In sub-Saharan Africa alone, nearly 700 million people, or about 62 percent of the population, adhere to Christianity. Under Roman rule in North Africa, Christianity initially took root among the lower classes as a form of resistance against a pagan empire. Christianity did not spread widely across sub-Saharan Africa until the fifteenth century, with the arrival of Portuguese explorers and missionaries. By 2060, more than 40 percent of the world’s Christians are projected to live in sub-Saharan Africa. Christianity in Africa today is not only a religion—it is an economic, cultural, and political engine.

Source: Ethiopian News January 25, 2026 09:05 UTC