Religion in the Republic of the Congo

Available surveys from 2012 do not present a consistent picture of the religious distribution. The last published census reports 55 percent Catholic, 32 percent Protestant and 2 percent Muslim inhabitants; about one third of Protestants are classified as belonging to evangelical churches. A government survey from the same year, by contrast, reports 55 percent Protestants, 32 percent Catholics, 2 percent Muslims, 9 percent members of other groups and 2 percent atheists or people with no religious affiliation. An estimate by the Higher Islamic Council of Congo (Conseil supérieur islamique du Congo), which includes non-Congolese residents, puts the Muslim share at about 14 percent. The figures should therefore be read as results from different surveys, not as a precise current population statistic. Important institutions include the Catholic Church and the Episcopal Conference of Congo (Conférence épiscopale du Congo), Protestant and evangelical churches, the Council of Churches of Congo (Conseil des Églises du Congo), the Higher Islamic Council of Congo, Kimbanguists, the Salvation Army and independent churches. Small Jewish communities exist mainly in Pointe-Noire. Traditional beliefs, including ancestor veneration and the concept of kindoki, partly influence religious practice alongside Christian or other forms of belief. The Muslim population is predominantly Sunni. The Republic of the Congo is a secular state. The Constitution protects freedom of religion and conscience and the freedom to exercise, teach and practice religion. Religious discrimination, religious activity for political purposes, religious or ideological fanaticism, coercion and forced recruitment are prohibited. Parties may not identify themselves with a religion. Religious activities are subject to the law, public order and the rights of others. Wearing a full-face veil such as a niqab or burqa in public is prohibited; foreign Muslims may not spend the night in mosques. Religious organizations apply for recognition to the Ministry of the Interior. The application requires at least a title or lease document for the premises, the exact address, and the organization’s statutes, mission and objectives. Leaders must provide evidence of formal or informal religious training and a certificate of Bible knowledge. Fees and a uniform processing period have not been reliably published. Possible sanctions for violations include fines, confiscation, invalidity of contracts or the expulsion of foreign members. An organization’s application for recognition is not an individual authorization to belong to a faith or practice it privately. The Catholic Church is additionally covered by an agreement between the Holy See and the Republic of the Congo from 2017. Decree 2025-14 provides for the Episcopal Conference of Congo, dioceses and canonical institutions to notify the Ministry of the Interior and publicly announce their legal personality. Until full implementation, the previous rights of nonprofit institutions continue to apply. Public schools may not provide religious education. Private schools may offer religious education; public and private schools respect different philosophical and religious beliefs. Statutory religious holidays are Easter Monday, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, All Saints’ Day on the first of November and Christmas on the twenty-fifth of December. New Year’s Day, the first of May, the tenth of June and the fifteenth of August are also statutory holidays. Ramadan and Eid are not included in this statutory holiday list; additional days off may be established by the Ministry of Labour. Worship, religious instruction, ceremonies and support during life events are organized mainly by communities, clergy and imams. Baptisms, confirmations, Islamic marriages, funerals, cemeteries and pastoral support follow the respective community. Under Article 150 of the Family Code, however, only a marriage before a civil registrar has legal effect; a religious ceremony does not replace it. To access religious services, individuals contact a local community, clergy member or imam. Institutional recognition follows the procedure with the Ministry of the Interior. For foreign Catholic clergy and members of religious orders, Decree 2025-14 facilitates the religious visa process. The Council of Churches of Congo and the Higher Islamic Council of Congo participate in interfaith exchange and government consultations. These include ecumenical services, participation in events marking the end of Ramadan, and joint health initiatives with the Ministry of Health and the Higher Islamic Council. These medical, eye-care and pharmaceutical services are open regardless of religious affiliation. Costs for worship or religious rituals do not follow a uniform nationwide tariff and instead depend on the community and ceremony.