Religion

There has never been a recognized state religion in South Africa. Everyone's right to freedom of conscience, religion, thinking, belief, and opinion is specifically stated in the nation's constitution. However, Christianity remained the most popular religion today because the government actively supported it for much of the 20th century.

Although there was no question about religious affiliation in the 2011 South African census, the majority of South Africans (84.2%) declared themselves to be Christians in the 2013 General Household Survey. This was a rise from the 79.8% figure from the 2001 census.

The remainder population was made up of 5% who identified with ancestral or traditional African religions, 2% Muslims, 1% Hindus, and 0.2% Jews. 0.2% of the population declared themselves atheists or agnostics, while 5.5% said they believed in "nothing in particular" and 1.6% were unsure.