Of the worlds major religions, Christianity is the largest, with more than two billion followers. Formulated in the 1860s, it holds that God lives in all of us and strives to convert society into a paradise on earth, populated by believers transformed into intelligent moral beings with a high social conscience. )note: total adherents exceeds 100% because many people practice both Shintoism and Buddhism, Protestant (Anglican, Baptist, Congregational New Church, Methodist, Presbyterian), Roman Catholic, Muslim 97.1% (official; predominantly Sunni), Christian 2.1% (majority Greek Orthodox, but some Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), Buddhist 0.4%, Hindu 0.1%, Jewish <0.1%, folk <0.1%, other <0.1%, unaffiliated <0.1% (2020 est. ), Roman Catholic 41.7%, Evangelical 38.8%, other 2.7%, atheist 0.1%, none 13.8%, unspecified 2.9% (2018 est. )note: estimates reflect registered members of faith communities eligible for state funding (not all religions are state-funded and not all people who identify with a particular religion are registered members) and the Church of Sweden, Roman Catholic 34.4%, Protestant 22.5%, other Christian 5.7%, Muslim 5.4%, other 1.5%, none 29.4%, unspecified 1.1% (2020 est. ), Shintoism 70.5%, Buddhism 67.2%, Christianity 1.5%, other 5.9% (2019 est. ), Orthodox 90.1%, other Christian 2.6%, other 0.1%, agnostic <0.1%, atheist 0.2%, unspecified 6.9% (2014 est. ), Christian 80.8% (overwhelmingly Roman Catholic with very small groups of Jehovah's Witnesses and Protestants), Muslim 4.9%, unaffiliated 13.4%, other 0.9% (2020 est. Zoroastrianism is generally a closed religion and members are almost always born to Zoroastrian parents. Muisms followers claim a strong belief in the spirit world. )note: Israel dismantled its settlements in September 2005; Gaza has had no Jewish population since then, Eastern Orthodox Christian (official) 83.4%, Muslim 10.7%, Armenian Apostolic 2.9%, other 1.2% (includes Roman Catholic Christian, Jehovah's Witness, Yazidi, Protestant Christian, Jewish), none 0.5%, unspecified/no answer 1.2% (2014 est. ), Ekalesia Niue (Congregational Christian Church of Niue - a Protestant church founded by missionaries from the London Missionary Society) 61.7%, Church of Jesus Christ 8.7%, Roman Catholic 8.4%, Jehovah's Witness 2.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.4%, other 8.2%, none 8.9% (2017 est. List of religious populations The key ethical tenets of Zoroastrianism expressed in its scripture, the Avesta, are based on a dualistic worldview where one may prevent chaos if one chooses to serve God and exercises good thoughts, good words, and good deeds. Nonetheless, Taoist ideas and symbols such as Taijitu have become popular throughout the world through Tai Chi Chuan, Qigong, and various martial arts. Adherents of folk religions, Jews and members of other religions make up smaller shares of the worlds people. ), Roman Catholic 88%, Protestant 5%, Muslim 2%, other 5% (animist, Baha'i, Jewish) (2015 est. Traditional beliefs Animism: the belief that non-human entities contain souls or spirits. ), Protestant 80.5% (United Church of Christ 47%, Assembly of God 16.2%, Bukot Nan Jesus 5.4%, Full Gospel 3.3%, Reformed Congressional Church 3%, Salvation Army 1.9%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.4%, Meram in Jesus 1.2%, other Protestant 1.1%), Roman Catholic 8.5%, Church of Jesus Christ 7%, Jehovah's Witness 1.7%, other 1.2%, none 1.1% (2011 est. Muism (10 million followers). WebAmerican Samoa 98.3% (mostly Protestant) [13] Malta 98.1% [14] (mostly Roman Catholic) Venezuela 98% [15] (71% Roman Catholic) Greece 98% [16] (95% Greek Orthodox) Marshall Islands 97.2% (mostly Protestant) [17] Tonga 97.2% (mostly Protestant) [18] San Marino 97% [19] (~97% Roman Catholic) Paraguay 96.9% [20] (mostly Roman Catholic) ), Protestant 92.7% (Congregational Christian Church of Tuvalu 85.9%, Brethren 2.