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Christianity by country |
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Christianity |
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As of the year 2023, Christianity had approximately 2.4 billion adherents and is the largest religion by population. [2] According to a PEW estimation in 2020, Christians made up to 2.38 billion of the worldwide population of about 8 billion people. [a] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] It represents nearly one-third of the world's population and is the largest religion in the world, with the three largest groups of Christians being the Catholic Church, Protestantism, and the Eastern Orthodox Church. [8] The largest Christian denomination is the Catholic Church, with 1.3 billion baptized members. [9] The second largest Christian branch is either Protestantism (if it is considered a single group), or the Eastern Orthodox Church (if Protestants are considered to be divided into multiple denominations).
According to a 2012 Pew Research Center study, of the then 232 countries and territories, 157 had Christian majorities. [10]
Christianity is the predominant religion and faith in Europe, the Americas, the Philippines, East Timor, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Oceania. [11] There are also large Christian communities in other parts of the world, such as Indonesia, Central Asia, the Middle East, and West Africa where Christianity is the second-largest religion after Islam. The United States has the largest Christian population in the world, followed by Brazil, Mexico, Russia, and the Philippines. [12]
Christianity in multiple forms is the state religion of the following 15 nations: Argentina (Catholic Church), [13] Armenia (Armenian Apostolic Church), Tuvalu (Church of Tuvalu), Costa Rica (Catholic Church), [14] Kingdom of Denmark (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark), [15] England (Church of England), [16] Greece (Church of Greece), Georgia (Eastern Orthodox Church), [17] [18] Iceland (Church of Iceland), [19] Liechtenstein (Catholic Church), [20] Malta (Catholic Church), [21] Monaco (Catholic Church), [22] Vatican City (Catholic Church), [23] and Zambia. Christianity used to be the state religion of the former Ethiopian Empire (adopted in 340 A.D. by the Kingdom of Aksum) prior to the government's overthrow. [24]
Population data are compiled using statistical science and are subject to observational error; these numbers should therefore be considered estimates only. The total number of Christians for each country is based on the number of people who are members of a Christian denomination or who identify themselves as Christian, plus their children. The number of people who actually believe in God or who regularly attend church is not addressed.
A list of the top ten countries by largest number of Christians according to Pew Research Center in 2010. [25] [26]
Rank | Country | Christians | % Christian |
---|---|---|---|
1 | United States | 246,790,000 | 79.5% |
2 | Brazil | 175,700,000 | 90.2% |
