Islam, Christianity, and traditional indigenous religions are practiced freely without government interference. The Government neither subsidizes nor favors any particular religion. The Government requires that religious groups register with the Ministry of Territorial Administration. Registration establishes a group's legal presence in the country but entails no specific controls or benefits. Religious groups only are taxed if they carry on lucrative activities, i.e., farming.
Registration only confers legal status.
There are no penalties for failure to register. All groups are given equal access to licenses, and the Government does not approve registrations in an arbitrary manner. There is no single dominant religion. There are no reliable data on the number of atheists or persons not practicing any religion. The majority of the country's Muslims belong to the Sunni branch of Islam, while small minorities adhere to the Shi'a or Tidjania branches.