Tolerance and Tension

Islam and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa

POLL · April 15, 2010

Ghana

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

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

Survey Answers of Respondents in Ghana (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
88
10
1
0
Total Population
89
9
1
0
Among Christians
97
3
0
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
81
13
3
4
Total Population
83
13
2
2
Among Christians
99
0
1
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
93
6
1
0
Total Population
94
5
1
0
Among Christians
97
2
0
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
75
23
0
1
Among Christians
89
8
1
1
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
75
20
5
1
Total Population
74
20
5
1
Among Christians
95
2
1
2
Among Muslims

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Do you fast for Lent or Ramadan?

% respondingResponse Yes Response No Response Don't Know
NA
Total Population
83
17
0
Among Christians
97
3
Among Muslims

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Have you experienced or witnessed a divine healing?

% respondingResponse Yes Response No Response Don't know
69
31
0
Total Population
74
26
0
Among Christians
28
71
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
59
40
1
Total Population
65
35
1
Among Christians
15
81
4
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
64
34
2
Total Population
68
31
1
Among Christians
53
40
7
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
74
23
4
Total Population
74
23
3
Among Christians
72
25
3
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
89
5
6
Total Population
89
5
6
Among Christians
91
2
7
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
96
3
1
Total Population
96
3
0
Among Christians
97
1
1
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
69
23
8
Total Population
78
14
8
Among Christians
15
76
9
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
69
20
10
1
Total Population
81
16
3
0
Among Christians
14
32
52
2
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
16
23
57
4
Total Population
9
23
64
4
Among Christians
77
17
5
1
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
38
57
6
Total Population
35
60
5
Among Christians
51
39
9
Among Muslims

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Do you associate the term "violent" with Muslims?

% respondingResponse Yes Response No Response No opinion
55
41
4
Total Population
61
35
3
Among Christians
17
79
4
Among Muslims

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Do you associate the term "violent" with Christians?

% respondingResponse Yes Response No Response No opinion
11
87
2
Total Population
9
90
1
Among Christians
11
80
9
Among Muslims

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Do you associate the term "honest" with Muslims?

% respondingResponse Yes Response No Response No opinion
71
21
9
Total Population
70
21
9
Among Christians
93
3
4
Among Muslims

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Do you associate the term "honest" with Christians?

% respondingResponse Yes Response No Response No opinion
88
9
2
Total Population
89
9
2
Among Christians
88
4
8
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
41
26
24
8
Total Population
42
27
23
8
Among Christians
48
14
30
8
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
7
15
74
4
Total Population
6
14
76
4
Among Christians
15
21
59
5
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
16
12
39
33
Total Population
13
13
38
35
Among Christians
36
7
37
21
Among Muslims

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Did you have any of your daughters circumcised?

% respondingResponse Yes Response No Response NA / Don't know
9
87
3
Total Population
5
93
2
Among Christians
13
72
14
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
72
24
5
Total Population
72
25
4
Among Christians
70
22
8
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
70
28
2
Among Christians
58
40
2
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
71
24
5
Total Population
78
18
5
Among Christians
21
73
6
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
87
8
5
Total Population
87
8
5
Among Christians
89
7
4
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 Ghana at the Pew Global Attitudes Project Key Indicators Database.