Respect for the kamis in nature is a key Shinto value. Percentage of Global Population in 2020: 0.19%. Druze faith: A highly secretive tradition and a closed community that derives from the Ismaili sect of Islam; its core beliefs are thought to emphasize a combination of Gnostic principles believing that the Fatimid caliph, al-Hakin, is the one who embodies the key aspects of goodness of the universe, which are, the intellect, the word, the soul, the preceder, and the follower. ), Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar/Malagasy Lutheran Church/Anglican Church 34%, Roman Catholic 32.3%, other Christian 8.1%, traditional/Animist 1.7%, Muslim 1.4%, other 0.6%, none 21.9% (2021 est. ), Protestant 74.8% (includes Apostolic 37.5%, Pentecostal 21.8%, other 15.5%), Roman Catholic 7.3%, other Christian 5.3%, traditional 1.5%, Muslim 0.5%, other 0.1%, none 10.5% (2015 est. ), Muslim 70.2%, Christian 26.2% (mainly Russian Orthodox), other 0.2%, atheist 2.8%, unspecified 0.5% (2009 est. ), Muslim 50.7%, Orthodox 30.7%, Roman Catholic 15.2%, atheist 0.8%, agnostic 0.3%, other 1.2%, undeclared/no answer 1.1% (2013 est. Irreligious includes agnostic, atheist, secular people, and those having no formal religious adherence. Largest [112] Sikhism is also the fastest growing religion in New Zealand and Australia.[113][114]. Formally established in Japan in the 8th century CE, Shint promotes the existence of many gods. Religions This is the only place where Sikhs are in the majority. Hinduism, with an estimated 1.1 billion followers, is the worlds third largest religion and also one of the oldest, with beliefs and practices that date back at least as far as the 1500s BCE. ), Roman Catholic 48.6%, Evangelical 30.2%, other 4.7%, agnostic 0.2%, atheist 0.2%, none 12.3%, unspecified 3.7% (2018 est. Its key beliefs center on a transcendent creator God, Ahura Mazda, and the concept of free will. 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. Approximate Total Members in 2020: 15 million. Hinduism. Formally established in Japan in the 8th century CE, Shint promotes the existence of many gods. Santeria: practiced in Cuba, the merging of the Yoruba religion of Nigeria with Roman Catholicism and native Indian traditions. ), Eritrean Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran, Sunni Muslim, Orthodox 16.2%, Lutheran 9.9%, other Christian (including Methodist, Seventh Day Adventist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal) 2.2%, other 0.9%, none 54.1%, unspecified 16.7% (2011 est. ), folk religion 21.9%, Buddhist 18.2%, Christian 5.1%, Muslim 1.8%, Hindu < 0.1%, Jewish < 0.1%, other 0.7% (includes Daoist (Taoist)), unaffiliated 52.1% (2021 est. ), Buddhist 51.7%, Muslim 3.2%, Shamanist 2.5%, Christian 1.3%, other 0.7%, none 40.6% (2020 est. ), Roman Catholic 64.6%, other Catholic 0.4%, Protestant 22.2% (includes Adventist 6.5%, Assembly of God 2.0%, Christian Congregation of Brazil 1.2%, Universal Kingdom of God 1.0%, other Protestant 11.5%), other Christian 0.7%, Spiritist 2.2%, other 1.4%, none 8%, unspecified 0.4% (2010 est. The organizers of Indias Magh Mela, which usually draws 10 million Hindus, know how to handle the health of a crowd. Globally, Muslims make up the second largest religious group, with 1.8 billion people, or 24% of the worlds population, followed by religious nones (16%), Hindus (15%) and Buddhists (7%). Though religious groups grew at uneven rates between 1951 and 2011, every major religion in India saw its numbers rise. World The 10 Largest Religions in the World. Of the worlds major religions, Christianity is the largest, with more than two billion followers. Shinto. ), Roman Catholic 68.8%, Evangelical 15.4%, Adventist 1.2%, Jehovah's Witness 1%, other 1.3%, agnostic or atheist 1.4%, none 10.1%, don't know/no response 1% (2020 est. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Holy Mass in the Church Our Lady of Queen in Poland. Largest Religions in the World world's religions have changed over time Hinduism. Kimbanguism: a puritan form of the Baptist denomination founded by Simon Kimbangu in the 1920s in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. The 10 Largest Religions in the World. )note: officially atheist, Muslim 19.4%, Buddhist 18.3%, Roman Catholic 8.8%, Protestant 6.5% (includes Anglican 3.6%, Uniting Church 1.2%, other 1.7%), other Christian 3.3%, other 0.6%, none 15.3%, unspecified 27.7% (2016 est. )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. )note: most ethnic Albanians boycotted the 2011 census, Roman Catholic 76.2%, Protestant 10.5% (Anglican 6.1%, Pentecostal Assembly 1.