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.5%, Assemblies of God 1.5%), Baha'i 1.5%, Jehovah's Witness 1.5%, other 3.9%, none or refused 0.4% (2017 est. WebAmerican Samoa 98.3% (mostly Protestant) [13] Malta 98.1% [14] (mostly Roman Catholic) Venezuela 98% [15] (71% Roman Catholic) Greece 98% [16] (95% Greek Orthodox) Marshall Islands 97.2% (mostly Protestant) [17] Tonga 97.2% (mostly Protestant) [18] San Marino 97% [19] (~97% Roman Catholic) Paraguay 96.9% [20] (mostly Roman Catholic) ), Muslim 99.3%, Christian 0.3%, animist 0.2%, none 0.1% (2012 est. )note: religious affiliation forthe majority ofAzerbaijanis is largely nominal, percentages for actual practicing adherents are probablymuch lower, Protestant 69.9% (includes Baptist 34.9%, Anglican 13.7%, Pentecostal 8.9% Seventh Day Adventist 4.4%, Methodist 3.6%, Church of God 1.9%, Brethren 1.6%, other Protestant .9%), Roman Catholic 12%, other Christian 13% (includes Jehovah's Witness 1.1%), other 0.6%, none 1.9%, unspecified 2.6% (2010 est. ), Jewish 74%, Muslim 18%, Christian 1.9%, Druze 1.6%, other 4.5% (2020 est. World Almanac and Book of Facts 2000. Though religious groups grew at uneven rates between 1951 and 2011, every major religion in India saw its numbers rise. Largest Religious Organizations In The World ), Protestant 34.8% (Pentecostal 22.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 5.4%, Anglican 5.2%, Methodist 1.4%), Hindu 24.8%, Roman Catholic 7.1%, Muslim 6.8%, Jehovah's Witness 1.3%, Rastafarian 0.5%, other Christian 20.8%, other 0.9%, none 3.1% (2012 est. Prior to the spread of Islam, Zoroastrianism dominated greater Iran. ), Muslim 77.1%, Christian 22.9% (2019 est. What percent of the world is atheist 2022? ), Catholic 55%, Protestant 29%, Vodou 2.1%, other 4.6%, none 10% (2018 est. Islam. This entry is an ordered listing of religions by adherents starting with the largest group and sometimes includes the percent of total population. ), folk religion 58.9%, Buddhist 17.3%, Christian 7.2%, other 1.2%, none 15.4% (2020 est. Countries and territories with the greatest proportion of Christians from Christianity by country, as of 2010[update]: Countries with a considerable proportion of Muslims from Islam by country as of 2010[update], excluding foreign workers in brackets: Data is based on the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life[30], Countries with the greatest proportion of people without religion, including agnostics and atheists, from Irreligion by country (as of 2020[update]):[46]. Hinduism. ), Muslim 80-85% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 12-14%, Christian 1-2.5% (mainly Greek Orthodox), other, unaffiliated, unspecified <1% (2012 est. )note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority, Muslim 52.1%, Protestant 23.9%, Roman Catholic 20%, animist 0.3%, other Christian 0.2%, none 2.8%, unspecified 0.7% (2014-15 est. Top 10 Largest Religions In The World Mahayanas have additional scriptures beyond the Pali Canon and believe the Buddha is eternal and still teaching. It is compatible with Buddhism and many of its followers practice both. Sudan conflict: why is there fighting and what is at stake in the Atheism: the belief that there are no deities of any kind. These teachings have drawn many people to Islam and helped it grow quickly worldwide. world's religions have changed over time Though religious groups grew at uneven rates between 1951 and 2011, every major religion in India saw its numbers rise. The Druze have a key presence in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. Taoists believe the esoteric world is made up of a perfect harmonious balance and nature, while in the manifest world - particularly in the body - balance is distorted. The most common figures of devotion are the gods Vishnu, Shiva, and a mother goddess, Devi. The organizers of Indias Magh Mela, which usually draws 10 million Hindus, know how to handle the health of a crowd. Don Vaughan is a freelance writer based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The worlds primary religions fall into two categories: Abrahamic religions, such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam; and Indian religions, which include Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and others. There is no focus on a supreme god or deity. Their scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib - also known as the Adi Granth - is considered the living Guru, or final authority of Sikh faith and theology. Religions