3 | Mexico | 107,780,000 | 95.0% |
4 | Russia | 105,220,000 | 73.6% |
5 | Philippines | 86,790,000 | 93.1% |
6 | Nigeria | 80,510,000 | 50.8% |
7 | China | 67,070,000 | 5.0% |
8 | Congo DR | 63,150,000 | 95.7% |
9 | Germany | 58,240,000 | 70.8% |
10 | South Africa | 52,886,000 | 85.3% |
A list of the top ten countries by highest percentage of the population that is Christian according to Pew Research Center in 2010. [26]
Rank | Country | % Christian | Christians |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Vatican City | 100% | 800 |
2 | Romania | 99.0% | 21,490,000 |
3 | Papua New Guinea | 99.0% | 6,860,000 |
4 | Tonga | 99.0% | 100,000 |
5 | Timor-Leste | 99.0% | 1,120,000 |
6 | Armenia | 98.5% | 3,090,000 |
7 | Namibia | 97.6% | 2,280,000 |
8 | Marshall Islands | 97.5% | 50,000 |
9 | Moldova | 97.5% | 3,570,000 |
10 | Solomon Islands | 97.5% | 520,000 |
This section needs additional citations for verification .(July 2020) |
This section needs to be updated.(July 2020) |
Country or entity | Christians | % Christian | % Catholic | % Protestant / Orthodox / Other Christian |
---|---|---|---|---|
Afghanistan (details) | 6,250/8,000 [27] – 30,000 [28] | 0.02% [28] | ||
Albania (details) | 580,000 | 17.0% [29] | 10.0% | 7.0% |
Algeria (details) | 20,000 – 200,000 [30] or 71,000 (estimate for 2010) [31] | 0.01% | 0.01% | 1.0% |
American Samoa (details) | 70,000 | 98.3% | 20.0% | |
Andorra (details) | 78,000 | 89.5% | 88.2% [32] | 1.3% |
Angola (details) | 17,094,000 | 75.0% [33] | 50.0% | 25.0% |
Anguilla (details) | 15,000 | 90.5% | 3.0% | 87.0% |
Antigua and Barbuda (details) | 66,000 | 74.0% | 10.0% | 64.0% |
Argentina (details) | 34,940,108 | 77.0% [34] | 66.0% [34] | 11.0% [34] |
Armenia (details) | 2,826,000 [35] | 97.9% [35] | 1.0% [35] | 96.9% [35] |
Aruba (details) | 98,000 | 88% | 80.8% | 7.8% |
Australia (details) | 11,148,814 | 43.9% [36] | 20.0% | 23.9% |
Austria (details) | 5,185,959 | 58.0% – 62.0% | 54.9% [37] | 3.0% – 7.0% [38] [39] |
Azerbaijan (details) | 280,000 [40] | 3.1% | 3.1% | |
Bahamas (details) | 335,975 | 95.0% [41] | 12.0% | 83.0% |
Bahrain (details) | 185,000 | 15.0% [42] | 9.0% | |
Bangladesh (details) | 495,000 | 0.3% [43] | 0.4% | |
Barbados (details) | 244,000 | 74.0% [44] | 4.2% | 70.0% |
Belarus (details) | 5,265,000 | 55.4% [45] | 7.1% | 48.3% |
Belgium (details) | 6,860,000 | 65.0% [46] | 58.0% [46] | 7.0% [46] |
Belize (details) | 247,000 | 76.7% | 40.0% | 36.7% |
Benin (details) | 5,570,000 | 48.5% [47] | 25.5% | 23.0% |
Bermuda (details) | 44,000 | 64.7% | 15.0% | 50.0% |
Bhutan (details) | 7,000 | 1.0% | 0.1% | 0.9% |
Bolivia (details) | 9,730,000 | 89.0% | 76.0% | 13.0% |
Bosnia and Herzegovina (details) | 1,622,093 [48] | 45.94% [48] | 15.19% [48] | 30.75% [48] |
Botswana (details) | 1,416,000 | 71.6% | 5.0% | 66.0% |
Brazil (details) | 180,770,000 [49] | 90.0% [49] | 64.6% [49] | 22.2% [49] |
British Virgin Islands (details) | 23,000 | 94.0% | 9.0% | 85.0% |
Brunei (details) | 29,000 | 7.1% [50] | ||
Bulgaria (details) | 6,364,000 | 64.7% [51] | 0.6% | 64.1% [46] |