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.2%, other Protestant 1.7%), other Christian 2.4%, Hindu 2.4%, Muslim 1.6%, other non-Christian 1.1%, unspecified 4.8%, none 0.9% (2010 est. Sudan conflict: why is there fighting and what is at stake in the ), Roman Catholic 97.6%, Protestant/Evangelical 2%, Muslim 0.2%, other 0.2% (2015 est. ), Protestant 72.8% (Baptist 35.8%, Church of God 11.7%, Anglican 10%, Methodist 9.3%, Seventh Day Adventist 6%), Roman Catholic 11.4%, Jehovah's Witness 1.8%, other 14% (2006 est. Modekngei: a hybrid of Christianity and ancient Palauan culture and oral traditions founded around 1915 on the island of Babeldaob. ), Protestant 62.8% (Cook Islands Christian Church 49.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 7.9%, Assemblies of God 3.7%, Apostolic Church 2.1%), Roman Catholic 17%, Church of Jesus Christ 4.4%, other 8%, none 5.6%, no response 2.2% (2011 est. world's largest religious gatherings is moving ahead ), Muslim 98% (Sunni 95%, Shia 3%) other 2% (2014 est. )note: these estimates may under-represent Serb, Romani, and some other ethnic minorities because they are based on the 2011 Kosovo national census, which excluded northern Kosovo (a largely Serb-inhabited region) and was partially boycotted by Serb and Romani communities in southern Kosovo, Muslim (official) 74.6%, Christian 18.2%, other and unspecified 7.2% (2013 est. Eastern-Rite Churches, such as the Maronite Church and the Ukrainian Catholic Church, are in communion with Rome although they preserve their own worship traditions and their immediate hierarchy consists of clergy within their own rite. Major religious groups WebThe map features brief descriptions of each religious grouping and bar graphs that reflect the percentage of a countrys population associated with each grouping. ), Evangelical Lutheran, traditional Inuit spiritual beliefs, Protestant 49.2% (includes Pentecostal 17.2%, Seventh Day Adventist 13.2%, Anglican 8.5%, Baptist 3.2%, Church of God 2.4%, Evangelical 1.9%, Methodist 1.6%, other 1.2%), Roman Catholic 36%, Jehovah's Witness 1.2%, Rastafarian 1.2%, other 5.5%, none 5.7%, unspecified 1.3% (2011 est. These differ in their views and observance of Jewish law, with the Orthodox representing the most traditional practice, and Reform/Liberal communities the most accommodating of individualized interpretations of Jewish identity and faith. Shintoism 27-65 million. Britannica Book of the Year]; p. 695. WebThe next most widely practiced religions, based on number of followers, are: Shint (104 million followers). ), Christian 89.3% (predominantly Evangelical Lutheran), other 1%, none 3.8%, unspecified 6% (2011 est. )note: data represent persons at least 16 years of age from five Ecuadoran cities, Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 90%, Christian (majority Coptic Orthodox, other Christians include Armenian Apostolic, Catholic, Maronite, Orthodox, and Anglican) 10%, Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 36%, other 2%, none 12% (2014 est. ), Protestant 66.4% (includes Anglican 23.9%, other Pentecostal 19.5%, Adventist 5.9%, Methodist 4.2%, Wesleyan 3.4%, Nazarene 3.2%, Church of God 2.4%, Baptist 1.8%, Moravian 1.2%, other Protestant 0.9%), Roman Catholic 3.8%, other Christian 5.4% (includes Jehovah's Witness 2.0%, other 3.4%), Rastafarian 1%, other 1.5%, none 20.6%, unspecified 1.2% (2010 est. Shintoism 27-65 million. These teachings have drawn many people to Islam and helped it grow quickly worldwide. Muism (10 million followers). ), Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 75%, Anglican 3.5%, Roman Catholic 2.2%, none 12.9%, unspecified 6.3% (2016 est. religious 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. Traditional beliefs Animism: the belief that non-human entities contain souls or spirits. ), Muslim (official; virtually all Sunni) 96.6%, Christian 2.7%, Buddhist <1%, Hindu <1%, Jewish <1%, folk religion <1%, other <1%, unafilliated <1% (2020 est. Shintoism - A native animist tradition of Japan, Shinto practice is based upon the premise that every being and object has its own spirit or kami. Spiritism. It is supranational, and recognizes a hierarchical structure with the Pope, or Bishop of Rome, as its head, located at the Vatican. )note: the majority of foreign migrant workers are Muslim (72.7%) and Christian (17.7%), Roman Catholic 86.3%, Orthodox 4.4%, Muslim 1.5%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2.5%, not religious or atheist 3.8% (2011 est. world ), Christian 53.3%, Muslim 4.9%, Hindu 2.3%, Sikh 2.1%, Buddhist 1%, Jewish 0.9%, Traditional (North American Indigenous) 0.2%, other religions and traditional spirituality 0.6%, none 34.6% (2021 est. ), Muslim 65.2%, Christian 13.7%, Hindu 15.9%, Buddhist 3.8%, folk religion <0.1%, Jewish <0.1%, other <1%, unaffiliated <1% (2020 est. ), Muslim (official; citizens are 85-90% Sunni and 10-12% Shia), other (includes Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, and Sikh) (2020 est. Zoroastrianism - Originating from the teachings of Zoroaster in about the 9th or 10th century B.C., Zoroastrianism may be the oldest continuing creedal religion. 