Imagine a world where nearly nine out of every ten people belong to a religion, yet within that broad devotion, a profound demographic shift is quietly underway that will redefine our global spiritual landscape by mid-century.
Key Takeaways
- As of 2023, Christianity has approximately 2.382 billion adherents worldwide, accounting for 31.0% of the global population.
- Islam counts about 1.908 billion followers globally in 2023, representing 24.1% of the world's population.
- Hindus number around 1.161 billion worldwide as of 2023, comprising 14.9% of global population.
- There are over 45,000 Christian denominations worldwide in 2023.
- Sub-Saharan Africa hosts 670 million Christians in 2023, 24% of global Christians.
- Latin America has 635 million Christians, 25% of world total in 2023.
- As of 2023, Islam has 1.91 billion followers, with 24% in South Asia.
- Middle East-North Africa has 20% of global Muslims, 341 million in 2023.
- Sub-Saharan Africa: 250 million Muslims, 15% of world total 2023.
- Hinduism has 1.16 billion adherents, 94% in India as of 2023.
- India hosts 1.09 billion Hindus, 79% of national population 2023.
- Nepal: 81% Hindu, 23 million adherents 2023.
- Religiously unaffiliated: 1.193 billion in 2023, 16% global.
- China has 917 million unaffiliated, 52% of global total 2023.
- Median age of unaffiliated: 34 years globally.
Christianity remains largest globally, but Islam is growing faster and will soon match it.
Christianity
- There are over 45,000 Christian denominations worldwide in 2023.
- Sub-Saharan Africa hosts 670 million Christians in 2023, 24% of global Christians.
- Latin America has 635 million Christians, 25% of world total in 2023.
- Europe counts 550 million Christians in 2023, down to 22% of global.
- Asia has 416 million Christians, 15% of global in 2023.
- Northern America: 238 million Christians, 9% global share 2023.
- Oceania: 28 million Christians, 1% of world total 2023.
- Pentecostals and Charismatics total 652 million worldwide in 2023.
- Evangelicals number 619 million globally in 2023.
- Roman Catholics: 1.37 billion in 2023, 58% of all Christians.
- Independents: 446 million Christians in 2023.
- Orthodox Christians: 260 million in 2023.
- Anglicans: 110 million worldwide 2023.
- Protestants: 569 million in 2023.
- Annual growth rate of global Christians 2020-2023: 1.08%.
- Brazil has 180 million Christians, largest national population in 2023.
- United States: 230 million Christians in 2023.
- Nigeria: 110 million Christians 2023.
- China: 97 million Christians estimated 2023.
- DR Congo: 95 million Christians 2023.
- Philippines: 93 million Christians 2023.
- Ethiopia: 70 million Christians 2023.
- 41% of global Christians live in sub-Saharan Africa as of 2020 projections.
- Christians projected to be 38% of world population by 2050.
- Median age of Christians globally is 30 years in 2010-2050 projections.
- 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide as of Vatican 2023 stats.
- Growth of Evangelicals highest in Africa at 2.64% annually 2010-2020.
- Pentecostals in Asia: 138 million in 2023.
Christianity Interpretation
The numbers paint a picture of a faith that, while famously fractured into over 45,000 pieces, is nonetheless overwhelmingly unified under Catholicism and is rapidly becoming less European and white, with its energetic future pulsing most strongly in the global south.
Islam
- As of 2023, Islam has 1.91 billion followers, with 24% in South Asia.
- Middle East-North Africa has 20% of global Muslims, 341 million in 2023.
- Sub-Saharan Africa: 250 million Muslims, 15% of world total 2023.
- Southeast Asia: 13% of global Muslims, 240 million in 2023.
- Central Asia: 7% , 93 million Muslims 2023.
- Europe: 6%, 111 million Muslims in 2023.
- Sunni Muslims: 87-90% of all Muslims, about 1.7 billion in 2023.
- Shia Muslims: 10-13%, around 200 million globally 2023.
- Indonesia has the largest Muslim population at 241 million in 2023.
- Pakistan: 225 million Muslims 2023.
- India: 211 million Muslims 2023.
- Bangladesh: 153 million Muslims 2023.
- Nigeria: 107 million Muslims 2023.