Burkina Faso (details) | 5,393,000 | 26.3% [52] | 20.1% | 6.2% |
Burundi (details) | 7,662,000 | 75.0% | 60.0% | 15.0% |
Cambodia (details) | 148,000 | 1.0% | 0.15% | 0.85% |
Cameroon (details) | 15,390,000 | 73.0% [53] | 44.4% | 29.3% |
Canada (details) | 19,300,000 [54] | 53.3% [54] | 29.9% [54] | 23.4% [55] |
Cape Verde (details) | 487,000 | 89.1% [28] | 78.7% | 10.4% |
Cayman Islands (details) | 52,600 | 66.9% [56] | 13.6% | 53.3% |
Central African Republic (details) | 2,302,000 | 80.0% | 29.0% | 51.0% |
Chad (details) | 4,150,000 [28] | 35.0% | 20.0% | 15.0% |
Chile (details) | 9,900,000 | 68.0% [57] | 55.0% | 13.0% |
People's Republic of China (details) | 31,220,000 [58] – 34,610,000 / 49,170,000 [59] | 2.5% – 3.5% [59] | 0.46% – 0.69% [59] | 2.0% – 2.89% [59] |
Colombia (details) | 43,560,000 | 92.0% [60] | 79.0% | 13.0% |
Comoros (details) | 15,000 | 2.1% | ||
Cook Islands (details) | 13,000 | 87.0% [61] | 17.4% | 69.6% |
Congo, Republic of (details) | 3,409,000 | 90.7% | 50.0% | 40.0% |
Congo, Democratic Republic of (details) | 63,150,000 | 92.0% | 50.0% | 42.0% |
Costa Rica (details) | 4,000,000 | 82.0% | 57.0% | 25.0% |
Côte d'Ivoire (details) | 11,697,000 | 39.8% [62] | ||
Croatia (details) | 3,383,046 [63] | 87.4% [64] | 79.0% | 8.4% |
Cuba (details) | 6,670,000 [28] | 65.0% [65] | 52.7% | 7.5% |
Cyprus (details) | 863,000 | 79.0% [66] [67] | 1.0% | 78.0% |
Czech Republic (details) | 1,725,963 | 16.4% [68] | 13.4% | 3.0% |
Denmark (details) | 4,400,754 [69] | 79.0% | 1.0% | 77.8% [70] |
Djibouti (details) | 53,000 | 6.0% | 1.0% | 5.0% |
Dominica (details) | 59,000 | 88.7% | 61.0% | 27.0% |
Dominican Republic (details) | 9,734,000 | 83.0% | 65.0% | 18.0% |
Ecuador (details) | 14,099,000 | 94.0% | 74.0% | 20.0% |
Egypt (details) | 9,029,000 | 10.0% [71] | ||
El Salvador (details) | 5,073,000 | 81.9% | 52.6% | 29.3% |
Equatorial Guinea (details) | 683,000 | 88.7% [28] | 80.7% | 8.0% |
Eritrea (details) | 3,577,000 | 67.0% [72] | 4.0% | 54.0% |
Estonia (details) | 408,847 | 30.7% [73] | 0.9% | 29.8% |
Eswatini (details) | 994,000 | 82.7% | 25.0% | 57.7% |
Ethiopia (details) | 77,477,000 | 75.0% | 0.7% | 63.4% |
Falkland Islands (details) | 3,000 | 94.3% | 94.0% | |
Faroe Islands (details) | 33,000 | 95.4% [74] | 94.0% | |
Fiji (details) | 540,000 | 64.4% | 8.9% | 55.5% |
Finland (details) | 3,736,000 [75] | 67.1% [75] | 0.3% | 66.9% |
France (details) | 25,744,860-33,874,816 - | 38.0% (2020 estimate) [76] [b] - 50% (2021 estimate) - 60.6% [77] | 29.0% - 47% [78] - 57.5% [79] | 9.0% [76] - 3% [78] - 3.1% [79] |
Gabon (details) | 1,081,000 | 88.0% [80] | 41.9% | 46.1% |
Gambia (details) | 79,000 | 4.2% [81] | ||
Georgia (details) | 3,241,000 | 88.1% [82] | 0.5% | 87.6% |
Germany (details) | 44,861,000 | 53.9% [83] | 26.7% [83] | 27.2% [83] |
Ghana (details) | 21,955,000 | 71.3% [84] | 10.0% | 61.3% |
Greece (details) | 10,000,000 | 93.0% [85] | <1.0% [85] | |
Greenland (details) | 55,000 | 96.6% | 96.6% | |
Grenada (details) | 101,000 | 97.3% | 53.0% | 45.0% |
Guatemala (details) | 14,018,000 | 87.0% | 47.0% | 40.0% |
Guinea (details) | 1,032,000 | 8.9% [86] | 5.0% | 5.0% |
