Religion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

There is no documented current official religious census for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A 2020 estimate by the World Religion Database assigns approximately 95.1 percent of the population to Christianity, 1.5 percent to Islam and 2.5 percent to no religious affiliation. A 2010 Pew estimate divided the Christian population into approximately 48.1 percent Protestants, including evangelical and Kimbanguist churches, and 47.3 percent Roman Catholics. The estimates use different methods. In many communities, Christian practice and traditional beliefs are combined. The larger religious communities include the Catholic Church, Protestant churches in the umbrella organization Church of Christ in Congo (Eglise du Christ au Congo, ECC), evangelical and revival churches, the Kimbanguist Church, Orthodox churches, the Salvation Army and the Muslim community. Other groups include Jehovah's Witnesses, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and smaller Hindu, Jewish, Buddhist, Baha'i and Indigenous communities. The National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO), the Catholic bishops' conference, and ECC represent central church networks. Muslim and other religious organizations also participate in dialogue and peace initiatives. Article 22 of the Constitution protects freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This includes public and private worship, religious teaching, practices, rites and religious life. Restrictions must be based on law, public order, public morality or the rights of others; even in a state of emergency or siege, this right may not be suspended. There is no state religion under Article 46 of Law 004/2001. A religious organization is legally organized as a confessional non-profit association (ASBL), meaning an association with a religious purpose. The Minister of Justice grants legal personality after an opinion from the competent ministry. Requirements for provisional operation include at least seven actual members, a founder or legal representative who is at least 30 years old, a clean record, no disqualifying conviction and a higher or equivalent religious educational qualification. The place of worship or meeting place must meet safety and public-order requirements. A foreign religious ASBL requires prior authorization from the President on the proposal of the Minister of Justice. Accepting donations before legal personality or provisional operating authorization may have criminal consequences. The statutory target for deciding a complete registration application is six months; after that, silence is deemed to constitute registration. However, a 2023 report stated that no final religious registration authorizations had been issued since 2014. Domestic communities with pending applications were generally still able to operate, while access for foreign organizations was also described as practically possible but legally and administratively inconsistent. There is no reliably documented nationwide fee schedule for membership, religious ceremonies or local communities. The public school system distinguishes between non-conventional schools and conventional schools, which are run by religious organizations in partnership with the state. A new school convention was agreed in 2022 after 45 years; signatories included the Muslim community, the Salvation Army, Seventh-day Adventists, revival churches, the Kimbanguist Church and other religious networks. Public schools run by religious organizations may offer religious instruction. State schools may also offer religion, but may not generally require it; a request from the parents is required. Administration and fees differ depending on the school network and province. The national statutory holiday list includes December 25 as Christmas. The reviewed national list does not document an equivalent general statutory holiday for Eid, Easter or other religious holidays. Communities therefore additionally organize their services and celebrations according to their respective denominational calendars. Religious communities participate in peacebuilding, reconciliation and civil-society initiatives. CENCO, ECC, the Muslim community and other faiths work together in this area. The Council of Christian and Islamic Laypeople of Congo (COLCIC) is a Christian-Islamic dialogue platform. At a workshop supported by the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) in Goma in April 2026, 47 religious leaders took part in discussions on peace, reconciliation and social cohesion. The reach and practical impact of such dialogues vary by region. Baptism, confirmation, communion, religious marriage and funeral rites depend on the respective community. A purely religious marriage does not replace a civil marriage and has no corresponding civil-law effect under Article 333 of the Family Code. A marriage must be registered before the civil registrar; Article 370 generally provides a period of one month for this. The civil minimum age for marriage is 18 for both sexes. Births and deaths are also registered under civil law and do not require a religious ceremony. Access to religious services usually takes place through a local church, mosque or community. Regional security conditions have a major effect on this access, particularly in the east of the country. In the 2023 attack on a Pentecostal church in Lubiriha near Kasindi, 16 people were killed and at least 62 injured. Jehovah's Witnesses also reported local violence and exclusion from activities at religiously run schools. Additional state or security-related restrictions on individual groups may be connected with assembly and public-order regulations.