An Afro Barometer survey released by the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) reveals that about 80 percent (%) of persons who had not received formal education trust, religious leaders, more than the educated.

Similarly, the lower educated a person is, the stronger he or she trusts in a religious leader. And to the data, which was collected between 2019 and 2021, 73% of primary school leavers trust religious leaders more than those with secondary school certificates, 65%, and post-secondary school, 60%.

Although all the figures are on the higher side, the data may suggest that the uneducated population might be more gullible to religious deception or more likely to act appropriately with the trust they had established in their religious leaders.  

The same trend was recorded between rural and urban dwellers. According to the research findings, 75% of rural folks trust religious leaders more than their counterparts in urban areas (62%). This could also imply that religious bodies are likely to thrive in the countryside. It can also be concluded that regardless of one’s educational background, the probability for a person to trust a religious leader is high.

In the age demographics, persons above 66 years (77%) trust religious leaders than those in the age bracket of 56 to 65 (73%), 46 to 55 (71%), 36 to 45 (70%), 26 to 35 (66%), and 18 to 25 (68%).

Convincingly, the older the generation is more likely to rest their trust in religious leaders. However, it is quite interesting how those in the age bracket of 18 to 25 years trust religious leaders two percent high than their immediate generation.

The survey further showed that 75% of Muslims trust their religious leaders more than Christians, 67%. Therefore, in the scheme of things, Muslims are more likely to express trust in their religious leaders than Christians.