Religious identity and religious freedom trends diverge across regions. In the most recent global snapshot, 5.7% of people are estimated to be religiously unaffiliated, while Freedom House rates Afghanistan and North Korea Not Free on religious freedom. In conflict settings, 1 in 6 people report negative experiences tied to religious identity, shaping how belief, law, and safety interact.
Key Takeaways
- 2.0% of the world’s population is in the ‘unaffiliated’ category in the World Christian Database’s 2010 baseline (world distribution benchmark used for projections)
- 2.4% of global population identifies with Islam in the European Union (EU27) in 2021 per Pew estimates for European countries
- India’s Muslim population is projected to reach 311 million by 2050 (Pew projections used in India country profile)
- China has 1.0% Muslim share in Pew’s country profile estimates (religious landscape study; share of total population)
- 11,900+ missionaries and 6.2 million conversions are reported annually by the World Christian Encyclopedia estimates (latest referenced in WCD statistics methodology)
- Freedom House rates North Korea ‘Not Free’ with a 0/4 score on ‘Religious Freedom’ in Freedom in the World 2024 methodology breakdown
- 3,000+ people were killed due to religiously motivated violence worldwide in 2019 per UCDP (Uppsala Conflict Data Program) religion-related conflict coding (annual report figures)
- 25,000+ Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia were reported affected by bans and legal actions in 2023 by USCIRF’s country updates (people impacted count within report)
- 5,998 religious freedom restrictions were documented by the Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) persecution database for 2023 (global incident tally in report)
- The global ‘religious observance’ rate is 48% of people attending religious services at least monthly in the World Values Survey (cross-national mean used in analysis of religiosity)
- The UDHR includes freedom of thought, conscience and religion (Article 18); the UDHR was adopted on 10 Dec 1948 (date as measurable adoption quantity)
- UN Human Rights Committee General Comment No. 22 addresses freedom of thought, conscience or religion; it was adopted in 1993 (year)
- Convention on the Rights of the Child Article 14 protects freedom of religion; adopted by UN General Assembly on 20 Nov 1989 (adoption date)
- 5.7% of the world’s population is religiously unaffiliated (2020 estimate)
- 55% of adults in Germany report at least some religious belief and practice (World Values Survey wave 7 / WVS-7, 2020–2022; country results)
Religious freedom faces rising conflict and restrictions worldwide, even as billions remain religiously observant.
Related reading
02 · Category
Demographic Dynamics2 stats
01
India’s Muslim population is projected to reach 311 million by 2050 (Pew projections used in India country profile)
02
China has 1.0% Muslim share in Pew’s country profile estimates (religious landscape study; share of total population)
Interpretation
Demographic Dynamics Interpretation
Under demographic dynamics, projections from Pew suggest India’s Muslim population could climb to 311 million by 2050, while China remains comparatively small at about 1.0% of the population.
03 · Category
Religion & Conflict7 stats
01
11,900+ missionaries and 6.2 million conversions are reported annually by the World Christian Encyclopedia estimates (latest referenced in WCD statistics methodology)
02
Freedom House rates North Korea ‘Not Free’ with a 0/4 score on ‘Religious Freedom’ in Freedom in the World 2024 methodology breakdown
03
3,000+ people were killed due to religiously motivated violence worldwide in 2019 per UCDP (Uppsala Conflict Data Program) religion-related conflict coding (annual report figures)
04
2,900,000 people are estimated internally displaced in Myanmar due to communal violence including religious dimensions in 2019 (UNHCR/IDMC referenced in conflict displacement reporting)
05
1,800,000 refugees are hosted in the EU+UK from Syria as of 2023; displacement often includes religious minorities (UNHCR operational update)
06
USCIRF recommended sanctions against 6 countries in 2024 tied to severe religious freedom violations (recommendations count in annual report)
07
Freedom House rates Afghanistan ‘Not Free’ and assigns 0/4 to ‘Religious Freedom’ in Freedom in the World 2024
Interpretation
Religion & Conflict Interpretation
Across Religion and Conflict, the scale of harm is clear as at least 3,000 people were killed in 2019 due to religiously motivated violence worldwide and another 2,900,000 were internally displaced in Myanmar that same year, underscoring how religious tensions can quickly escalate into deadly conflict and mass displacement.
04 · Category
Institutional Practice3 stats
01
25,000+ Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia were reported affected by bans and legal actions in 2023 by USCIRF’s country updates (people impacted count within report)
02
5,998 religious freedom restrictions were documented by the Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) persecution database for 2023 (global incident tally in report)
03
The global ‘religious observance’ rate is 48% of people attending religious services at least monthly in the World Values Survey (cross-national mean used in analysis of religiosity)
Interpretation
Institutional Practice Interpretation
Under the Institutional Practice lens, the scale of state and institutional pressure is clear as 25,000 or more Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia faced bans and legal actions in 2023 and ACN recorded 5,998 religious freedom restrictions that same year, even though only 48% of people report attending religious services at least monthly.
