Morocco Leads MENA Region in Religiosity, Pew Research Finds

Marrakech – A recent report by the Pew Research Center has revealed that Morocco ranks among the most religious countries in the world, with 90% of Moroccans prioritizing religion in their lives and over 70% praying daily.

The findings, based on surveys conducted in 102 countries and territories between 2008 and 2023, shed light on the importance of religion in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and beyond.

According to the report, Morocco leads the MENA region in terms of the importance of religion in people’s lives, followed by Palestine, Jordan, and Iraq. When it comes to daily prayer rates, Morocco ranks fourth behind Iraq, Jordan, and Palestine.

However, outside of MENA, Indonesia surpasses all countries surveyed, with a staggering 98% of its population prioritizing religion and 95% praying daily.

The Pew Research Center’s findings align with a previous survey conducted by the German statistics platform Statista between April 2022 and March 2023.

The Statista survey also highlighted Morocco’s strong adherence to religion, placing the country among those where religiosity ranges between 80% and 99%.

Commenting on the global trends, the Pew Research Center report states, “The places that are most religious by these two measures tend to be in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Middle East-North Africa region. The places that are least religious tend to be in Europe and East Asia.”

Morocco’s high levels of religiosity can be seen in the context of the country’s historical role in spreading its predominant religion, Islam, to various parts of the world.

The country has also been actively engaging in religious diplomacy, particularly in Africa and Europe, as part of its efforts to promote a moderate form of Islam and counter extremist ideologies.

Following the 2003 Casablanca suicide bombings, which were tied to Islamic extremists, Morocco launched a comprehensive restructuring of its religious field, which included the establishment of the Mohammed VI Institute for Training of Imams.

The institute aims to provide training for religious preachers and imams from the Sunni rite, not only from Morocco but also from countries such as Tunisia, Mali, Ivory Coast, Chad, Guinea Conakry, Nigeria, and France.

As the Pew Research Center report highlights, understanding the complex landscape of religious beliefs and practices around the world requires a nuanced approach.

While the importance of religion and daily prayer rates offer valuable insights, the report also acknowledges the need for additional questions to capture key aspects of religious or spiritual observance in different cultural contexts.