for centuries.

World Atlas explained that the country was introduced to Christianity in the 4th century by Frumentius, a Greek-speaking missionary. He converted King Ezana to Christianity, which consequently led to the predominance of the religion across Ethiopia.

5. Yemen

Located on the southern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, Yemen is another most religious country in the world, of which the majority practices Islam. Referring to iclrs.org, 25 million Yemenis are muslim, notably Sunni of the Shafi’i school of jurisprudence.

Besides Islam, Judaism is also deeply rooted in Yemen. The religion apparently arrived in the region in the 3rd century.

6. Malawi

Most Malawians embrace Christianity as their religion. The Orant Charities Africa page mentioned that Christianity dominates Malawi due to the influence of European missionaries, hence the 87 percent of Christians in the country.

7. Indonesia

Not only becoming the most religious, Indonesia is also one of the world's largest Muslim-majority countries, making up over 230 million people. It used to be the largest one, but was surpassed by Pakistan in 2024, as cited by Tempo from worldpopulationreview.com.

Although Islam is the dominant faith, Indonesia exhibits a religious diversity that includes significant populations of Christians, Hindus, and Buddhists.

8. Sri Lanka

Eight on this list is Sri Lanka. The law of the South Asia country recognizes four religions: Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity. Even so, Buddhism is practiced the most.

Based on the 2022 report by the US Department of State, around 70 percent of the population practices Buddhism, whereas Hindus, Muslims, and Christians constitute 12 percent, 9 percent, and 7 percent of the population, respectively.

9. Mauritania

Mauritania is another country in which Islam predominantly thrives. Sunni Islam constitutes 99 percent of the Arabic-speaking country’s population, according to the US Department of State’s 2023 Report on International Religious Freedom.

10. Djibouti

Last but not least, Djibouti is one of the most religious countries in the world. After being introduced to Islam in the 7th century by Arab traders, the vast majority of the population adheres to Sunni Islam.

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