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The population of Sub-Saharan Africa is larger than the population of North Africa. The fertility rate of North Africa (high as it is) is less than the fertility rate of Sub-Saharan Africa.

The two most populous nations in North Africa are Egypt (80 million) and Algeria (33 million).

In Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria has a population of (140 million) - greater than Egypt + Algeria, South Africa (47 million), Congo-Kinsasha (58 million), Ethiopia (70 million), Kenya (37 million).

Out of these nations, only Nigeria and Ethiopia have significant Muslim populations. The rest are predominantly Christian.

I did not pull these figures from my head. They are freely available. I don’t understand where the fiction that Islam is the fastest growing (or largest) religious grouping in Africa comes from.

I donÂ’t understand where the fiction that Islam is the fastest growing (or largest) religious grouping in Africa comes from.

Probably because internet sources tout it quite a bit. Here are some tables from wikipedia (I know, don't even say it, just using it as an example) that demonstrates Christianity as a whole is a minority religion -

**Christianity in Africa**
Region	Total Population	Christians	% Christian	% of total Christians
Central Africa	83,121,055	53,127,098	63.9%	3.008%
East Africa	195,041,900	116,911,194	59.94%	6.620%
North Africa	203,536,578	10,271,958	5.04%	0.581%
Southern Africa	138,028,304	81,609,757	59.12%	4.621%
West Africa	269,922,224	93,283,710	34.56%	5.282%
Total	889,650,061	355,203,717	39.92%	20.11%

**Islam in Africa**
Region	Total Population	Muslims	% Muslim	% of Muslim total
Central Africa	83,121,055	12.6 million	15.1%	3.1%
East Africa	193,741,900	66.4 million	34.3%	16.5%
North Africa	202,151,323	180 million	89.1%	44.8%
Southern Africa	137,092,019	8.9 million	6.5%	2.2%
West Africa	268,997,245	134.0 million	49.8%	33.3%
Total	885,103,542	402.0 million	44.86%