Guinea-Bissau (details) | 165,000 | 10.0% | 10.0% | |
Guyana (details) | 468,000 | 62.7% [87] | 7.1% | 55.6% |
Haiti (details) | 9,597,000 | 96.0% | 80.0% | 16.0% |
Honduras (details) | 6,660,000 | 88.0% [88] | 47.0% | 41.0% |
Hong Kong (details) | 1,357,000 | 18.4% [89] | 5.0% | 6.8% |
Hungary (details) | 5,254,179 [90] – 6,501,000 [46] | 52.87% [90] – 65.0% [46] | 38.96% [90] – 58.0% [46] | 13.91% [90] |
Iceland (details) | 272,200 [91] | 72.3% [91] | 3.9% [91] | 68.4% [91] |
India (details) | 30,000,000 | 2.3% [35] | 1.3% | 1.0% |
Indonesia (details) | 29,149,241 [92] | 10.49% [93] | 3.06% | 7.43% |
Iran (details) | 380,000 – 1,500,000 [94] | 0.4% –1.5% | 0.4% –1.5% | |
Iraq (details) | 500,000 | 1.2% | 1.2% | |
Ireland (details) | 3,992,000 (2016) [95] nd | 83.8% (2016) [95] | 78.2% (2016) [95] | 5.6% (2016) [95] |
Israel (details) | 266,000 | 3.5% | 3.5% | |
Italy (details) | 53,230,000 [96] | 83.0% | 81.2% | 2.0% |
Jamaica (details) | 1,859,000 | 68.9% | 2.2% | 66.7% |
Japan (details) | 1,915,294 | 1.1% [97] | 0.5% | 0.6% |
Jordan (details) | 388,000 | 6.0% [98] | ||
Kazakhstan (details) | 3,300,000 | 17.2% [99] | ||
Kenya (details) | 40,668,000 | 85.5% [100] | 20.6% | 64.9% |
Korea, North (details) | 406,000 | 1.7% | ||
Korea, South (details) | 13,566,000 | 27.6% [101] | 7.9% | 19.7% |
Kuwait (details) | 458,000 | 15.0% | 3.2% | 12.8% |
Kyrgyzstan (details) | 610,000 [28] – 944,000 | 11.4% [28] – 17.0% [102] | ||
Laos (details) | 145,000 | 2.2% | 1.0% | 1.0% |
Latvia (details) | 1,570,000 | 70.0% [46] – 80.0% [103] | 24.1% [46] – 25.1% [103] [104] | 46.8% [46] – 54.9% [103] |
Lebanon (details) | 1,600,000 –1,800,000 [105] [106] | 38.0% – 41.0% | 26.0% | 15.0% |
Lesotho (details) | 1,876,000 | 90.0% | 45.0% | 45.0% |
Liberia (details) | 1,391,000 | 85.5% [107] | 85.5% | |
Libya (details) | 170,000 [28] | 2.7% [28] | 0.5% | 1.5% |
Liechtenstein (details) | 30,000 | 84.4% [108] | 75.9% | 8.5% |
Lithuania (details) | 2,232,000 | 79.4% [109] | 74.2% | 5.2% |
Luxembourg (details) | 360,000 | 72.4% [110] | 68.7% | 3.7% |
Madagascar (details) | 22,322,966 | 85.0% [111] | ||
Malawi (details) | 13,582,000 | 77.3% [112] | 17.2% | 60.1% |
Malaysia (details) | 2,271,000 | 9.0% [113] | 41.3% | 35.5% |
Maldives (details) | 300 - 1,400 [114] | 0.08% | ||
Mali (details) | 348,000 | 2.4% [115] | ||
Malta (details) | 400,000 | 91.6% [116] | 88.6% | 3.0% |
Mauritania (details) | 5,000 | 0.14% | ||
Mauritius (details) | 418,000 | 32.2% | ||
Mexico (details) | 111,959,525 | 88.9% [117] | 77.7% | 11.2% |
Micronesia, Federated States of (details) | 106,000 | 95.4% | ||
Moldova (details) | 2,752,000 | 91.8% [118] | 0.1% | 91.7% |
Monaco (details) | 30,000 | 82.6% [119] | 77.0 [119] | |
Mongolia (details) | 42,859 | 1.3% [120] | ||
Montenegro (details) | 500,000 | 78.8% [121] | 3.4% | 72.4% |
Morocco (details) | 336,000 | 1.0% [122] | ||
Mozambique (details) | 13,121,000 | 56.1% | 28.4% | 27.7% |
Myanmar (details) | 3,790,000 | 6.2% | 1.0% | 5.2% |
Namibia (details) | 1,991,000 | 90.0% | 13.7% | 76.3% |
Nepal (details) | 376,000 | 1.4% [123] | ||
