Tolerance and Tension

Islam and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa

POLL · April 15, 2010

Tanzania

Political Map
Political Map of Tanzania
Religious Affiliation
of Survey Respondents in Tanzania
Religious Composition in Tanzania

This pie chart shows the religious breakdown of the people surveyed in Tanzania. See Appendix B for comparative estimates of the country's religious composition from some other studies and censuses.

Survey Answers of Respondents in Tanzania (by topic)

How important is religion in your life?

% responding Response Very important Response Somewhat important Response Not too / not at all imp. Response Don't know
93
4
2
0
Total Population
95
4
1
0
Among Christians
95
4
1
Among Muslims

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How often do you attend religious services?

% respondingResponse Attend at least weekly Response Monthly or yearly Response Seldom or never Response Don't know
80
11
8
1
Total Population
83
11
5
1
Among Christians
82
9
9
0
Among Muslims

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Do you believe in God? How certain are you in this belief?

% respondingResponse Believe, absolutely certain Response Believe, less certain Response Do not believe Response Other / No opinion
94
5
0
0
Total Population
94
6
1
0
Among Christians
95
4
0
Among Muslims

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Is the Koran / Bible the word of God? Is it to be taken literally, word for word?

% respondingResponse Literal word of God Response Word of God, not literal Response Not word of God Response Other / No opinion
NA
Total Population
78
18
3
1
Among Christians
86
12
2
0
Among Muslims

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How often do you pray?

% respondingResponse Pray daily Response Weekly or monthly Response Seldom or never Response Don't know
55
35
10
1
Total Population
57
38
6
0
Among Christians
55
32
12
1
Among Muslims

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Do you fast for Lent or Ramadan?

% respondingResponse Yes Response No Response Don't Know
NA
Total Population
70
30
0
Among Christians
93
7
Among Muslims

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Have you experienced or witnessed a divine healing?

% respondingResponse Yes Response No Response Don't know
48
51
1
Total Population
63
36
1
Among Christians
26
73
1
Among Muslims

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Have you experienced or witnessed the devil being driven out of a person?

% respondingResponse Yes Response No Response Don't know
51
49
1
Total Population
62
38
0
Among Christians
33
66
1
Among Muslims

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Is it necessary to believe in God to be moral and have good values?

% respondingResponse Necessary Response Not necessary Response No opinion
82
17
1
Total Population
80
19
1
Among Christians
87
13
0
Among Muslims

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Have Western music, movies, and television hurt morality in your country?

% respondingResponse Have hurt morality Response Have not hurt morality Response No opinion
80
15
5
Total Population
80
15
4
Among Christians
80
15
5
Among Muslims

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Is abortion morally wrong, morally acceptable, or not a moral issue?

% respondingResponse Morally wrong Response Morally acceptable or Not a moral issue ResponseDepends / No opinion
92
7
1
Total Population
91
8
1
Among Christians
94
5
1
Among Muslims

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Is homosexual behavior morally wrong, morally acceptable, or not a moral issue?

% respondingResponse Morally wrong Response Morally acceptable or Not a moral issue Response Depends / No opinion
91
7
2
Total Population
91
7
1
Among Christians
91
7
2
Among Muslims

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Is polygamy morally wrong, morally acceptable, or not a moral issue?

% respondingResponse Morally wrong Response Morally acceptable or Not a moral issue Response Depends / No opinion
57
39
4
Total Population
75
21
4
Among Christians
29
67
4
Among Muslims

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How much do you know about Christianity?

% respondingResponse A great deal Response Some Response Not very much or nothing Response No opinion
38
32
28
2
Total Population
57
34
9
Among Christians
8
29
59
4
Among Muslims

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How much do you know about Islam?

% respondingResponse A great deal Response Some Response Not very much or nothing Response No opinion
17
33
44
7
Total Population
5
22
63
11
Among Christians
38
53
10
Among Muslims

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Do Islam and Christianity have a lot in common or are they very different?

% respondingResponse A lot in common Response Very different Response No opinion
41
50
9
Total Population
32
59
9
Among Christians
59
37
4
Among Muslims

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Do you associate the term "violent" with Muslims?

% respondingResponse Yes Response No Response No opinion
32
58
10
Total Population
43
44
13
Among Christians
15
82
3
Among Muslims

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Do you associate the term "violent" with Christians?

% respondingResponse Yes Response No Response No opinion
9
86
5
Total Population
7
92
1
Among Christians
12
80
8
Among Muslims

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Do you associate the term "honest" with Muslims?

% respondingResponse Yes Response No Response No opinion
64
23
13
Total Population
50
33
17
Among Christians
90
8
2
Among Muslims

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Do you associate the term "honest" with Christians?

% respondingResponse Yes Response No Response No opinion
82
12
6
Total Population
85
13
2
Among Christians
80
11
9
Among Muslims

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How concerned are you about extremist religious groups in your country?

% respondingResponse Very concerned Response Somewhat concerned ResponseNot too / not at all concerned ResponseNo opinion
30
17
51
3
Total Population
30
17
49
3
Among Christians
29
17
52
2
Among Muslims

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Is violence against civilians in defense of religion justified?

% respondingResponse Often justified Response Sometimes justified Response Rarely or never justified Response No opinion
1
1
96
2
Total Population
1
1
97
2
Among Christians
1
1
95
2
Among Muslims

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How many Muslims in your country support Islamic extremist groups such as al-Qaeda?

% respondingResponse Many, most or all Response Just some Response Very few or none Response No opinion
26
26
28
20
Total Population
29
26
21
24
Among Christians
21
26
41
11
Among Muslims

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Did you have any of your daughters circumcised?

% respondingResponse Yes Response No Response NA / Don't know
6
90
4
Total Population
6
90
5
Among Christians
6
90
4
Among Muslims

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Is it OK if political leaders have a different religion than yours?

% respondingResponse OK if leaders have different religion Response Only leaders with same religion Response No opinion
83
16
1
Total Population
86
13
1
Among Christians
79
20
1
Among Muslims

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Do you favor or oppose making the Bible or sharia the law of the land?

% respondingResponse Favor Response Oppose Response No opinion
NA
Total Population
39
59
2
Among Christians
37
59
4
Among Muslims

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Should women be allowed to serve in religious leadership roles, OR Should only men be able to serve?

% respondingResponse Women should be allowed Response Only men should be allowed Response Neither / No opinion
49
48
3
Total Population
61
37
2
Among Christians
30
68
3
Among Muslims

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Is democracy preferable to other kinds of government?

% respondingResponse Democracy preferable Response Sometimes nondemocracy pref. Response Does not matter / No opinion
74
10
16
Total Population
76
9
15
Among Christians
72
11
17
Among Muslims

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Notes

In countries where there were too few interviews with either Muslims or Christians, that subpopulation was not analyzed. Results are not shown for the total population for questions asked only to Muslims and Christians. Figures may not add to 100 due to rounding.

Part of the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project

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Explore more public opinion in Tanzania at the Pew Global Attitudes Project Key Indicators Database.