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 One of the world's largest religious gatherings is moving ahead as planned. WebWorldwide percentage of adherents by religion, 2020 [1] Christianity (31.1%) Islam (24.9%) Irreligion (15.6%) Hinduism (15.2%) Buddhism (6.6%) Folk religions (5.6%) Other religions (1%) The world 's principal religions and spiritual traditions may be classified into a small number of major groups, though this is not a uniform practice. ), Macedonian Orthodox 46.1%, Muslim 32.2%, other Christian 13.8%, other and non-believers 0.5%, unspecified 0.2%, persons for whom data were taken from administrative sources and no religious affiliation data was available 7.2% (2021 est. ), Roman Catholic 47.5%, Evangelical and Pentecostal 19.8%, Jehovah's Witness 1.4%, other Protestant 1.2%, other 3.1%, none 27% (2021 est. )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. )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. It encompasses several forms or denominations which are extremely varied in structure, beliefs, relationship to national governments, clergy, and governance. ), Muslim 63.2%, Roman Catholic 24.6%, Protestant 6.9%, traditional/animist 4.2%, none 0.7%, unspecified 0.4% (2017-18 est. Formally established in Japan in the 8th century CE, Shint promotes the existence of many gods. ), Buddhist (official) 97.1%, Muslim 2%, Christian 0.3%, other 0.5% (2019 est. Today, though a minority, Zoroastrians remain primarily in Iran, India (where they are known as Parsi), and Pakistan. ), Buddhist 87.9%, Christian 6.2%, Muslim 4.3%, Animist 0.8%, Hindu 0.5%, other 0.2%, none 0.1% (2014 est. Muisms followers claim a strong belief in the spirit world. 9. Islam. Pew Research Center made its "Population Growth Projections, 2010-2050"[3] based on 2010 baseline estimates. Hinduism has many scriptures; the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Bhagavad-Gita are among some of the most important. Christianity is based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and is approximately 2,000 years old. It is compatible with Buddhism and many of its followers practice both. )note: many people also carry on at least some Confucian traditions and practices, Muslim 95.6%, Roman Catholic 2.2%, Orthodox 1.5%, other 0.1%, none 0.1%, unspecified 0.6% (2011 est. 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. One of the world's largest religious gatherings is moving ahead as planned. ), Protestant 64.1% (includes Free Wesleyan Church 35%, Free Church of Tonga 11.9%, Church of Tonga 6.8%, Assembly of God 2.3%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.2%, Tokaikolo Christian Church 1.6%, other 4.3%), Church of Jesus Christ 18.6%, Roman Catholic 14.2%, other 2.4%, none 0.5%, unspecified 0.1% (2016 est. Kirant: the belief system of the Kirat, a people who live mainly in the Himalayas of Nepal. The Catholic Church has a comprehensive theological and moral doctrine specified for believers in its catechism, which makes it unique among most forms of Christianity. The Blue Mosque of Istanbul or Sultan Ahmet Mosque, Turkey. One of the world's largest religious gatherings is moving ahead as planned. ), Muslim 46.1%, folk religions 30.6%, Christian 18.9%, other or unaffiliated 4.4% (2020 est. Buddhism. Most Widely Practiced Religion in the World Indigenous statistics come from the U.S. Department of State International Religious Freedom Report (2009),[88] based on the highest estimate of people identified as indigenous or followers of indigenous religions that have been well-defined. ), Protestant 33.5% (includes Church of Central Africa Presbyterian 14.2%, Seventh Day Adventist/Baptist 9.4%, Pentecostal 7.6%, Anglican 2.3%), Roman Catholic 17.2%, other Christian 26.6%, Muslim 13.8%, traditionalist 1.1%, other 5.6%, none 2.1% (2018 est. Top 10 Largest Religions In The World They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. ), Roman Catholic (official) more than 90% (2006 est. Countries with the greatest proportion of Sikhs: The Sikh homeland is the Punjab state, in India, where Sikhs make up approximately 58% of the population. Most Muslims belong to one of the two major branches of Islam: Sunnis include approximately 80 percent of Muslims, and the Shiah includes approximately 15 percent. Badimo: a form of ancestor worship of the Tswana people of Botswana. )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. Top 10 Largest Religions In The World Muslims believe Muhammad is the final of all religious prophets (beginning with Abraham) and that the Qu'ran, which is the Islamic scripture, was revealed to him by God. ), Catholic 57.8%, Muslim 2.4%, Orthodox 2.3%, other Christian 1%, unaffiliated 3.5%, no response or unspecified 22.8%, none 10.1% (2002 est. [78], The Chinese traditional religion has 184,000 believers in Latin America, 250,000 believers in Europe, and 839,000 believers in North America as of 1999[update].[86][87]. Whats the Difference Between Bison and Buffalo?