- Egypt: 95 million Muslims 2023.
- Turkey: 85 million Muslims 2023.
- Iran: 84 million Muslims, nearly all Shia 2023.
- Muslim fertility rate averages 2.9 children per woman, highest among major groups.
- Muslims have the youngest median age at 24 years globally.
- Islam projected to grow at 1.68% annually to 2050.
- 80% of Muslims live in 49 Muslim-majority countries.
- Muslim population in Europe projected to reach 7.4-14% by 2050.
- Ahmadiyya Muslims: 10-20 million globally.
- Ibadi Muslims: about 3 million, mainly in Oman.
- Global Quran distribution exceeds 1 billion copies since 1920s.
- Over 1.8 billion Muslims perform Hajj aspirations annually, with 2.5 million attending 2023.
- Ramadan fasting observed by 1.9 billion Muslims yearly.
Islam Interpretation
While Islam’s heartland may be in the Middle East, its demographic pulse beats strongest across the vast and varied landscapes of South Asia, Africa, and Southeast Asia, where the faith's youthful energy and growth are most vividly felt.
Non-Abrahamic Religions
- Hinduism has 1.16 billion adherents, 94% in India as of 2023.
- India hosts 1.09 billion Hindus, 79% of national population 2023.
- Nepal: 81% Hindu, 23 million adherents 2023.
- Bangladesh: 8% Hindu, 13 million 2023.
- Indonesia: 1.7% Hindu, 4.2 million 2023.
- Pakistan: 2% Hindu, 4 million 2023.
- Sri Lanka: 12.6% Hindu, 2.6 million 2023.
- United States: 1 million Hindus 2023.
- Malaysia: 6.3% Hindu, 2 million 2023.
- Hindu growth rate: 0.70% annually 2010-2020.
- Median age of Hindus: 27 years globally.
- Over 1 billion people celebrate Diwali annually.
- 33 million Hindu deities worshipped traditionally.
- Buddhism: 507 million adherents, 99% in Asia-Pacific 2023.
- China: 18% Buddhist culturally, up to 200 million affiliated 2023.
- Thailand: 93% Buddhist, 65 million 2023.
- Japan: 36% Buddhist, 45 million 2023.
- Myanmar: 88% Buddhist, 48 million 2023.
- Vietnam: 15% Buddhist, 14 million 2023.
- Cambodia: 97% Buddhist, 16 million 2023.
- Theravada Buddhists: 38% of global Buddhists, 150 million.
- Mahayana: 53%, 270 million Buddhists.
- Vajrayana: 6%, 20 million.
- Sikhism: 30 million adherents, 75% in India 2023.
- Canada: 2% Sikh, 800,000 adherents 2023.
- Folk religions: 430 million, 430 million in Asia 2023.
- Chinese folk religion: 394 million practitioners 2023.
- African traditional religions: 100 million adherents 2023.
- Median age of Buddhists: 36 years, oldest major group.
Non-Abrahamic Religions Interpretation
While Hinduism’s spiritual headquarters is decidedly in India, giving “local monopoly” a divine new meaning, its diaspora and ancient traditions show a faith both deeply rooted and gracefully expanding, unlike the elder statesmen of Buddhism who, while deeply concentrated in Asia, are aging thoughtfully like a fine, serene vintage.
Overall Global Statistics
- As of 2023, Christianity has approximately 2.382 billion adherents worldwide, accounting for 31.0% of the global population.
- Islam counts about 1.908 billion followers globally in 2023, representing 24.1% of the world's population.
- Hindus number around 1.161 billion worldwide as of 2023, comprising 14.9% of global population.
- Buddhists total approximately 507 million adherents in 2023, making up 6.6% of the world population.
- Folk religions have about 430 million followers globally in 2023, equating to 5.6% of the population.
- The religiously unaffiliated population stands at 1.193 billion in 2023, or 16.0% of the global total.
- Other religions collectively have 61 million adherents in 2023, representing 0.8% worldwide.
- Jews number about 14.8 million globally in 2023, or 0.2% of the world population.
- By 2050, Muslims are projected to nearly equal Christians at 2.8 billion each, both around 31% of global population.
- The global religiously unaffiliated share is expected to decline from 16% in 2010 to 13% by 2050.
