Christianity in Tanzania
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Christianity is the largest religion in Tanzania, professed by around 63.1% of the total population as of 2020.https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/tanzania/ Protestantism and Catholicism are the main denominations in the country.
Historical information
Christianity was introduced in the 16th century when Franciscans established a mission in Kilwa.[https://www.shadowsofafrica.com/blog/tribes-religion-of-tanzania/ Shadows Of Africa website] Spiritan missionaries arrived in the area in 1868.Nnamunga, G. M., [https://www.academia.edu/47751273/50_Years_of_Christianity_in_Tanzania_Spiritan_Evangelization_Methodology 50 Years of Christianity in Tanzania: Spiritan Evangelization Methodology], Tangaza Journal of Theology and Mission, 2018, accessed 26 September 2023 The Anglican mission was established in 1876.[https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/church-history/article/abs/christianity-in-central-tanzania-a-story-of-african-encounters-and-initiatives-in-ugogo-and-ukaguru-18761933-by-mwita-akiri-cumbria-langham-2020-xxvi-409-pp-2899-paper/256A63494A829F4B025E78147D8F5FB4 Cambridge University Press website]
The Christian Council of Tanzania was founded in 1934.[https://www.shadowsofafrica.com/blog/tribes-religion-of-tanzania/ Shadows Of Africa website]
Statistics
A 2020 Pew Forum survey estimates that approximately 63% of the population identifies as Christian, 34% as Muslim, and 5% practitioners of other religions.[https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/tanzania US State Dept 2022 report] Most Christians are Catholics and Lutherans, although there are also Anglicans, Pentecostals and other groups.
A 2010 Pew survey found 61.4 percent of respondents to be Christian, 35.2 percent to be Muslim, 1.8 percent to follow traditional African religions, 1.4 percent to be unaffiliated, and 0.1 percent to be Hindu.{{cite book |title=Global Religious Diversity: Full Report |date=4 April 2014 |publisher=Pew Research Center |page=22 |url=http://www.pewforum.org/files/2014/04/Religious-Diversity-full-report.pdf |access-date=17 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170117230803/http://www.pewforum.org/files/2014/04/Religious-Diversity-full-report.pdf |archive-date=17 January 2017 |url-status=dead }} The Eastern Orthodox Church claims an estimated 200,000 adherents in Tanzania.{{Cite web|url=https://ierapostoles.gr/category/χώρα/ινδονησία/|title=Ιεραποστολή στην Ινδονησία}} The United Methodist Church claims 8,371 members in Tanzania.{{cite web |url=http://www.umc.org/who-we-are/2018-tanzania-annual-conference |title=2018 Tanzania Annual Conference - The United Methodist Church |website=www.umc.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801002443/http://www.umc.org/who-we-are/2018-tanzania-annual-conference |archive-date=2018-08-01}} In 2020, the Vatican noted that 30.41% of the population are Catholic.[https://www.catholicsandcultures.org/tanzania Catholics And Culture website, Retrieved 2023-08-01]
A 2015 study estimates some 180,000 believers in Christ from a Muslim background living in the country, most of them Protestant.{{cite journal|last1=Johnstone|first1=Patrick|last2=Miller|first2=Duane A|title=Believers in Christ from a Muslim Background: A Global Census|journal=IJRR|date=2015|volume=11|page=14|url=https://www.academia.edu/16338087|access-date=20 November 2015}}
The CIA World Factbook notes that Zanzibar is almost entirely Muslim.{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/tanzania/ |title=The World Fact Book: Tanzania |access-date=18 June 2018}}
In 2023, Tanzania scored 3 out of 4 for religious freedom.[https://freedomhouse.org/country/tanzania/freedom-world/2023 Freedom House website, Retrieved 2023-08-01]