List of religious populations
Template:Short description Template:Pp Template:Use dmy dates Template:Bar box
This is a list of religious populations by number of adherents and countries.
Current world estimates
Pew Research Center made its "Population Growth Projections, 2010–2050"<ref name="Pew2010">Template:Cite web</ref> based on 2010 baseline estimates. New estimates for 2020 are still work in progress.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Their methodology is published as an appendix.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Notes
Largest religion by country
By proportion
Christians
Template:Further Countries and territories with the greatest proportion of Christians from Christianity by country, in 2010:
- Template:Flag 100% (100% Roman Catholic)
- Template:Flag 100% (100% Seventh-day Adventist)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 99.6%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (mostly Roman Catholic)
- Template:Flag ~99.0% (mostly Protestant)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 98.5% (96% Oriental Orthodox)
- Template:Flag 98.3% (mostly Protestant; ARDA claim)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Bsn
- Template:Flag 98.1%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (mostly Roman Catholic)
- Template:Flag 98.0%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (71% Roman Catholic)
- Template:Flag 98.0%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (95% Eastern Orthodox)
- Template:Flag 97.2% (mostly Protestant)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 97.2% (mostly Protestant)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 97.0%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (~97% Roman Catholic)
- Template:Flag 96.9%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (mostly Roman Catholic)
- Template:Flag 96.4% (mostly Roman Catholic; ARDA claim)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Bsn
- Template:Flag 96.0% (mostly Protestant)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag ~96.0% (mostly Protestant)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 95.1% (mostly Protestant)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 94.8% (mostly Protestant; ARDA claim)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Bsn
- Template:Flag 94.6% (mostly Roman Catholic)
- Template:Flag 94.5%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (mostly Roman Catholic)
- Template:Flag 93.0% (mostly Eastern Orthodox)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 92.9% (mostly Roman Catholic)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 91.1% (mostly Roman Catholic)<ref name="ReferenceA">Template:Croatian Census 2011</ref>
- Template:Flag 90.0% (mostly Roman Catholic)
Muslims
Countries and territories with a considerable proportion of Muslims from Islam by country in 2010, excluding foreign workers in brackets:<ref name="auto1">Template:Cite book</ref>
- Template:Flag 100%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 99.9%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flagicon Gaza Strip 99.9%Template:Citation needed
- Template:Flag 99.9%<ref name="naturallymorocco1">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 99.8% (65% Sunni, 33.5% Zaydi, 1.5% Ismaili)<ref name="auto1"/>
- Template:Flag 99.7%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 99.7%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (90% Sunni 10% Shia)<ref name="auto1"/>
- Template:Flag 99.6% (95% Shia, 5% Sunni)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 99.5%
- Template:Flag 99.2% (55% Shia, 45% Sunni)<ref name="auto1"/>
- Template:Flag 99.0% (60% Shia, 40% Sunni)<ref name="auto1"/>
- Template:Flag 99.0% (mostly Sunni)<ref name="auto1"/>
- Template:Flag 98.6% (85% Sunni, 15% Shia)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 98.3%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 98.0%
- Template:Flag 97.2% (90% Sunni, 10% Shia)<ref name="auto1"/>
- Template:Flag 97.0%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 96.9%<ref name="auto1"/>
- Template:Flag 96.6%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 96.4% (85% Sunni 12% Shia 3% Other)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 90.4% (85% Sunni 5.4% Shia)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 89.3%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 86.7%<ref name="RELIGION">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 61.3%
Irreligious and atheists
Template:See also Template:Further Countries with the greatest proportion of people without religion, including agnostics and atheists, from Irreligion by country in 2020:<ref name="Pew Research Center">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 78.4%
- Template:Flag 71.3%
- Template:Flag 60.2%
- Template:Flag 60.0%
- Template:Flag 54.7%
- Template:Flag 51.8%
- Template:Flag 46.6%
- Template:Flag 45.3%
- Template:Flag 44.3%
- Template:Flag 41.5%
- Template:Flag 39.6%
- Template:Flag 36.5%
- Template:Flag 31.9%
- Template:Flag 31.2%
- Template:Flag 31.0%
- Template:Flag 29.9%
- Template:Flag 29.0%
- Template:Flag 28.6%
- Template:Flag 28.6%
- Template:Flag 28.0%<ref name="Pew2020">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 26.7%
- Template:Flag 26.3%
- Template:Flag 24.5%
- Template:Flag 23.2%
- Template:Flag 22.8%
- Template:Flag 21.0%
- Template:Flag 20.8%
- Template:Flag 20.3%
- Template:Flag 19.4%
- Template:Flag 18.8%
Data is ranked by mean estimate in parentheses. Irreligious includes agnostic, atheist, secular people, and those having no formal religious adherence. It does not necessarily mean that those of this group don't belong to any religion. Some religions have harmonized with local cultures and can be seen as a cultural background rather than a formal religion. The practice of officially associating a family or household with a religion, while not formally practicing the affiliated religion, is common in many countries. Thus, over half of this group is theistic and/or influenced by religious principles, but nonreligious/non-practicing and not true atheists or agnostics. See Spiritual but not religious.