- In 2020, 84% of the world's population identified with a religion, leaving 16% unaffiliated.
- Between 2010 and 2020, the global Christian population grew by 1.17%, slower than the world average of 1.26%.
- Muslim population growth rate from 2010-2020 was 1.84%, outpacing the global average.
- Hindus grew at 1.02% annually from 2010-2020, slightly below global average.
- Buddhists experienced a -0.02% annual growth from 2010-2020.
- Global population median age for all religions combined is 30 years as of recent estimates.
- 73% of the world's population lives in countries where their religious group is the majority.
- In 2010, 87% of adults worldwide belonged to the religion predominant in their country.
- Religious groups with over 5 million adherents number 19 worldwide as of 2020.
- The ten largest religious bodies account for 85.5% of the global population in 2023.
- Global religious diversity index averages 0.42 on a 0-1 scale, per Pew 2022 data.
- From 1910 to 2010, the Christian share of world population declined from 34.8% to 31.7%.
- Sikhism has 25-30 million adherents globally, concentrated in India.
- Baha'is number around 5-8 million worldwide.
- Jains total about 4-5 million globally, mostly in India.
- Shinto adherents are estimated at 2-4 million outside Japan, with 100 million culturally affiliated in Japan.
- Zoroastrians number fewer than 200,000 worldwide.
- Global average annual population growth rate for all religions 2015-2020 was 1.18%.
- Projected global religious population in 2050: 9.3 billion total, with religions at 8.1 billion.
- In 2020, 2.3 billion people were Christian, per UN-aligned estimates.
- Christianity is the largest religion in 157 countries as of 2020.
Overall Global Statistics Interpretation
Despite their cosmic differences, humanity's current religious landscape reveals a familiar story: roughly 85% of us are placing our bets with organized faiths, but the most dramatic race is for second place, as a rapidly growing Islam is quietly closing the gap on a nearly stagnant Christianity.
Unaffiliated and Secular
- Religiously unaffiliated: 1.193 billion in 2023, 16% global.
- China has 917 million unaffiliated, 52% of global total 2023.
- Median age of unaffiliated: 34 years globally.
- Unaffiliated projected to grow to 1.2 billion by 2050 but decline to 13% share.
- Asia-Pacific: 76% of global unaffiliated, 764 million 2023.
- Europe: 175 million unaffiliated, 25% national average.
- North America: 102 million unaffiliated, 26% in US 2023.
- Japan: 60% unaffiliated culturally 2023.
- South Korea: 46% unaffiliated 2023.
- Czech Republic: 59% unaffiliated highest in Europe 2023.
- Agnostics and atheists: 7% of world population, 488 million 2023.
- "Nones" in US rose from 16% in 2007 to 29% in 2021.
- Secularism growth highest in Western countries, fertility rate 1.6.
- Judaism: 14.8 million worldwide, 45% in Israel 2023.
- US: 5.8 million Jews, 39% of global 2023.
- France: 440,000 Jews 2023.
- Median age of Jews: 37 years.
- Other religions: 61 million, including Baha'i 8 million 2023.
- New Age spirituality adherents estimated at 100 million globally.
- Humanists and secular humanists: over 4 million identified members.
Unaffiliated and Secular Interpretation
While China’s monumental indifference single-handedly props up the global unaffiliated population, the actual creed of "none" is quietly winning the youth and the West, suggesting that the future’s most fervent belief might just be in belief itself.
Sources & References
- Reference 1PEWRESEARCHpewresearch.orgVisit source
- Reference 2GORDONCONWELLgordonconwell.eduVisit source
- Reference 3ENen.wikipedia.orgVisit source
- Reference 4WORLDPOPULATIONREVIEWworldpopulationreview.comVisit source
- Reference 5BAHAIbahai.orgVisit source
- Reference 6UNun.orgVisit source
- Reference 7POPULATIONpopulation.un.orgVisit source
- Reference 8VATICANNEWSvaticannews.vaVisit source
- Reference 9ALISLAMalislam.orgVisit source
- Reference 10KINGSLEYBOOKSkingsleybooks.orgVisit source
- Reference 11STATISTAstatista.comVisit source
- Reference 12HUMANISTShumanists.internationalVisit source