Muslim Countries in Africa: Top 20 Powerful Nations You Must Know
Muslim countries in Africa make up one of the largest and most diverse Muslim regions on earth. From the minarets of Cairo to the old libraries of Timbuktu, Islam has shaped African languages, law, trade, architecture and daily life for almost 1,400 years. This guide gives you clear answers: how many Muslim countries there are, where they sit on the map, the full list, and the top 20 ranked by Muslim population.
Numbers about religion are never perfect, so every figure here is an estimate based on public research. We point you to the original sources so you can check them yourself.
Quick Answer and Contents
- Short answer: about 20 to 22 African countries have a Muslim majority, out of 54 sovereign states.
- Most Muslims: Egypt and Nigeria, each with roughly 100 million or more.
- Highest share: Mauritania, close to 100 percent.
How Many Muslim Countries in Africa?
There is no single official number, because the answer depends on what you count. Most researchers define a Muslim majority country as one where more than 50 percent of citizens follow Islam. Using that rule, roughly 20 to 22 African countries and territories qualify.
Muslim Majority vs. Official Muslim State
These are two different ideas, and people often mix them up.
- Muslim majority: most people are Muslim, even if the state is secular. Senegal and Burkina Faso are good examples.
- Islamic state or state religion: Islam is named in the constitution. Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Mauritania, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Comoros fall in this group.
A traveler to Dakar will find a secular republic where most people are Muslim. A traveler to Nouakchott will find an Islamic Republic by name. Both are Muslim countries in Africa, but the legal setting is different.
Why the Numbers Differ
Three reasons explain why one website says 20 and another says 27.
- Nearly half cases. Nigeria and Eritrea sit close to 50 percent, so a small change in a survey flips the label.
- Missing census data. Many countries do not ask about religion in a census, so researchers rely on surveys.
- Disputed territory. Western Sahara is counted by some lists and left out by others.
Africa's Muslim Population in Context
Africa has about 1.4 billion people. Pew Research Center estimates that roughly one third to 45 percent of Africans are Muslim, depending on how the Sahel and Horn are measured, and the share is rising because of high birth rates in several Muslim majority countries. For the original tables, read the Pew Research Center religion research.
Muslim Countries in Africa Map
The easiest way to read the Muslim countries in Africa map is to split the continent into five zones. Picture a thick band of Muslim majority nations running across the north, then curving south through the Sahel and east to the Horn.
1. North Africa
Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and Sudan. Muslim share is usually 90 to 99 percent. This is the oldest Muslim zone, dating to the 7th century.
2. Sahel and West Africa
Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Mali, Niger, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Chad, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. Sufi orders and trade routes shaped Islam here.
3. Horn of Africa
Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea and Ethiopia. Somalia and Djibouti are almost fully Muslim. Ethiopia has a large Muslim minority.
4. Indian Ocean Coast
Comoros is about 98 percent Muslim. Zanzibar in Tanzania is almost entirely Muslim, and Swahili coast towns keep a long Islamic heritage.
5. Central and Southern Africa
Muslims are a minority, from about 10 to 25 percent in places like Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique and Cameroon, but their communities are growing.
Reading tip for the map: the Sahara Desert is not a wall. For centuries, camel caravans carried salt, gold, books and Islamic scholarship across it, which is why Islam spread so deeply into West Africa.
List of Muslim Countries in Africa
Below is a practical list of Muslim countries in Africa grouped by the share of Muslims. Percentages are rounded estimates drawn from Pew Research Center and the CIA World Factbook.
Group 1: 90 Percent or Higher
| Country | Region | Muslim share (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Mauritania | West Africa | ~100% |
| Morocco | North Africa | ~99% |
| Algeria | North Africa | ~99% |
| Tunisia | North Africa | ~99% |
| Somalia | Horn of Africa | ~99% |
| Niger | Sahel | ~99% |
| Western Sahara (disputed) | North Africa | ~99% |
| Comoros | Indian Ocean | ~98% |
| Libya | North Africa | ~97% |
| Senegal | West Africa | ~96% |
| Gambia | West Africa | ~96% |
| Mali | Sahel | ~95% |
| Djibouti | Horn of Africa | ~94% |
| Sudan | North Africa | ~91% |
| Egypt | North Africa | ~90% |
Group 2: 50 to 89 Percent
| Country | Region | Muslim share (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Guinea | West Africa | ~85% |
| Sierra Leone | West Africa | ~78% |
| Burkina Faso | Sahel | ~64% |
| Chad | Central Africa | ~55% |
| Nigeria | West Africa | ~50 to 53% |
| Eritrea | Horn of Africa | ~50% (estimates vary) |
Group 3: Large Muslim Minorities
These countries are not Muslim majority, yet each has millions of Muslims.