Hindus
Template:Further Countries with the greatest proportion of Hindus from Hinduism by country in 2010:
- Template:Flag 81.3%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 79.8%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 48.54%<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- Template:Flag 27.9%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 25.0%<ref name="state.gov">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 24.8%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 22.3%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 18.2%<ref name=cso_gov_tt>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 15.0%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 12.6%<ref name="2011census">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 12.0%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 9.6%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 8.1%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 6.7%<ref>[1] Template:Dead link</ref>
- Template:Flag 6.3%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 5.1%
- Template:Flag 3.0%
- Template:Flag 2.6%<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 2.2%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 2.1%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 1.7%<ref name="Indonesia 2011 Census">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 1.7%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 1.5%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 1.1%Template:Citation needed
- Template:Flag 0.7%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Buddhists
Template:Further Countries with the greatest proportion of Buddhists from Buddhism by country in 2010:<ref name="auto">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 96.9%
- Template:Flag 93.2%
- Template:Flag 80.1%
- Template:Flag 74.7%
- Template:Flag 69.3%
- Template:Flag 66.0%
- Template:Flag 55.1%
- Template:Flag 36.2% - 66.7%Template:Refn
- Template:Flag 35.1%
- Template:Flag 33.2%
- Template:Flag 22.9%
- Template:Flag 19.8%
- Template:Flag 18.2%
- Template:Flag 17.3%
- Template:Flag 16.4%
- Template:Flag 13.2%
- Template:Flag 10.3%
Chinese traditional religionists
Template:Further As a spiritual practice, Taoism has made fewer inroads in the West than Buddhism and Hinduism. Despite the popularity of its great classics the I Ching and the Tao Te Ching, the practice of Taoism has not been promulgated in America with much success.<ref>Occhiogrosso, Peter. The Joy of Sects: A Spirited Guide to the World's Religious Traditions. New York: Doubleday (1996); p. 192.</ref> These religions are not ubiquitous worldwide in the way that adherents of bigger world religions are, and they remain primarily an ethnic religion. Nonetheless, Taoist ideas and symbols such as taijitu have become popular throughout the world through tai chi, qigong, and various martial arts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 33.0–80.0%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 30.0%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 28.0%<ref name="hkstategov">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 13.9%<ref name="ReferenceA state.gov China">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 8.5%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 2.6%<ref name="cia.gov">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 0.2–1.0%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 0.01–0.05%
- Template:Flag 0.05%
In 1999, the Chinese traditional religion had 184,000 believers in Latin America, 250,000 believers in Europe, and 839,000 believers in North America.<ref>World Almanac and Book of Facts 2000. Mahwah, NJ: PRIMEDIA Reference Inc. (1999). [Source: 1999 Encyc. Britannica Book of the Year]; p. 695.</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Ethnic and indigenous religionists
Indigenous statistics come from the 2009 U.S. Department of State's International Religious Freedom Act,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> based on the highest estimate of people identified as indigenous or followers of indigenous religions that have been well-defined. Due to the syncretic nature of these religions, the numbers may not reflect the actual number of practitioners.
