Addressing religious practices in Sub-Saharan Africa: Insights from a longitudinal study in rural Mali

Background: In censuses and demographic surveys, religion is recorded as a variable of state, assuming that individuals’ religious affiliation in unique and definitive. However, in sub-Saharan Africa, pluralism are commonplace. In this paper, we discussed the relevance and feasibility of a statistical approach to religious practices, taking into consideration their complexity and variability over an individual’s lifetime.
Data Source and methodes: We used longitudinal data collected since 25 years in the south-east of Mali, among a population where traditional and Christian religions coexist. We compared the results of a classic cross-sectional approach with those obtained via a longitudinal approach that takes into consideration individuals’ religious trajectories.
Résultats: Plurality and variability in religious practices are confirmed. Most individuals, at some point in their lives, become affiliated with different religions. Mobility and reversibility in religious affiliation are common.
Conclusion: The relevance of cross-sectional data on religious affiliation for demographic analysis is therefore questionable.