- Ethiopia: about 31 to 34 percent
- Guinea Bissau: about 45 percent
- Ivory Coast: about 40 percent
- Tanzania: mixed estimates, with Zanzibar almost entirely Muslim
- Cameroon, Benin, Ghana, Mozambique, Uganda, Kenya and Malawi: roughly 10 to 25 percent
Counting Groups 1 and 2 gives you about 21 Muslim majority countries and territories. Drop Western Sahara, Nigeria and Eritrea and you get a stricter list of 18. That is exactly why published totals differ.
What Are the Top 20 Muslim Countries in Africa?
This ranking orders countries by estimated number of Muslims, not by percentage. Population figures are rounded and shift every year, so treat them as a guide.
| # | Country | Muslims (approx.) | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Egypt | 100 million | ~90% |
| 2 | Nigeria | 100 million+ | ~50 to 53% |
| 3 | Algeria | 44 million | ~99% |
| 4 | Sudan | 40 million | ~91% |
| 5 | Ethiopia | 38 million | ~31 to 34% |
| 6 | Morocco | 37 million | ~99% |
| 7 | Niger | 25 million | ~99% |
| 8 | Mali | 21 million | ~95% |
| 9 | Senegal | 17 million | ~96% |
| 10 | Somalia | 17 million | ~99% |
| 11 | Burkina Faso | 15 million | ~64% |
| 12 | Guinea | 12 million | ~85% |
| 13 | Tunisia | 12 million | ~99% |
| 14 | Ivory Coast | 11 million | ~40% |
| 15 | Chad | 10 million | ~55% |
| 16 | Libya | 7 million | ~97% |
| 17 | Sierra Leone | 6 million | ~78% |
| 18 | Cameroon | 6 million | ~25% |
| 19 | Mauritania | 5 million | ~100% |
| 20 | Gambia | 2.4 million | ~96% |
Note: Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Mozambique also have several million Muslims each, but census data on religion is limited or disputed, so they are not ranked here.
Egypt: The Heart of Islamic Learning
Egypt is home to Al Azhar, founded in 970 CE and often described as one of the oldest continuously operating universities in the world. Scholars from Indonesia to Senegal still travel there to study Quran, hadith and Arabic.
Nigeria: Africa's Giant
Nigeria splits roughly evenly between Muslims in the north and Christians in the south. Because its population is over 220 million, it has one of the biggest Muslim communities anywhere. Kano and Sokoto are historic centers of Islamic scholarship.
Algeria and Morocco: Maghreb Strongholds
Both countries are about 99 percent Muslim and follow the Maliki school of Sunni jurisprudence, as do most of North and West Africa. This shared legal tradition is a key feature of Muslim countries in Africa.
Sudan and Ethiopia: Nile and Horn Connections
Sudan is over 90 percent Muslim. Ethiopia is a special case because early Muslims found refuge there, yet Muslims today remain a large minority, not a majority.
Niger, Mali and Senegal: The Sahel Spirit
These three share Sufi traditions, with brotherhoods like the Tijaniyya and the Mouride order playing an important role in spiritual life. Senegal's annual Grand Magal of Touba draws millions of pilgrims.
How Islam Spread Across Africa
Understanding the history explains why the list of Muslim countries in Africa looks the way it does. You can explore the wider story in our Islamic history section.
The First Hijra to Abyssinia (around 615 CE)
When Muslims in Makkah faced persecution, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, advised a group of companions to seek safety in Abyssinia, today's Ethiopia and Eritrea. The ruler, known as the Negus (Najashi), protected them. This was the first Muslim contact with Africa, even before the Hijra to Madinah.
Egypt and North Africa (639 to 700 CE)
Egypt came under Muslim rule around 639 to 641 CE. The city of Kairouan in Tunisia was founded around 670 CE and became a major center of learning in the Maghreb. Over the next centuries, Arabic and Islam became the common culture of the north.
Trans Saharan Trade and West Africa
Merchants and scholars carried Islam south across the desert. The Mali Empire's ruler Mansa Musa performed Hajj in 1324 CE with a famous caravan, and Timbuktu became a world famous city of manuscripts. To understand this pillar better, read what is Hajj.
The Swahili Coast
Traders from Arabia and Persia settled along the East African coast, and over time Swahili culture formed, blending Bantu language with Arabic vocabulary and Islamic customs.
Modern Era
Colonial borders in the 19th and 20th centuries split many Muslim communities across several states. After independence, nations such as Senegal, Mali and Egypt each developed their own balance between religion and state.
Daily Life in Muslim Countries in Africa: Practical Examples
Facts and numbers matter, but real life shows how faith works in practice.
- Ramadan in Cairo: streets glow with lanterns (fanous), and families share iftar tables in the street. Learn more in our guide to what is Ramadan.
