Christianity remains the world's largest religion with over 2.3 billion members. Buddhism has an estimated 500 million followers, nearly half of whom live in China. This data provides current global religious affiliation figures.
Key Takeaways
- Buddhism claims 500 million followers globally in 2023.
- As of 2023, Christianity has approximately 2.382 billion adherents worldwide, making it the largest religion.
- Hinduism has 1.161 billion adherents worldwide in 2023.
- Islam has 1.907 billion followers globally as of 2023.
- Judaism has 15.2 million members globally in 2023.
Religion membership remains steady overall, with small shifts that suggest gradual changes in community affiliation.
Related reading
01 · Category
Buddhism25 stats
01
Buddhism claims 500 million followers globally in 2023.
02
China has 244 million Buddhists, 18% of population in 2023 estimates.
03
Thailand 93% Buddhist, 66 million Theravada in 2023.
04
Japan 67% Buddhist, 84 million cultural affiliation 2023.
05
Myanmar 88% Theravada Buddhist, 50 million in 2023.
06
Vietnam 14-50% Buddhist, 15-50 million in 2023 varying surveys.
07
Sri Lanka 70% Buddhist, 15 million Theravada 2023.
08
Cambodia 97% Buddhist, 16 million in 2023.
09
South Korea 23% Buddhist, 12 million in 2023.
10
India 0.7% Buddhist, 10 million including Neo-Buddhists 2023.
11
Laos 66% Buddhist, 5 million in 2023.
12
Malaysia 6% Buddhist, 2 million mainly Chinese 2023.
13
United States 1% Buddhist, 3.5 million in 2021.
14
Taiwan 35% Buddhist, 8 million in 2023.
15
Singapore 33% Buddhist, 1.8 million in 2023.
16
Australia 2.4% Buddhist, 600,000 in 2021 census.
17
Canada 1.4% Buddhist, 500,000 in 2021 census.
18
United Kingdom 0.5% Buddhist, 300,000 in 2021 census.
19
France 0.3% Buddhist, 200,000 in 2023 estimates.
20
Germany 0.3% Buddhist, 250,000 in 2023.
21
Russia 0.1% Buddhist officially, 1 million mainly in republics 2023.
22
Mongolia 53% Buddhist, 1.8 million in 2023.
23
Bhutan 75% Vajrayana Buddhist, 600,000 in 2023.
24
Nepal 9% Buddhist, 2.7 million in 2023.
25
Theravada Buddhists total 150 million worldwide in 2023.
Interpretation
Buddhism Interpretation
While the global total of half a billion Buddhists is impressive, it's sobering to note that China alone accounts for nearly half of them, suggesting the world's most populous nation could theoretically solve a koan by committee.
02 · Category
Christianity30 stats
01
As of 2023, Christianity has approximately 2.382 billion adherents worldwide, making it the largest religion.
02
In the United States, 63% of the population identified as Christian in 2021 according to the Pew Research Center.
03
Brazil has the largest Catholic population with 123 million members as of 2020.
04
Nigeria's Christian population reached 97 million in 2022.
05
In Mexico, 78% of the population, or about 99 million people, are Catholic in 2023.
06
The Philippines has 86 million Catholics, comprising 81% of its population as of 2022.
07
Russia has around 105 million Orthodox Christians in 2023 estimates.
08
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Christians number 95 million, 95% of the population in 2023.
09
Ethiopia's Christian population is 77 million, including 44 million Orthodox in 2022.
10
Germany has 44 million Christians, 53% of population per 2022 census data.
11
Italy's Catholic membership stands at 48 million, 80% of population in 2023.
12
United Kingdom Christians number 46 million, 59% in 2021 census.
13
South Korea has 14 million Christians, 29% of population in 2023.
14
Angola's population is 93% Christian with 35 million adherents in 2023.
15
Zambia has 96% Christian membership, about 19 million people in 2022.
16
Rwanda's Christians make up 94% of 14 million population in 2023.