- Template:Flag 35.6%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 32.9%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 30.9%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 29.5%<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- Template:Flag 25.0%
- Template:Flag 25.0%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 20.0%
- Template:Flag 17.9%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Bsn
- Template:Flag 15.0%
- Template:Flag 15.0%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 12.0%
- Template:Flag 10.0%
- Template:Flag 10.0%
- Template:Flag 10.0%
- Template:Flag 10.0%
- Template:Flag 10.0%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 9.0%
- Template:Flag 9.0%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 8.5%
- Template:Flag 5.0%
Sikhs
Template:Further Countries with the greatest proportion of Sikhs:
- Template:Flag 2.12%<ref name="canadareligion20212">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Government of Canada2">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 1.72%Template:Refn
- Template:Flag 1.10%<ref name="acninternational.org">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 0.88%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 0.88%<ref name="New Zealand Sikh population2">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 0.83%<ref name="auto32">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="auto22">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 0.75%<ref name="ReferenceA2"> ARDA claim: Template:Cite webTemplate:Bsn</ref>
- Template:Flag 0.56%<ref name=KhaleejSikhs>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 0.37%Template:Refn
- Template:Flag 0.35%<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
The Sikh homeland is the Punjab state, in India, where Sikhs make up approximately 58% of the population. This is the only place where Sikhs are in the majority. Sikhs have emigrated to countries all over the world – especially to English-speaking and East Asian nations. In doing so they have retained, to an unusually high degree, their distinctive cultural and religious identity.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Sikhs are not ubiquitous worldwide in the way that adherents of larger world religions are, and they remain primarily an ethnic religion. They can be found in many international cities and have become an especially strong religious presence in the United Kingdom and Canada.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sikhism is the fastest growing religion in New Zealand and Australia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Spiritists
- Template:Flag 10.3%
- Template:Flag 10.2%
- Template:Flag 4.8%
- Template:Flag 3.6%
- Template:Flag 2.7%
- Template:Flag 2.2%
- Template:Flag 1.9%
- Template:Flag 1.5%
- Template:Flag 1.4%
- Template:Flag 1.3%
- Template:Flag 1.1%
- Template:Flag 1.0%
- Template:Flag 1.0%
- Template:Flag 0.9%
- Template:Flag 0.7%
- Template:Flag 0.5%
- Template:Flag 0.5%
- Template:Flag 0.4%
- Template:Flag 0.2%
- Template:Flag 0.2% (ARDA claim)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Bsn
Spiritist estimates come from a single source, which gives a relative indication of the size of the Spiritist communities within each country.
Jews
Template:Main Template:Further Countries with the greatest proportion of Jews in 2017:<ref name="jdb">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 73.60%
- Template:Flag 2.00%
- Template:Flag 1.76%
- Template:Flag 1.07%
- Template:Flag 0.70%
- Template:Flag 0.485%
- Template:Flag 0.483%
- Template:Flag 0.47%
- Template:Flag 0.44%
- Template:Flag 0.41%
- Template:Flag 0.36%
- Template:Flag 0.259%
- Template:Flag 0.25%
- Template:Flag 0.24%
- Template:Flag 0.22%
- Template:Flag 0.17%
- Template:Flag 0.154%
- Template:Flag 0.154%
- Template:Flag 0.152%
- Template:Flag 0.14%
- Template:Flag 0.124%
- Template:Flag 0.124%
- Template:Flag 0.122%
- Template:Flag 0.112%
- Template:Flag 0.11%<ref name=":0" />
By population
Christians
Largest Christian populations in 2011:
- Template:Flag 229,157,250<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (details)
- Template:Flag 169,213,130<ref>[2]Template:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref>
- Template:Flag 114,198,444<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 106,204,560<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 80,510,000<ref name="pew forum">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 78,790,000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 67,070,000<ref name="pew forum"/>
- Template:Flag 63,150,000<ref name="pew forum"/>
- Template:Flag 55,832,000
- Template:Flag 51,477,950
- Template:Flag 50,752,580<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 44,502,000
- Template:Flag 41,973,000
- Template:Flag 40,243,000
- Template:Flag 39,560,000<ref name="pew forum"/>
- Template:Flag 38,568,000
- Template:Flag 36,526,000
- Template:Flag 33,625,790
- Template:Flag 33,497,100
- Template:Flag 33,200,417
- Template:Flag 29,943,000
- Template:Flag 29,579,316<ref name="RELIGIO">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 28,436,000
- Template:Flag 28,340,790
- Template:Flag 27,365,100
Muslims
Largest Muslim populations in 2017:
- Template:Flag 229,000,000Template:Citation needed (details)
- Template:Flag 215,000,000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 209,000,000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 153,000,000Template:Citation needed
- Template:Flag 117,000,000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 87,500,000Template:Citation needed
- Template:Flag 82,000,000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 79,850,000Template:Citation needed
- Template:Flag 48,000,000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 44,000,000Template:Citation needed
- Template:Flag 41,000,000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 39,000,000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 38,000,000<ref name="naturallymorocco1"/>
