This statistic shows the top 25 countries in the world with the largest number of Christian population in 2010. In 2010, the United States was leading the ranking with about 243 million Christians living in the country.

Christianity is the major religion in numerous African countries. As of 2024, around 96 percent of the population of Zambia was Christian, representing the highest percentage on the continent. Seychelles and Rwanda followed with roughly 95 percent and 94 percent of the population being Christian, respectively. While these countries present the highest percentages, Christianity was also prevalent in many other African nations. For instance, in South Africa, Christianity was the religion of nearly 85 percent of the people, while the share corresponded to 71 percent in Ghana. Religious variations across Africa Christianity and Islam are the most practiced religions in Africa. Christian adherents are prevalent below the Sahara, while North Africa is predominantly Muslim. In 2020, Christians accounted for around 60 percent of the Sub-Saharan African population, followed by Muslims with a share of roughly 30 percent. In absolute terms, there were approximately 650 million Christians in the region, a number forecast to increase to over one billion by 2050. In contrast, Islam is most prevalent in North Africa, being the religion of over 90 percent of the population in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Libya. Christianity in the world As opposed to other religions, Christianity is widely spread across continents worldwide. In fact, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Europe each account for around 25 percent of the global Christian population. By comparison, Asia-Pacific and North America make up 13 percent and 12 percent of Christians worldwide, respectively. In several regions, Christians also suffer persecution on religious grounds. Somalia and Libya presented the most critical situation in Africa in 2021, reporting the strongest suppression of Christians worldwide just after North Korea and Afghanistan.

In 2024, Ethiopia had the largest Christian population in Africa, with around 77.5 million people who identified as Christian. The second highest Christian population was in Nigeria, with 74.4 million people. Christianity has a significant presence in Africa, with its history on the continent dating back to the fourth century in Ethiopia. Furthermore, Christianity has spread throughout Africa with different denominations and traditions, taking root in various regions. Some of the largest Christian denominations in Africa include the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Church, and the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements.

This statistic shows the 10 countries with the largest number of Christians worldwide in 2010. 246,78 million Christians are living in the United States.

This statistic shows the 10 countries in Asia Pacific with the largest number of Christians in 2010. 67.07 million Christians lived in China.

The average for 2013 based on 78 countries was 22.7 percent. The highest value was in Denmark: 87.3 percent and the lowest value was in Belgium: 0.1 percent. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2013. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

This statistic shows the 10 countries in Middle East-North Africa with the largest number of Christians in 2010. 4.29 million Christians lived in Egypt.

The 2000 constitution of Cote d’Ivoire provides for religious freedom for all citizens. Approximately 40 percent of the population is Christian, another 40 percent is Muslim, and an estimated 25 percent of the population practice indigenous beliefs. Traditionally, the north has been associated with Islam and the south with Christianity. Throughout rural areas and central Cote d’Ivoire you will find people practicing indigenous beliefs. Many nominal Christian and Muslim practitioners practice a hybrid of Christian and indigenous or Muslim and indigenous beliefs. Nearly all Christians and Muslims belong to ethnic groups that believe in animism, fetishism, and witchcraft. Christian groups include Roman Catholics, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh-day Adventists, Methodists, Assemblies of God, and Southern Baptists. The Evangelical Protestant Church of Cote d’Ivoire has over 1500 organized churches in its membership. The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro is a Roman Catholic basilica built in the late 1980s by then-President Felix Houphouet-Boigny. It is considered the largest church in the world. The USD 300 million price tag contributed to a significant portion to the total national debt of Cote d’Ivoire. Historically, Christian religions have been slightly favored by the government with the Catholic Church being the favorite. While Christian schools received subsidies from the Ministry of Education for decades, Muslim schools were only considered official schools and given similar subsidies beginning in 1994. Accusations of discrimination against Islamic and traditional religious communities concerned employment, national identity card renewals, and the aforementioned religious school subsidies. This resulted in government resentment from both indigenous and Muslim populations. A 1999 coup led political leaders to stir up religious divisions between the north and south. Alassane Ouattara, a Muslim northerner was banned from the 2000 election. This led to a 2002 troop mutiny and rebellion by discontent northern Muslims. Religious tensions escalated in 2010 with the presidential election results. Alassane Ouattara was elected president and incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo rejected the results and refused to step down. Ouattara is a northern Muslim, Gbagbo a southern Christian. The ensuing violence, destruction of property, and massive displacement of people divided Cote d’Ivoire into two regions, north and south. The underlying ethnic, religious, and national fragmentation of Cote d’Ivoire contributed greatly to this division. Only minor reports of discrimination based on religious affiliation, belief, or practice have occurred in 2012. ISO3 - International Organization for Standardization 3-digit country code ADM0_NAME - Administration level zero name NAME - Name of religious institution TYPE - Type of religious instituion CITY - City location of religious institution SPA_ACC - Spatial accuracy of site location 1- high, 2 – medium, 3 - low SOURCE_DT - Primary source creation date SOURCE - Primary source SOURCE2_DT - Secondary source creation date SOURCE2 - Secondary source

