Religion & community impact
🇿🇦 South Africa — how its religious make-up changed
Demographic shift
Share of the population by faith
56.8% → 80.8%
Christian · 1945–2020
▲ +24.0%
0.6% → 1.9%
Muslim · 1945–2020
▲ +1.3%
0.5% → 1%
Jewish · 1945–2020
▲ +0.5%
0.1% → 15.3%
Unaffiliated · 1945–2020
▲ +15.2%
42% → 4%
Other · 1945–2020
▼ -38.0%
- Christian
- Muslim
- Jewish
- Unaffiliated
- Other
| Year | Christian | Muslim | Jewish | Unaffiliated | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | 56.8% | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.1% | 42% |
| 1950 | 61.5% | 0.8% | 0.6% | 0.2% | 37.1% |
| 1955 | 66.4% | 1% | 0.6% | 0.4% | 31.5% |
| 1960 | 73.1% | 1.2% | 0.7% | 0.5% | 24.5% |
| 1965 | 74.8% | 1.2% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 22.8% |
| 1970 | 76.4% | 1.2% | 0.5% | 0.7% | 21.2% |
| 1975 | 77% | 1.2% | 0.5% | 2.1% | 19.2% |
| 1980 | 77.5% | 1.2% | 0.5% | 3.1% | 17.7% |
| 1985 | 77.3% | 1.1% | 0.4% | 3.8% | 17.4% |
| 1990 | 77.9% | 1.2% | 0.3% | 3.9% | 16.7% |
| 1995 | 85.7% | 1.2% | 0.2% | 7.9% | 5% |
| 2000 | 78.3% | 1.6% | 0.2% | 4.6% | 15.3% |
| 2005 | 80.1% | 1.6% | 0.2% | 5.3% | 12.8% |
| 2010 | 81.2% | 1.7% | 1% | 14.9% | 4.1% |
| 2020 | 80.8% | 1.9% | 1% | 15.3% | 4% |
Figures are real national estimates from the Correlates of War World Religion Project. Green up arrows mark a rising share, red down arrows a falling share. The page shows recorded self-identification, not attendance.