Netherlands (details) | 5,382,883 | 30.0% (2023) [124] | 17.0% (registered, 2023) [124] | 13.0% (2023) [125] |
New Zealand (details) | 1,738,638 (2018) [126] | 37.0% (2018) [126] | 10.0% (2018) [126] | 27.0% (2018) [126] |
Nicaragua (details) | 5,217,000 | 84.6% | 58.8% | 25.8% |
Niger (details) | 85,000 | 0.5% | 5.0% | |
Nigeria (details) | 74,400,000 – 107,000,000 | 45.9% [127] | 10.6% | 35.3% |
North Macedonia (details) | 1,110,000 | 60.4% [128] [129] | 0.4% | 60.0% |
Norway (details) | 3,844,000 [130] | 76.7% (2018) [131] [132] | 2.4% [133] | 73.8% (2018) [131] [132] |
Oman (details) | 180,000 [28] | 6.5% [28] | ||
Pakistan (details) | 3,300,000 | 1.6% [134] | 0.8% | 0.8% |
Palau (details) | 16,000 | 77.9% | 65.0% | 12.9% |
Panama (details) | 3,057,000 | 92.0% | 80.0% | 12.0% |
Papua New Guinea (details) | 6,800,000 | 97.0% | 27.0% | 70.0% |
Paraguay (details) | 6,260,000 | 96.0% [88] | 88.0% | 8.0% |
Peru (details) | 29,519,000 | 94.5% [135] | 76.0% | 18.5% |
Philippines (details) | 92,746,021 [136] | 85.3% | 78.8% | 6.5% |
Pitcairn Islands (details) | 50 | 100.0% | 100.0% | |
Poland (details) | 36,972,200 | 92.2% [137] | 90.0% | 1.2% |
Portugal (details) | 7,445,000 | 84.8% [138] | 80.2% | 4.6% |
Puerto Rico (details) | 3,878,000 | 89.0% [139] [140] | 56.0% | 33.0% |
Qatar (details) | 263,000 | 13.8% | ||
Romania (details) | 18,067,000 | 98.0% [46] | 11.0% [46] | 87.0% [46] |
Russia (details) | 66,000,000 – 99,775,000 [141] [142] | 46.6% [143] – 77.0% [144] [145] | < 0.1% | 46.6% – 77.0% |
Rwanda (details) | 9,619,000 | 93.6% | 56.9% | 26.0% |
San Marino (details) | 31,000 | 91.6% [28] | 90.5% | 1.1% |
Saudi Arabia (details) | 1,500,000 | 5.0% [146] | ||
Senegal (details) | 570,000 | 4.2% [147] | ||
Serbia (details) | 7,260,000 | 91.0% [148] | 5.0% | 86.0% |
Seychelles (details) | 80,000 | 94.7% | 82.0% | 15.2% |
Sierra Leone (details) | 619,000 – 1,294,000 | 10.0% [149] –20.9% [150] | ||
Singapore (details) | 1,075,000 | 18.9% [151] [152] [153] | 7.0% | 11.9% |
Slovakia (details) | 3,748,000 | 68.8% [154] | 59.8% | 9.0% |
Slovenia (details) | 1,610,000 | 68.0% [46] | 64.0% [46] | 4.0% [46] |
Somalia (details) | 1,000 [155] | 0.01% | 0.0002% | 0.01% |
South Africa (details) | 52,886,000 | 85.3% [156] | 5.0% | 75.0% |
South Sudan (details) | 6,010,000 [157] | 60.5% [158] | 30.0% | 30.0% |
Spain (details) | 28,000,000 | 59.2% [159] | 58.2% [159] | 1.0% [159] |
Sri Lanka (details) | 1,531,000 | 7.4% | 6.1% | 1.3% |
Sudan (details) | 525,000 | 1.5% [160] | ||
Suriname (details) | 262,000 | 48.4% – 51.6% [161] [162] | 21.6% | 26.8% |
Sweden (details) | 6,577,478 | 64.3% [163] | 1.2% | 63.1% |
Switzerland (details) | 5,700,000 | 66.9% [164] – 69.1% [165] | 36.5% [164] – 37.9% [165] | 30.4% [164] – 31.2% [165] |
Syria (details) | 1,800,000 [166] | 10.0% [28] | 2.0% | 8.0% |
Tajikistan (details) | 110,000 [28] | 1.4% | 0.1% | 1.3% |
Tanzania (details) | 31,342,000 | 61.4% [167] | ||
Thailand (details) | 768,000 | 1.1% [168] | ||
Timor-Leste (details) | 1,338,500 [169] | 99.6% [170] | 97.6% | 2.0% |
Togo (details) | 1,966,000 | 29.0% | ||