Islam is the major religion in many African countries, especially in the north of the continent. In Comoros, Libya, Western Sahara, at least 99 percent of the population was Muslim as of 202. These were the highest percentages on the continent. However, also in many other African nations, the majority of the population was Muslim. In Egypt, for instance, Islam was the religion of 79 percent of the people. Islam and other religions in Africa Africa accounts for an important share of the world’s Muslim population. As of 2019, 16 percent of the Muslims worldwide lived in Sub-Saharan Africa, while 20 percent of them lived in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Together with Christianity, Islam is the most common religious affiliation in Africa, followed by several traditional African religions. Although to a smaller extent, numerous other religions are practiced on the continent: these include Judaism, the Baha’i Faith, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Number of Muslims worldwide Islam is one of the most widespread religions in the world. There are approximately 1.9 billion Muslims globally, with the largest Muslim communities living in the Asia-Pacific region. Specifically, Indonesia hosts the highest number of Muslims worldwide, amounting to over 200 million, followed by India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Islam is also present in Europe and America. The largest Islamic communities in Europe are in France (5.72 million), Germany (4.95 million), and the United Kingdom (4.13 million). In the United States, there is an estimated number of around 3.45 million Muslims.

Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Haryana data was reported at 50,353.000 Person in 03-01-2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 27,185.000 Person for 03-01-2001. Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Haryana data is updated decadal, averaging 38,769.000 Person from Mar 2001 (Median) to 03-01-2011, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 50,353.000 Person in 03-01-2011 and a record low of 27,185.000 Person in 03-01-2001. Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Haryana data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Demographic – Table IN.GAE004: Census: Population: by Religion: Christian.

India Census: Population: by Religion: Christian data was reported at 27,819,588.000 Person in 2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 24,080,016.000 Person for 2001. India Census: Population: by Religion: Christian data is updated yearly, averaging 25,949,802.000 Person from Mar 2001 (Median) to 2011, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 27,819,588.000 Person in 2011 and a record low of 24,080,016.000 Person in 2001. India Census: Population: by Religion: Christian data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Census of India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Demographic – Table IN.GAE004: Census: Population: by Religion: Christian.

In 2023, **** percent of Americans were unaffiliated with any religion. A further **** percent of Americans were White evangelical Protestants, and an additional **** percent were White mainline Protestants. Religious trends in the United States Although the United States is still home to the largest number of Christians worldwide, the nation has started to reflect a more diverse religious landscape in recent years. Americans now report a wide range of religious beliefs and backgrounds, in addition to an increasing number of people who are choosing to identify with no religion at all. Studies suggest that many Americans have left their previous religion to instead identify as atheist, agnostic, or nothing in particular, with many reasoning that they stopped believing in the religion's teachings, that they didn't approve of negative teachings or treatment of LGBTQ+ people, or that their family was never that religious growing up. Christian controversies Over the last few years, controversies linked to Christian denominations have plagued the nation, including reports of child sexual abuse by the Catholic Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the Southern Baptist Convention. Christian churches have also been accused of supporting discriminatory actions against LGBTQ+ people and people belonging to other religious groups. In addition, there have been increasing concerns about Christian nationalism, the political ideology that asserts that America was founded to be a Christian nation. Although the majority of Americans still think that declaring the United States a Christian nation would go against the U.S. Constitution, studies found that most Republicans would be in favor of this change.

Indonesia: Christians as percent of the total population: The latest value from 2013 is 8.7 percent, unchanged from 8.7 percent in 2012. In comparison, the world average is 51.1 percent, based on data from 145 countries. Historically, the average for Indonesia from 1960 to 2013 is 8.9 percent. The minimum value, 8.7 percent, was reached in 2009 while the maximum of 9 percent was recorded in 1960.

Based on the 2020 census, the majority of Filipino households were affiliated with the Roman Catholic religion, accounting for about 79 percent. Meanwhile, the share of the Muslim population was 6.4 percent. The Philippines is one of the countries in the world with the highest population professing the Catholic faith, after Brazil and Mexico.

In 2023, over ** percent of Indonesians declared themselves to be Muslim, followed by *** percent who were Christians. Indonesia has the largest Islamic population in the world and for this reason is often recognized as a Muslim nation. However, Indonesia is not a Muslim nation according to its constitution. The archipelago is a multifaith country and officially recognizes six religions – Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism. Not all provinces in Indonesia are Muslim majority The spread of Islam in Indonesia began on the west side of the archipelago, where the main maritime trade routes were located. Until today, most of the Indonesian Muslim population are residing in Western and Central Indonesia, while the majority religion of several provinces in Eastern Indonesia, such as East Nusa Tenggara and Bali, is Christian and Hindu, respectively. Discrimination towards other beliefs in Indonesia The Indonesian constitution provides for freedom of religion. However, the Government Restrictions Index Score on religion in Indonesia is relatively high. Indonesians who practice unrecognized religions, including Indonesia’s indigenous or traditional belief systems, such as animism, dynamism, and totemism, face legal restrictions and discrimination. Indonesian law requires its citizens to put one of the recognized religions on their national identity cards, with some exceptions for indigenous religions. Although legally citizens may leave the section blank, atheism or agnosticism is considered uncommon in Indonesia.