Islam: The world's fastest growing religion Play 00:57 Islam: The world's fastest growing religion Islam is the world's second-largest religion, after Christianity. ), Sunni Muslim 94% (nearly all Djiboutians), other 6% (mainly foreign-born residents - Shia Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Baha'i, and atheist), Roman Catholic 52.7%, Protestant 29.7% (includes Seventh Day Adventist 6.7%, Pentecostal 6.1%, Baptist 5.2%, Christian Union Church 3.9%, Methodist 2.6%, Gospel Mission 2.1%, other Protestant 3.1%), Jehovah's Witness 1.3%, Rastafarian 1.1%, other 4.3%, none 9.4%, unspecified 1.4% (2011 est. In modern Islam, Sunnis and Shia continue to have different views of acceptable schools of Islamic jurisprudence, and who is a proper Islamic religious authority. ), Greek Orthodox 81-90%, Muslim 2%, other 3%, none 4-15%, unspecified 1% (2015 est. List of religious populations 9. ), Roman Catholic 78%, Protestant/evangelical Christian 11.2%, other 0.002%, unaffiliated (includes atheism) 10.6% (2020 est. What is the Largest Religion In The World 2021. )note: folk religions include religions of African origin, spiritualism, and others intermingled with Catholicism or Protestantism; data is estimative because no authoritative source on religious affiliation exists for Cuba, Roman Catholic 72.8%, Pentecostal 6.6%, Protestant 3.2%, Adventist 3%, Jehovah's Witness 2%, Evangelical 1.9%, other 3.8%, none 6%, unspecified 0.6% (2011 est. Sikhism - Founded by the Guru Nanak (born 1469), Sikhism believes in a non-anthropomorphic, supreme, eternal, creator God; centering one's devotion to God is seen as a means of escaping the cycle of rebirth. ), Hinduism is an extremely diverse set of beliefs and practices with no single founder or religious authority. Major religious groups Top 10 Largest Religions In The World ), Christian 58.9%, folk religion 17.6%, Buddhist <1%, Hindu <1%, Jewish <1%, Muslim <1%, other <1%, none 23.2% (2020 est. ), Muslim 70.2%, Christian 26.2% (mainly Russian Orthodox), other 0.2%, atheist 2.8%, unspecified 0.5% (2009 est. It is compatible with Buddhism and many of its followers practice both. Largest Jewish populations (as of 2017[update]): Largest Bah populations (as of 2010[update]) in countries with a national population 200,000:[193]. There is no focus on a supreme god or deity. ), Protestant 32.1% (Pentecostal/Evangelical/Full Gospel 12%, Baptist 6.9%, Anglican 5.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 4.1%, Presbyterian/Congregational 2.5%, other Protestant 0.9%), Roman Catholic 21.6%, Hindu 18.2%, Muslim 5%, Jehovah's Witness 1.5%, other 8.4%, none 2.2%, unspecified 11.1% (2011 est. Britannica Book of the Year]; p. 695. One of the youngest religions on this list, Sikhism began in the late 15th century and has become a major world religion. Christianity. )note: based on the 2018 census of the usually resident population; percentages add up to more than 100% because respondents were able to identify more than one religion, Roman Catholic 50%, Evangelical 33.2%, other 2.9%, none 0.7%, unspecified 13.2% (2017 est. Buddhism. The fourth most widely practiced religion is Buddhism, with approximately 500 million followers worldwide and more than 250 million in China alone. The oldest Protestant denominations include Lutheranism, Calvinism (Presbyterianism), and Anglican Christianity (Episcopalianism), which have established liturgies, governing structure, and formal clergy. The religion practice a worship on the kami, a host of supernatural beings dwelling in natural elements. Locations: Canada, United Kingdom, France, Jamaica, Japan, Argentina, and more. ), Christian 57.1%, other 1.6%, none 35.4%, unspecified 6% (2016 est. Largest WebThe map features brief descriptions of each religious grouping and bar graphs that reflect the percentage of a countrys population associated with each grouping. )note: data represent Saint Helena only, Protestant 75.6% (includes Anglican 16.6%, Methodist 15.8%, Pentecostal 10.8%, Church of God 7.4%, Baptist 5.