Tonga (details) | 84,000 | 81.0% | 16.0% | 65.0% |
Trinidad and Tobago (details) | 774,000 | 57.6% [171] | 21.5% | 33.4% |
Tunisia (details) | 30,000 [172] [c] | |||
Turkey (details) | 120,000 [173] – 310,000 [174] | 0.2% | ||
Turkmenistan (details) | 466,000 | 9.0% [175] | 9.0% | |
Uganda (details) | 29,266,000 | 84.5% [176] | 39.3% | 45.2% |
Ukraine (details) | 34,830,000 [177] | 81.9% [177] | 7.5% | 74.4% |
United Arab Emirates (details) | 940,000 | 9.0% [178] | 7.0% | 2.0% |
United Kingdom (details) | 25,585,000 [179] – 31,889,000 | 38.0% [180] – 47.7% [181] [182] [183] | 7.0% [184] | 31.0% [184] |
United States (details) | 213,000,000 [185] | 65.0% (2019) [185] – 73.0% [186] | 20.0% [185] – 22.7% [186] | 45.0% [185] – 48.5% [186] |
Uruguay (details) | 1,941,000 | 58.1% [57] | 47.0% | 11.0% |
Uzbekistan (details) | 710,000 [28] | 2.6% [28] | 2.6% [28] | |
Venezuela (details) | 28,340,000 | 88.0% [187] | 71.0% | 17.0% |
Vietnam (details) | 6,831,000 | 7.1% [188] | 6.1% | 1.0% |
Yemen (details) | 25,000 [189] – 41,000 [190] | 0.01% | 0.01% | |
Zambia (details) | 12,939,000 | 95.5% [191] | 20.2% | 72.3% |
Zimbabwe (details) | 12,500,000 | 87.0% [192] | 17.0% | 63.0% |
Europe | 565,560,000 [7] | 76.2% [7] | 35.0% [193] | 41.2% [7] |
Latin America and the Caribbean | 531,280,000 [7] | 90.0% [7] | 70.0% [194] | 20.0% [195] |
Africa | 526,016,926 [7] | 62.7% [7] | 21.0% [193] | 41.7% [7] |
Asia | 285,120,000 [7] –375,905,000 [196] | 7.0% [7] –12.0% [196] | 3.0% [193] –5.1% [196] | 4.0% [7] –6.8% [196] |
North America | 266,630,000 [7] | 77.4% [7] | 22.0% [193] | 55.4% |
Oceania | 25,754,000 [197] | 73.3% [197] | 38.9% [197] | 34.4% [197] |
Middle East-North Africa | 12,000,000 –16,000,000 [198] | 3.8% [7] –5.0% [199] | 2.0% [193] –2.6% | 1.8% [7] – 2.3% |
Total | 2,431,209,718 [196] | 33.4% [196] | 16.9% [196] | 16.5% [196] |
State | Christians | % Christian |
---|---|---|
Abkhazia (details) | 130,000 | 68.0% |
Kosovo (details) | 150,000 | 8.7% [200] |
Palestine (details) | 173,000 | 6.0% [201] |
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (details) | 200 | 0.03% |
South Ossetia (details) | 69,000 | 96.4% |
Taiwan (details) | 902,000 | 3.9% [202] |
Transnistria (details) | 510,000 | 95.0% |
Vatican City (details) | 836 | 100.0% |
According to World Population Review, there were 2.38 billion Christians around the world in 2021. [203] According to a 2012 Pew Research Center survey, if current trends continue, Christianity will remain the world's largest religion by year 2050. According to a 2015 Pew Research Center study, Christianity is estimated to reach 3 billion adherents out of a projected population of 9.3 billion people in 2050, achieving parity with Muslim populations for the first time in history, which are predicted to be about 2.8 billion in 2050. [204]
Tradition | Followers | % of the Christian population | % of the world population | Follower dynamics | Dynamics in- and outside Christianity |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Catholicism | 1,200,000,000 | 52.4 | 15.9 | Growing | Stable |