- Template:Flag 37,000,000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 33,000,000Template:Citation needed
- Template:Flag 33,648,090<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 30,000,000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 28,000,000Template:Citation needed
- Template:Flag 25,000,000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 22,000,000Template:Citation needed
- Template:Flag 22,000,000Template:Citation needed
Hindus
Largest Hindu populations in 2020:<ref name=JDB>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 1,120,000,000
- Template:Flag 28,600,000
- Template:Flag 14,274,430
- Template:Flag 4,640,000
- Template:Flag 4,400,000
- Template:Flag 3,090,000
- Template:Flag 2,510,000
- Template:Flag 1,940,000
- Template:Flag 1,239,610
- Template:Flag 1,030,000
- Template:Flag 890,000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 682,302
- Template:Flag 665,820
- Template:Flag 610,000
- Template:Flag 440,000
- Template:Flag 410,000
- Template:Flag 403,570
- Template:Flag 380,000
- Template:Flag 360,000
- Template:Flag 330,000
- Template:Flag 310,000<ref name=cso_gov_tt/>
- Template:Flag 270,000Template:Citation needed
- Template:Flag 200,000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 200,000<ref name="PT">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 190,000
- Template:Flag 120,785<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 120,000
Buddhists
Largest Buddhist populations in 2016.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- Template:Flag 244,130,000
- Template:Flag 64,420,000
- Template:Flag 45,820,000
- Template:Flag 38,410,000
- Template:Flag 14,450,000
- Template:Flag 14,380,000
- Template:Flag 13,690,000
- Template:Flag 11,050,000
- Template:Flag 9,250,000
- Template:Flag 5,010,000
- Template:Flag 3,800,023
- Template:Flag 2,062,000
- Template:Flag 1,001,974
Sikhs
Largest Sikh population in 2023 Template:Main
- Template:Flag 23,786,000<ref name="WorldFactbookIndia">Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Efn<ref name="SikhIndia2011">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 771,790<ref name="canadareligion20213">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Government of Canada3">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 524,000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag ~280,000Template:Refn
- Template:Flag 210,400<ref name="auto33">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="auto23">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 210,000Template:Refn
- Template:Flag 100,000<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 70,000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 52,000<ref name=KhaleejSikhs/>
- Template:Flag 50,000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 40,908<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 35,540<ref name="ReferenceA3"> ARDA claim: Template:Cite webTemplate:Bsn</ref>
- Template:Flag 35,000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 30,000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 26,000<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
- Template:Flag 25,000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 20,000<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Template:Flag 15,000<ref name="auto72">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 15,000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 15,000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Jews
Template:Main Largest Jewish populations in 2017:<ref name="jdb" />
- Template:Flag 6,451,000
- Template:Flag 5,700,000
- Template:Flag 456,000
- Template:Flag 390,000
- Template:Flag 289,500
- Template:Flag 180,500
- Template:Flag 176,000
- Template:Flag 116,500
- Template:Flag 113,200
- Template:Flag 93,800
- Template:Flag 69,300
- Template:Flag 53,000
- Template:Flag 47,500
- Template:Flag 40,000
- Template:Flag 29,800
- Template:Flag 29,300
- Template:Flag 27,300
- Template:Flag 18,700
- Template:Flag 18,300
- Template:Flag 16,900
- Template:Flag 15,300
- Template:Flag 15,000
- Template:Flag 11,800
- Template:Flag 10,000
- Template:Flag 10,000
Baháʼís
Template:Main Template:Further Largest Baháʼí populations in 2010 in countries with a national population ≥200,000:<ref>ARDA claim: Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Bsn
- Template:Flag 1,897,651
- Template:Flag 512,864
- Template:Flag 422,782
- Template:Flag 388,802
- Template:Flag 282,916
- Template:Flag 275,069
- Template:Flag 251,127
- Template:Flag 241,112
- Template:Flag 238,532
- Template:Flag 215,359
- Template:Flag 190,419
- Template:Flag 169,811
- Template:Flag 95,098
- Template:Flag 94,499
- Template:Flag 87,259
- Template:Flag 78,915
- Template:Flag 70,504
- Template:Flag 67,549
- Template:Flag 65,096
- Template:Flag 59,898
Jains
In 2005, per ARDA:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Bsn
- Template:Flag 5,146,697
- Template:Flag 79,459
- Template:Flag 68,848
- Template:Flag 35,000
- Template:Flag 12,101
- Template:Flag 9,002
- Template:Flag 6,800
- Template:Flag 2,663
- Template:Flag 2,398
- Template:Flag 2,052
- Template:Flag 1,918
- Template:Flag 1,573
- Template:Flag 1,535
- Template:Flag 1,500
- Template:Flag 1,449
- Template:Flag 1,217
- Template:Flag 1,000
- Template:Flag 1,000
- Template:Flag 981
- Template:Flag 500 families<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Flag 229
See also
Religions:
- Religions by country
- History of the Baháʼí Faith
- Buddhism by country
- Christianity by country
- Hinduism by country
- Islam by country
- Judaism by country
- Sikhism by country
Notes
References
External links
- Asian-Nation: Religious Affiliation among Asian Americans
- International Religious Freedom Report 2007 of U.S. Department of State
- Background Notes of U.S. Department of State
- The World Factbook of CIA
- Religious Freedom page
- Religious Intelligence
- BBC News – Muslims in Europe: Country guide
- Vipassana Foundation – Buddhists around the world