In 2020, Indonesia recorded the largest population of Muslims worldwide, with around 239 million. This was followed with around 226.88 million Muslims in Pakistan and 213 million Muslims in India.

Religion and Bangladesh

Religion in Bangladesh is a sensitive issue, mostly because Bangladesh is officially a secular state but recognizes Islam as an official, state religion. Historically and doctrinally, Islamic scholars don’t accept nations that are secular because they think that religion, society and private life are all part of the great community they like to call ‘umma’.

The main religion in Bangladesh is Islam because it is practiced by almost 90 percent of the country’s population. The rest of 10 percent adhere to Hinduism. The type of Islam that is practiced in Bangladesh is Sunni Islam with a lot of Sufi influences. Sunni is the most numerous branch of Islam in the world. Countries like Egypt and Saudi Arabia have Sunni majority populations. The Sufi practices that influence the Islamic religion in Bangladesh are commonly known as mysticism. Sufi followers are poor men that don’t eat, don’t drink and spend their days in deep prayer in order to achieve spiritual connection with God.

Bangladesh has the fourth largest Muslim population in the world, with over 130 million followers, right after Indonesia, Pakistan and India. In its constitution, Bangladesh is recognized as a secular state. For a short period of time, when Bangladesh was under Pakistani rule, Islam was made the state’s official religion. But the Supreme Court or High Court of Bangladesh ruled that Bangladesh must return to the principles of the 1972 constitution, meaning that it mustn’t have an official religion.

The problem with Islam gaining too much power in Bangladesh is that it unbalances the genders issues. Islamic edicts or fatwas have been issued mostly against women by religious courts as punishments for their nonreligious behavior. Global NGO’s are fighting such edicts in order to maintain a fair judgment when it comes to men and women. Bangladesh is a country where gender issues, as well as religious issues are very sensitive subjects.

Roughly 85 percent of Guinea’s population is Muslim, primarily of the Sunni school. Muslims constitute a majority in all four geographic regions. Christians, mostly Roman Catholic, comprise an 8 percent minority and are situated primarily in Conakry and eastern parts of the Forest Region.Other Christian denominations include Anglicans, Baptists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventists, and various evangelical subgroups. Approximately 7 percent of inhabitants, located principally in the Forest Region, adhere exclusively to indigenous religious beliefs. Islam was introduced in Guinea in the 17th century in what is now the country’s northeast. Starting in the late 1720s, the Fulani ethnic group established a theocratic Muslim state in the mountainous Fouta Djallon region. The Fulani created an ethnoreligious social hierarchy which relegated non-Muslims to the lowest rungs of the social ladder. Though the state was ultimately assimilated into Guinea-proper, the Fulani have remained the country’s most ardent Muslim population, ahead of the Mandinka subgroup of the Mandé people. The non-Muslim Soso people were gradually pushed out of the Fouta Djallon due to Fulani oppression. The majority migrated to coastal parts of Lower Guinea between the 17th and 20thcenturies; an area comprised of the prefectures Boke, Boffa, Conakry, Coyah, Dubreka, Fria, Forecariah, Kindia, and Telimele. Roman Catholic missionaries made inroads into Soso communities following their (the Soso’s) establishment of trade ties with Europe. Many Guinean children, particularly in the Fouta Djallon region attend Islamic schools, which combine the government’s secular curriculum with Quranic studies. More devout Muslims student may enroll at a madrassah, or mosque school, which typically forego French for Arabic as the language of instruction, and adhere exclusively to a religious studies curriculum. Though Guinea’s constitution guarantees religious freedom, Islam enjoys demographic, social, and cultural dominance. In the past some Guineans have claimed the government favors Muslims in its policies, citing the cancellation of classes at publicly funded universities in accommodation of Friday prayers. Despite these and other reports of social discrimination against non-Muslims, religious freedoms are generally respected in the country.

Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Sikkim data was reported at 60,522.000 Person in 03-01-2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 36,115.000 Person for 03-01-2001. Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Sikkim data is updated decadal, averaging 48,318.500 Person from Mar 2001 (Median) to 03-01-2011, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 60,522.000 Person in 03-01-2011 and a record low of 36,115.000 Person in 03-01-2001. Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Sikkim data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Demographic – Table IN.GAE004: Census: Population: by Religion: Christian.

Guatemala was the most Christian country among those selected in the Latin America and Caribbean region, with **** percent of its population following Christianity in 2023. The Baháʼí faith, which originates from the Middle East, and preaches the unity of all religions and all people, was present in both Bolivia and Panama. As for agnosticism, it had the most practitioners in Uruguay and Cuba.