Protestantism | 800,640,000 | 34.9 | 11.6 | Growing | Growing |
Orthodoxy | 260,380,000 | 11.4 | 3.8 | Growing | Growing |
Other Christianity | 28,430,000 | 1.3 | 0.4 | Growing | Growing |
Christianity | 2,289,450,000 | 100 | 31.7 | Growing | Stable |
Other religions:
General:
Muslims are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraham as it was revealed to Muhammad, the main Islamic prophet. Alongside the Quran, Muslims also believe in previous revelations, such as the Tawrat (Torah), the Zabur (Psalms), and the Injeel (Gospel). These earlier revelations are associated with Judaism and Christianity, which are regarded by Muslims as earlier versions of Islam. The majority of Muslims also follow the teachings and practices attributed to Muhammad (sunnah) as recorded in traditional accounts (hadith).
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. This theory began in the 18th century with the goal of recognizing the relative levels of civility in different societies, but this practice has since fallen into disrepute in many contemporary cultures.
The Catholic Church is "the Catholic Communion of Churches, both Roman and Eastern, or Oriental, that are in full communion with the Bishop of Rome ." The church is also known by members as the People of God, the Body of Christ, the "Temple of the Holy Spirit", among other names. According to Vatican II's Gaudium et spes, the "church has but one sole purpose–that the kingdom of God may come and the salvation of the human race may be accomplished."
Hinduism has approximately 1.2 billion adherents worldwide. Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world behind Christianity (31.5%) and Islam (23.3%).
There are approximately 833,457,000 Protestants worldwide, among approximately 2.5 billion Christians. In 2010, a total of more than 800 million included 300 million in Sub-Saharan Africa, 260 million in the Americas, 140 million in Asia-Pacific region, 100 million in Europe and 2 million in Middle East-North Africa. Protestants account for nearly forty percent of Christians worldwide and more than one tenth of the total human population. Various estimates put the percentage of Protestants in relation to the total number of the world's Christians at 33%, 36%, 36.7%, and 40%, while in relation to the world's population at 11.6% and 13%.
Religion has been a major influence on the societies, cultures, traditions, philosophies, artistic expressions and laws within present-day Europe. The largest religion in Europe is Christianity. However, irreligion and practical secularisation are also prominent in some countries. In Southeastern Europe, three countries have Muslim majorities, with Christianity being the second-largest religion in those countries. Ancient European religions included veneration for deities such as Zeus. Modern revival movements of these religions include Heathenism, Rodnovery, Romuva, Druidry, Wicca, and others. Smaller religions include Indian religions, Judaism, and some East Asian religions, which are found in their largest groups in Britain, France, and Kalmykia.
