Countries Where People Pray the Most Every Day – Nigeria Isn’t Number One

When it comes to daily prayer, Nigeria is often seen as one of the most religious countries in the world. But a new global report shows that, while Nigerians are indeed prayerful, they don’t pray the most.

According to a 2025 report jointly released by the Pew Research Center and the World Bank, Indonesia takes the top spot as the country where people pray the most every day. 

With an impressive 95% of its population reportedly engaging in daily prayer, the Southeast Asian nation leads the world in daily religious devotion.

Nigeria, which many expected to top the list, actually shares second place with Kenya, as both countries recorded 84% daily prayer participation. 

The result has sparked plenty of reactions online, especially among Nigerians who take pride in the country’s deeply religious culture.

Former Senator Shehu Sani even joined the conversation, jokingly noting that Nigeria and Kenya now share the “silver medal” when it comes to prayer.

Other countries rounding out the top five include Malaysia (80%) and the Philippines (79%), two more Asian countries where daily prayer plays a central role in people’s lives.

Here’s how the top 10 countries ranked:

• Indonesia – 95%
  
• Kenya – 84%
  
• Nigeria – 84%
  
• Malaysia – 80%
  
• Philippines – 79%
  
• Brazil – 76%
  
• Bangladesh – 75%
  
• Ghana – 73%
  
• Sri Lanka – 72%
  
• Colombia – 71%
  

While Africa is well represented on the list with Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana among the top 10, it’s interesting to see how dominant Asia is, especially in the top five. 

The findings highlight that spirituality and religious practices are still a strong part of daily life in many parts of the world, beyond what people might assume based on stereotypes or cultural narratives.

So, even though Nigeria didn’t claim the number one spot, it’s still firmly among the world’s most prayerful nations, just not at the very top.