- Prayer in Morocco: the adhan echoes from minarets five times daily, and shops often pause briefly. Our Salah guide explains the prayer step by step.
- Friday in Dakar: many men wear traditional boubou robes to the Jumu'ah prayer, and the city feels quieter at midday.
- Halal food in Lagos or Kano: halal meat is easy to find, and suya stalls are everywhere.
Travel Tip for Muslim Visitors
Before you travel, check local prayer times with our Islamic prayer times tool and convert dates with the Hijri date converter, since Ramadan and Eid dates can differ by a day between countries.
The Holy Quran and Hadith: Unity in Diversity
Africa's Muslims come from hundreds of ethnic groups and speak languages from Arabic and Hausa to Somali, Wolof and Swahili. The Quran addresses exactly this kind of diversity.
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا
"O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another."
Quran, Surah Al Hujurat 49:13The Quran also links human differences to the signs of Allah.
"And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your languages and your colors."
Quran, Surah Ar Rum 30:22On unity among believers, the Prophet, peace be upon him, taught a famous image in a hadith recorded in Sahih al Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.
"The believers, in their mutual love, mercy and compassion, are like one body. When one part suffers, the whole body responds with sleeplessness and fever."
Hadith, Sahih al Bukhari 6011 and Sahih Muslim 2586 (meaning paraphrased)These teachings remind us that a Muslim in Cairo, Kano or Mogadishu shares the same Five Pillars. If you are new to them, start with the Five Pillars of Islam and the beginner page on the Shahadah. For giving, see what is Zakat, and use the Zakat calculator to work out your own amount.
Education and Scholarship
Islamic learning has deep roots in Africa. Al Azhar in Cairo, Al Qarawiyyin in Fez (founded in 859 CE by Fatima al Fihri) and the Sankore madrasa of Timbuktu are three landmarks. Together they prove that African Muslims were scholars, teachers and authors long before modern times. The pursuit of knowledge is encouraged in the Quran: "Say, My Lord, increase me in knowledge" (Quran 20:114).
Common Challenges and Opportunities
Muslim countries in Africa face real challenges, including poverty, conflict in some regions and climate pressure on the Sahel. At the same time, they hold huge opportunities: a young population, growing halal and Islamic finance markets, and strong community networks. Our overview of Islamic economics and halal earning shows how faith guides livelihood.
How to Verify Population Data Yourself
Because this topic is data heavy, we suggest a simple three step check.
- Open the Pew Research Center religion hub and search the country name.
- Compare with the CIA World Factbook religion entry.
- Read background context on the Britannica article on Islam, and check national census websites if available.
If the sources disagree by a few points, that is normal. Use a range, not a single number.
Frequently Asked Questions About Muslim Countries in Africa
How many Muslim countries are in Africa?
Roughly 20 to 22 African countries and territories have a Muslim majority. Nigeria and Eritrea are about half Muslim, so lists differ.
Which African country has the most Muslims?
Egypt and Nigeria each have around 100 million Muslims or more. Egypt has the higher percentage, while Nigeria is divided almost evenly.
Which African country has the highest percentage of Muslims?
Mauritania is usually listed near 100 percent. Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Somalia and Niger are around 99 percent.
Is Africa mostly Muslim?
No. Muslims make up roughly one third to 45 percent of the continent by most estimates, with Christianity at a similar or slightly larger share. Islam is dominant in North Africa, the Sahel and the Horn.
Which region of Africa has the most Muslims?
North Africa has the highest share, usually above 90 percent. West Africa also holds a very large number of Muslims, led by Nigeria.
When did Islam first reach Africa?
Muslims migrated to Abyssinia around 615 CE during the Prophet's lifetime. Egypt came under Muslim rule around 639 to 641 CE.
Is Ethiopia a Muslim country?
No. Muslims are roughly a third of Ethiopia's people, which is one of the largest Muslim communities in Africa, but Christianity is the majority faith.
Where can I find reliable data on Muslim populations in Africa?
Try Pew Research Center, the CIA World Factbook and national statistics offices. Figures vary because many countries do not record religion in a census.
Conclusion
To sum up, Muslim countries in Africa number about 20 to 22, stretching from Morocco in the northwest to Somalia in the east and from Egypt in the north to Sierra Leone in the west. Egypt and Nigeria lead in total Muslims, while Mauritania leads in percentage. Whether you are a student, traveler or curious reader, remember that behind every figure are living communities who share the same faith, pray the same prayers and carry a proud scholarly heritage.
Continue learning with our guides to Islam as a religion, the 99 Names of Allah and the Islamic culture hub.
About the publisher: Islamic Info Center is a digital media platform focused on Islamic history, culture, beliefs and practices. Population figures in this article are estimates from public research and may change. For religious rulings, please consult a qualified scholar.