17
Papua New Guinea has 97% Christians, 9 million in 2023.
18
East Timor is 97% Catholic with 1.3 million members in 2022.
19
Argentina has 76% Catholics, 35 million in 2023.
20
Colombia's Catholic population is 79%, 40 million in 2022.
21
Spain has 59% Catholics, 28 million registered in 2023.
22
Poland's 87% Catholic population totals 33 million in 2023.
23
Ukraine has 68% Christians, about 27 million in 2022 pre-war estimates.
24
Australia Christians are 44%, 11 million in 2021 census.
25
Canada has 53% Christians, 19 million in 2021 census.
26
South Africa Christians 80%, 48 million in 2022.
27
Kenya 85% Christians, 46 million in 2023.
28
Tanzania Christians 61%, 38 million in 2023.
29
Ghana 71% Christians, 22 million in 2021 census.
30
Pentecostals worldwide number over 279 million in 2023.
Interpretation
Christianity Interpretation
Christianity continues to claim the title of 'world's most popular club,' yet its membership roster reads less like a monolithic empire and more like a wildly diverse franchise operation, with local branches from Brazil to Nigeria often outpacing the historic home offices in both fervor and numbers.
03 · Category
Hinduism24 stats
01
Hinduism has 1.161 billion adherents worldwide in 2023.
02
India has 1.093 billion Hindus, 79.8% of population per 2011 census projected 2023.
03
Nepal's Hindu population is 81%, 24 million in 2023.
04
Bangladesh Hindus 8%, 13 million in 2023.
05
Pakistan Hindus 2%, 5 million in 2023.
06
Indonesia Hindus 1.7%, 4.2 million mainly in Bali 2023.
07
Sri Lanka Hindus 12.6%, 2.6 million Tamils in 2023.
08
Malaysia Hindus 6.3%, 2 million mainly Indian origin 2023.
09
United States Hindus 2.4 million, 0.7% in 2021.
10
Mauritius 48% Hindu, 600,000 in 2023.
11
Fiji Hindus 27%, 250,000 in 2023.
12
Guyana 25% Hindu, 200,000 in 2023.
13
Trinidad and Tobago 22% Hindu, 300,000 in 2023.
14
Canada Hindus 830,000, 2.3% in 2021 census.
15
United Kingdom Hindus 1 million, 1.7% in 2021 census.
16
Australia Hindus 684,000, 2.7% in 2021.
17
South Africa Hindus 1%, 1 million in 2022.
18
Singapore Hindus 5%, 300,000 in 2023.
19
Myanmar Hindus 0.5%, 400,000 in 2023.
20
Qatar Hindus 14%, 300,000 expatriates in 2023.
21
UAE Hindus 6.6%, 1 million in 2023.
22
Kuwait Hindus 4.5%, 200,000 in 2023.
23
Oman Hindus 5.5%, 250,000 in 2023.
24
Saudi Arabia Hindus 1.5%, 500,000 expatriates 2023.
Interpretation
Hinduism Interpretation
Hinduism boasts a global family of over a billion souls, with India as its sprawling ancestral home, while its diaspora—from the peaks of Nepal to the islands of Fiji and the skyscrapers of the Gulf—paints a vivid map of devotion, trade, and migration across the continents.
More related reading
04 · Category
Islam27 stats
01
Islam has 1.907 billion followers globally as of 2023.
02
Indonesia has the largest Muslim population with 241 million in 2023.
03
Pakistan's Muslims number 225 million, 96% of population in 2023.
04
India has 200 million Muslims, 14.2% of population per 2011 census updated 2023.
05
Bangladesh Muslims 91%, 153 million in 2023.
06
Nigeria Muslims 50%, 106 million in 2023 estimates.
07
Egypt's Muslim population is 90 million Sunni, 95% total in 2023.
08
Turkey has 84 million Muslims, 99% of population in 2023.
09
Iran 99% Muslim, 84 million Shia majority in 2023.