Christianity and Islam are the two main religions practiced in Nigeria. The country is home to some of the world's largest Christian and Muslim populations, simultaneously. Reliable recent statistics do not exist; however, Nigeria is divided roughly in half between Muslims, who live mostly in the northern region, and Christians, who live mostly in the southern region of the country. Indigenous religions, such as those native to the Igbo and Yoruba ethnicities, have been declining for decades and being replaced by Christianity or Islam. The Christian share of Nigeria's population is also now on the decline, due to a lower fertility rate relative to the Muslim population in the country.
Growth of religion involves the spread of individual religions and the increase in the numbers of religious adherents around the world. In sociology, desecularization is the proliferation or growth of religion, most commonly after a period of previous secularization. Statistics commonly measure the absolute number of adherents, the percentage of the absolute growth per-year, and the growth of converts in the world.
Islam in Asia began in the 7th century during the lifetime of Muhammad. In 2020, the total number of Muslims in Asia was about 1.3 billion, it is the largest religion in Asia. Asia constitutes in absolute terms the world's largest Muslim population. and about 62% of the world's Muslims live in Asia, with Indonesia, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh having the largest Muslim populations in the world. Asia is home to the largest Muslim population, with West Asia, Central Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia being particularly important regions. A number of adherents of Islam have lived in Asia especially in West Asia and South Asia since the beginning of Islamic history.
The Arab world consists of the 22 members of the Arab League. As of 2023, the combined population of all the Arab states was around 473 million people.
This is an overview of religion by country or territory in 2010 according to a 2012 Pew Research Center report. The article Religious information by country gives information from The World Factbook of the CIA and the U.S. Department of State.
Christianity is the predominant religion in the Republic of the Congo, with Catholicism being its largest denomination.
Christianity is the largest religion in Tanzania, with a substantial Muslim minority. Smaller populations of Animists, practitioners of other faiths, and religiously unaffiliated people are also present.
Christianity is the predominant religion in Eswatini, with Protestantism being its largest denomination. The royal family of Eswatini is officially Christian.
Christianity is the largest religion in Tanzania, professed by around 63.1% of the total population as of 2020. Protestantism and Catholicism are the main denominations in the country.
The main religion in Morocco is Sunni Islam, which is also the state religion of the country. Officially, 99% of the population are Muslim, and virtually all of those are Sunni. The second-largest religion in the country is Christianity, but most Christians in Morocco are foreigners. There is a community of the Baháʼí Faith. Only a fraction of the former number of Maghrebi Jews have remained in the country, many having moved to Israel.
Based on the numbers of adherents, the Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest Christian communion in the world, after the Roman Catholic Church, with the most common estimates of baptised members being approximately 220 million. The numerous Protestant groups in the world, if taken all together, substantially outnumber the Eastern Orthodox, but they differ theologically and do not form a single communion.
Adherents of Islam constitute the world's second largest and fastest growing major religious grouping, maintaining suggested 2017 projections in 2022. As of 2020, Pew Research Centre (PEW) projections suggest there are a total of 1.9 billion adherents worldwide. Further studies indicate the worldwide spread and percentage growth of Islam, may be attributed to high birth rates followed by a trend of worldwide adoption and conversion to Islam.
A decline of Christian affiliation in the Western world has been observed in the decades since the end of World War II. While most countries in the Western world were historically almost exclusively Christian, the post-World War II era has seen developed countries with modern, secular educational facilities shifting towards post-Christian, secular, globalized, multicultural and multifaith societies.
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: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)Algeria 2010 Christian: ≈0.2% of 35,470,000 population (≈70,940)
Muslim 231.069.932 (86.7), Christian 20.246.267 (7.6), Catholic 8.325.339 (3.12), Hindu 4.646.357 (1.74), Buddhist 2.062.150 (0.77), Confucianism 71.999 (0.03), Others/Traditional faiths 112.792 (0.04), Total 266.534.836
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: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)Religion: Approximately 1.6 percent of the population is Hindu, 1.6 percent is Christian, and 0.3 percent belongs to other religions, such as Bahaism and Sikhism.