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 5.4%, Wesleyan Holiness 5.3%, Moravian 4.8%, Evangelical 2.1%, Brethren 1.7%, Presbyterian 0.3%), Roman Catholic 5.9%, Hindu 1.8%, Jehovah's Witness 1.4%, Rastafarian 1.3%, other 5%, none 8.8%, unspecified 0.1% (2011 est. It does not necessarily mean that those of this group don't belong to any religion. The second most widely practiced religion is Islam, with an estimated 1.8 billion followers worldwide. In shaman-based religions, the shaman is also responsible for leading sacred rites. ), Protestant 75.3%, Roman Catholic 20.2%, other 2.7% (includes Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, and Baha'i), none 1.8% (2010 est. ), Muslim 88% (mostly Sunni), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3%, Protestant 70% (includes Presbyterian 27.9%, Anglican 15.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 12.5%, Assemblies of God 4.7%, Church of Christ 4.5%, Neil Thomas Ministry 3.1%, and Apostolic 2.2%), Roman Catholic 12.4%, customary beliefs 3.7% (including Jon Frum cargo cult), other 12.6%, none 1.1%, unspecified 0.2% (2009 est. If current trends continue Christians will remain the largest religious group by 2060 (32 percent of the world's population), but Islam will experience the fastest growth, with an expected increase from 24 percent to 31 percent of world's largest religious gatherings is moving ahead For example, Hindus increased from 304 million (30.4 crore) to 966 million (96.6 crore), Muslims grew from 35 million (3.5 crore) to 172 million (17.2 crore), and the number of Indians who say they are Christian rose from 8 Most Widely Practiced Religion in the World teachings of Siddhartha Gautama (also known as Gautama Buddha "the enlightened one"). ), Protestant 46.8% (Anglican 29.2%, Uniting Church in Australia 9.8%, Presbyterian 2.9%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.7%, other 2.2%), Roman Catholic 12.6%, other Christian 2.9%, other 1.4%, none 26.7%, unspecified 9.5% (2016 est. Spiritualism: the belief that souls and spirits communicate with the living usually through intermediaries called mediums. The Latin Rite is by far the largest, making up about 98% of Catholic membership. Sunni has four schools of Islamic doctrine and law - Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali - which uniquely interpret the Hadith, or recorded oral traditions of Muhammad. It is supranational, and recognizes a hierarchical structure with the Pope, or Bishop of Rome, as its head, located at the Vatican. One of the world's largest religious gatherings is moving ahead as planned. Syncretic (fusion of diverse religious beliefs and practices) Cao Dai: a nationalistic Vietnamese sect, officially established in 1926, that draws practices and precepts from Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and Catholicism. ), Protestant 45.1% (Anglican 32.0%, Pentecostal/Born Again/Evangelical 11.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.7%, Baptist .3%), Roman Catholic 39.3%, Muslim 13.7%, other 1.6%, none 0.2% (2014 est. ), Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic) 94.2%, folk religions 1.5%, Buddhist 1.1%, other 1.6%, unaffiliated 1.7% (2020 est. World Religions Map Hindus may worship one or many deities, usually with prayer rituals within their own home. ), Muslim 98.0 - 99.0% (predominantly Sunni), Christian <1.0%, other, unaffiliated, unspecified <1.0% (2012 est. Formally established in Japan in the 8th century CE, Shint promotes the existence of many gods. Baha'i revelation contends the prophets of major world religions reflect some truth or element of the divine, believes all were manifestations of God given to specific communities in specific times, and that Baha'u'llah is an additional prophet meant to call all humankind. Islam is catching up quickly, though: Muslims make up the only major religious group projected to increase faster than the worlds population as a whole. ), Catholic 55.7%, Adventist 4.1%, Assembly of God 3.4%, New Apostolic 2.9%, Mana 2.3%, Universal Kingdom of God 2%, Jehovah's Witness 1.2%, other 6.2%, none 21.2%, unspecified 1% (2012 est. ), Protestant 68.3% (Anglican 17.6%, Seventh Day Adventist 12.4%, Pentecostal 12.2%, Moravian 8.3%, Methodist 5.6%, Wesleyan Holiness 4.5%, Church of God 4.1%, Baptist 3.6%), Roman Catholic 8.2%, other 12.2%, unspecified 5.5%, none 5.9% (2011 est.