10
Algeria Muslims 99%, 43 million in 2023.
11
Iraq 97% Muslim, 42 million with Shia majority in 2023.
12
Afghanistan 99.7% Muslim, 41 million in 2023.
13
Morocco 99% Sunni Muslim, 37 million in 2023.
14
Saudi Arabia 93% Sunni, 35 million total Muslims in 2023.
15
Uzbekistan 96% Muslim, 34 million in 2023.
16
Yemen 99% Muslim, 33 million in 2023.
17
Malaysia 63% Muslim, 22 million in 2023.
18
Niger 99% Muslim, 26 million in 2023.
19
Mali 95% Muslim, 21 million in 2023.
20
Syria 87% Muslim, 18 million in 2023 pre-war adjusted.
21
Senegal 97% Muslim, 17 million in 2023.
22
Somalia 99.8% Sunni Muslim, 17 million in 2023.
23
United Arab Emirates 76% Muslim, 8 million in 2023.
24
France has 5.7 million Muslims, 8.8% of population in 2023 estimates.
25
United Kingdom Muslims 4 million, 6.5% in 2021 census.
26
India Shia Muslims number 40-50 million in 2023.
27
Global Shia population is 200 million, 10-13% of Muslims in 2023.
Interpretation
Islam Interpretation
While nearly two billion strong globally, the faith's heartland beats strongest in the East, revealing a Muslim world far from monolithic, with Indonesia leading the prayer call and its followers forming significant, sometimes majority-minority, communities from Pakistan to Paris.
05 · Category
Other28 stats
01
Judaism has 15.2 million members globally in 2023.
02
Israel has 6.8 million Jews, 74% of population in 2023.
03
United States Jews 5.7-7.5 million, 1.7-2.4% in 2021.
04
France 440,000 Jews, 0.7% in 2023 estimates.
05
Canada 400,000 Jews, 1% in 2021 census.
06
United Kingdom 270,000 Jews, 0.4% in 2021 census.
07
Argentina 175,000 Jews in 2023.
08
Russia 150,000 Jews, 0.1% in 2023.
09
Germany 118,000 Jews in 2023.
10
Australia 100,000 Jews, 0.4% in 2021.
11
Brazil 90,000 Jews in 2023.
12
South Africa 52,000 Jews in 2023.
13
Ukraine 43,000 Jews in 2023 pre-war.
14
Hungary 46,000 Jews in 2023.
15
Mexico 40,000 Jews in 2023.
16
Netherlands 30,000 Jews, 0.2% in 2023.
17
Sikhism has 25-30 million followers worldwide in 2023.
18
India Sikhs 20.8 million, 1.7% per 2011 census projected.
19
Canada 770,000 Sikhs, 2.1% in 2021 census.
20
United Kingdom 520,000 Sikhs, 0.9% in 2021 census.
21
United States 280,000 Sikhs, 0.1% in 2021.
22
Australia 210,000 Sikhs, 0.8% in 2021.
23
New Zealand 40,000 Sikhs, 0.8% in 2018 census updated.
24
Unaffiliated/Non-religious number 1.193 billion globally in 2023.
25
China unaffiliated 700 million, 52% in 2023.
26
United States "nones" 26%, 70 million in 2021.
27
Japan 60% unaffiliated, 75 million in 2023.
28
Czech Republic 59% non-religious, 6 million in 2021 census.
Interpretation
Other Interpretation
The world's Jewish population is a remarkable study in concentrated survival, constituting a nation-sized global diaspora where nearly half the world's Jews live in Israel, another half in a handful of other nations, yet collectively form just 0.2% of humanity—a testament to their enduring, outsized cultural and historical impact.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
James Okoro. (2026, February 13). Religion Membership Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/religion-membership-statistics
MLA
James Okoro. "Religion Membership Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/religion-membership-statistics.
Chicago
James Okoro. 2026. "Religion Membership Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/religion-membership-statistics.
Sources & references
10 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level