Top 10 African Countries With the Largest Muslim Populations

• Nigeria retained Africa’s largest Muslim population with 104.7 million, ahead of Egypt by about 14.3 million people
• Egypt ranked second with 90.4 million Muslims as North and West African countries dominated the top 10 list
• The 10 countries together accounted for more than 391 million Muslims across Africa in the latest 2024 estimates

Nigeria remained home to Africa’s largest Muslim population in 2024, widening its lead over Egypt, according to newly released figures highlighting the continent’s largest Muslim communities.

The data, shared by StatiSense, showed that Nigeria had an estimated 104.7 million Muslims, about 14.3 million more than Egypt, which ranked second with 90.4 million.

Together, the two countries accounted for more than 195 million Muslims, underscoring their central role in Africa’s Islamic population.

The rankings also reflected the strong presence of Muslim-majority or large Muslim populations across North, West and East Africa, with countries such as Algeria, Sudan and Morocco completing the top five.

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Below are the 10 African countries with the largest Muslim populations in 2024:

1. Nigeria — 104.7M
2. Egypt — 90.4M
3. Algeria — 39.4M
4. Sudan — 38.4M
5. Morocco — 35.5M
6. Niger — 21.7M
7. Mali — 19.6M
8. Senegal — 15.5M
9. Burkina Faso — 14.2M
10. Somalia — 12.1M

The latest figures reinforce Africa’s position as one of the world’s major centres of Islam, with hundreds of millions of Muslims spread across the continent.

While North and West Africa dominate the rankings, countries in East Africa also continue to contribute significantly to the continent’s Muslim population.

According to the data, the combined Muslim population of the 10 countries exceeds 391 million, reflecting the deep historical, cultural and religious influence of Islam across Africa.

List of African countries declaring public holidays in August 2026

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that several African countries will observe public holidays in August 2026, with celebrations ranging from independence anniversaries and national commemorations to religious festivals.

From Benin’s Independence Day on August 1 to Nigeria’s Eid Milad un-Nabi celebration later in the month, the holidays will mark key historical, cultural and religious moments across the continent.

Source: Legit.ng