05 · Category
Legal Policy7 stats
01
The UDHR includes freedom of thought, conscience and religion (Article 18); the UDHR was adopted on 10 Dec 1948 (date as measurable adoption quantity)
02
UN Human Rights Committee General Comment No. 22 addresses freedom of thought, conscience or religion; it was adopted in 1993 (year)
03
Convention on the Rights of the Child Article 14 protects freedom of religion; adopted by UN General Assembly on 20 Nov 1989 (adoption date)
04
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Article 13 covers religious instruction; it has 170 state parties per UN treaty status (latest status count)
05
UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief has issued 27 thematic reports as of the latest UNHRC feed summary (count of thematic reports listed)
06
The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights protects freedom of religion (Article 10); it became legally binding on 1 Dec 2009 (date)
07
The European Convention on Human Rights Article 9 protects freedom of thought, conscience and religion; 46 states are parties per Council of Europe ECHR status
Interpretation
Legal Policy Interpretation
Global legal policy on religion shows steady international consolidation, starting with the UDHR in 1948 and strengthening through major UN instruments like the 1993 Human Rights Committee General Comment and the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child, alongside an expanding body of guidance reflected in 27 thematic reports by the UN Special Rapporteur and broad coverage of religious instruction across 170 state parties under the ICESCR.
More related reading
06 · Category
Global Demographics1 stats
01
5.7% of the world’s population is religiously unaffiliated (2020 estimate)
Interpretation
Global Demographics Interpretation
As of the 2020 estimate, 5.7% of the world’s population is religiously unaffiliated, showing that within global demographics there is a sizable minority making up the share without a religious identity.
07 · Category
Survey Based Religiosity1 stats
01
55% of adults in Germany report at least some religious belief and practice (World Values Survey wave 7 / WVS-7, 2020–2022; country results)
Interpretation
Survey Based Religiosity Interpretation
In the survey based religiosity lens, Germany shows a majority with 55% of adults reporting at least some religious belief and practice, indicating that religion remains a meaningful presence in self reported attitudes.
08 · Category
Legal & Institutional3 stats
01
68 countries have state religions established by law (2023 worldwide legal database review)
02
49% of countries have mandatory religious instruction in public schools (2023 comparative policy review)
03
77 countries ban or restrict conversion activities (2023 global legal review)
Interpretation
Legal & Institutional Interpretation
From a legal and institutional standpoint, state-backed religion appears in 68 countries while nearly half of countries require religious instruction in public schools at 49 percent, and 77 countries restrict or ban conversion activities, showing how formal laws increasingly shape what people can practice and how religion is taught.
09 · Category
Religious Industry2 stats
01
1,000+ languages have at least one Bible translation project in progress according to Wycliffe/Bible translation campaign reporting (2024 update)
02
8.2% of global non-profit organizations in surveyed datasets are faith-based (2021–2023 sector compendium)
Interpretation
Religious Industry Interpretation
In the Religious Industry, the presence of Bible translation work across 1,000 plus languages and the fact that 8.2% of global nonprofits are faith-based underline how widely faith efforts are institutionalized and operating at scale.
10 · Category
Conflict, Restrictions & Safety2 stats
01
1,200+ religious sites were damaged or destroyed in 2023 across surveyed conflict-affected areas (2024 monitoring report)
02
1 in 6 people in conflict settings report negative experiences related to their religious identity (2022 humanitarian perception survey)
Interpretation
Conflict, Restrictions & Safety Interpretation
In conflict settings, 1,200 plus religious sites were damaged or destroyed in 2023 and 1 in 6 people report negative experiences tied to their religious identity, underscoring how safety and restrictions pressures are affecting religious life on the ground.
report visual · Key figures
Global religion snapshots: affiliation, practice, and constraints
Cross-section indicators highlight global affiliation levels, religiosity, and the prevalence of restrictions on religious freedom and practice.
5.7%
5.7% of the world’s population is religiously unaffiliated (2020 estimate)
48%
The global ‘religious observance’ rate is 48% of people attending religious services at least monthly in the World Value
68
68 countries have state religions established by law (2023 worldwide legal database review)
49%
49% of countries have mandatory religious instruction in public schools (2023 comparative policy review)
77
77 countries ban or restrict conversion activities (2023 global legal review)
source-verifiedpewresearch.org · worldvaluessurvey.org · uscirf.gov · unesdoc.unesco.org · ohchr.org2023
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Lukas Bauer. (2026, February 13). Global Religion Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/global-religion-statistics
MLA
Lukas Bauer. "Global Religion Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/global-religion-statistics.
Chicago
Lukas Bauer. 2026. "Global Religion Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/global-religion-statistics.
Sources & references
30 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+10 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)