Fewer people are religious
The number of religious South Africans has dropped from 83% in 2005 to 64% this year. Ghana is the most religious country in the world with 96%
The number of people in South Africa who consider themselves religious has dropped by 19%, an international survey revealed on Friday.
According to the latest polls released by the Win-Gallup International Religiosity and Atheism Index, which measures global self-perceptions on belief, religious South Africans dropped from 83% in 2005 to 64% in 2012.
The survey, conducted during November 2011 and January 2012, was based on interviews with 52,000 men and women from 57 countries in five continents.
South Africa was fifth behind Vietnam which dropped by 23%, Ireland, 22%, Switzerland, 21%, and France 21%.
According to the survey, 28% of South Africans do not consider themselves religious, 4% were convinced atheists, and 5% did not respond to questions.
The survey also indicated that globally the number of people claiming to be religious dropped by 9%, while atheism rose by 3%.
Ghana was the most religious country in the world with 96%, followed by Nigeria with 93%.
China had 47% of citizens claiming to be atheists, followed by Japan with 31% and the Czech Republic with 30 percent.
The survey further indicated that world-wide people in the bottom income groups were 17% more religious than those in the top income groups.
The low income group accounted for 66% of religious people and the high income groups accounted for 49%.
Most Popular
-
No Viewed Articles yet
Comments
DJWinner
ha ha ha ha...There is a country named South African already in hell. We are all going there....Unfortunately Mandela will be on the other side. Who will save us?Report Abuse
Limpopoist
Thus great news,south african cannot just reject their african religion for a mere fake black book stories.Biggist scam on human history......Jesus christ
Report Abuse
RobinH
Limpopoist: Don't single out Christ. All formal religions are basically social constructs to bolster certain agendas. But one shouldn't blame the rather remarkabl;e individual for the complete hash up people have made of his teachings.Report Abuse
Pointman
Good news, but the problem is that the remaining 64% have become 200% more religious and close minded. They believe anything the crooked pastors tell them.Ja @Limpopoist - Jesus was a perfect scam. When the victims feel like they have won, then you have a perfect scam. No heaven waiting on the other side.
Report Abuse
Dzel
One day we will all come to realise that religion is the biggest lie ever told. Interesting that the most ingorant of nations make up the highest number of believer, the most enlightned nations make up the least number of believers.Funny how the very same person who does not know material facts about religions or who does not understand the origions and evolution of religion will tell you with pride they are born again thge irony completely lost on them. It is these very people who look down at African traditions and call them uncivilised, again the irony is glaring but completely lost kubazalwane.
Religion dumbs people down.
Report Abuse
Dzel
LimpopoistBiggist scam on human history......Jesus christ
===================================================
The biggest and most successful con artist there that ever lived.
But then when someone claims to be born by immaculate conseption and that person has older brothers and sisters logic dectates there is something seriously suspect about that claim. Even people who lived in the same village he grew up in were suprised when he suddenly called himself the son of god.
Even today people think he actually died on that cross ... I just don't understand how and why someone would accept a story with so many holes as truth. It is as if when it comes to religion people stoip thinking.
Report Abuse
DJWinner
@Sowetan...Don't you think comments have to blocked in articles like this? I mean, I've been praying for the past 30 years and now people are saying I've been wasting my time on scams. This is demaging really.Report Abuse
2nevvy4u
Ghana is the most religious country in the world with 96%----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
witches hiding behind religion
Report Abuse
BrothaX
As much as religion exist to divide people but I think Darkiez need to be religious none the less just for the sake of having some sense conscious of what is right or wrong. There is nothing so dangerous like a person who cannot tell between right and wrong.Report Abuse
MommaC
Another thumbsuck numberLess than a thousand people questioned and of those 9% didn't answer - what kind of a representative sample is that? The theories of statistics are completely out of the window.
Report Abuse
Read all 41 comments