In 2020, around 28.8 percent of the global population were identified as Christian. Around 25.6 percent of the global population identify as Muslims, followed by 14.9 percent of global populations as Hindu. The number of Muslims increased by 347 million, when compared to 2010 data, more than all other religions combined.

As of 2010, Christianity was the religion with the most followers worldwide, followed by Islam (Muslims) and Hinduism. In the forty years between 2010 and 2050, it is projected that the landscape of world religions will undergo some noticeable changes, with the number of Muslims almost catching up to Christians. The changes in population sizes of each religious group is largely dependent on demographic development, for example, the rise in the world's Christian population will largely be driven by population growth in Sub-Saharan Africa, while Muslim populations will rise across various regions of Africa and South Asia. As India's population is set to grow while China's goes into decline, this will be reflected in the fact that Hindus will outnumber the unaffiliated by 2050. In fact, India may be home to both the largest Hindu and Muslim populations in the world by the middle of this century.

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.

From 2022 to 2060, the worldwide population of Muslims is expected to increase by **** percent. For the same period, the global population of Buddhists is expected to decrease by **** percent.

India Census: Population: by Religion: Muslim: Urban data was reported at 68,740,419.000 Person in 2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 49,393,496.000 Person for 2001. India Census: Population: by Religion: Muslim: Urban data is updated yearly, averaging 59,066,957.500 Person from Mar 2001 (Median) to 2011, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 68,740,419.000 Person in 2011 and a record low of 49,393,496.000 Person in 2001. India Census: Population: by Religion: Muslim: Urban 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.GAE001: Census: Population: by Religion.

Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Uttar Pradesh: Male data was reported at 182,838.000 Person in 03-01-2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 108,430.000 Person for 03-01-2001. Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Uttar Pradesh: Male data is updated decadal, averaging 145,634.000 Person from Mar 2001 (Median) to 03-01-2011, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 182,838.000 Person in 03-01-2011 and a record low of 108,430.000 Person in 03-01-2001. Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Uttar Pradesh: Male 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.

As of 2020, Christianity was the largest religion in the world, with around *** billion believers. In the second place was Islam, with around *** billion adherents.

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.

India Census: Population: by Religion: Hindu: Male data was reported at 498,306,968.000 Person in 2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 428,678,554.000 Person for 2001. India Census: Population: by Religion: Hindu: Male data is updated yearly, averaging 463,492,761.000 Person from Mar 2001 (Median) to 2011, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 498,306,968.000 Person in 2011 and a record low of 428,678,554.000 Person in 2001. India Census: Population: by Religion: Hindu: Male 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.GAE001: Census: Population: by Religion.

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.

Associated with manuscript titled: Fifty Muslim-majority countries have fewer COVID-19 cases and deaths than the 50 richest non-Muslim countriesThe objective of this research was to determine the difference in the total number of COVID-19 cases and deaths between Muslim-majority and non-Muslim countries, and investigate reasons for the disparities. Methods: The 50 Muslim-majority countries had more than 50.0% Muslims with an average of 87.5%. The non-Muslim country sample consisted of 50 countries with the highest GDP while omitting any Muslim-majority countries listed. The non-Muslim countries’ average percentage of Muslims was 4.7%. Data pulled on September 18, 2020 included the percentage of Muslim population per country by World Population Review15 and GDP per country, population count, and total number of COVID-19 cases and deaths by Worldometers.16 The data set was transferred via an Excel spreadsheet on September 23, 2020 and analyzed. To measure COVID-19’s incidence in the countries, three different Average Treatment Methods (ATE) were used to validate the results. Results published as a preprint at https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/84zq5(15) Muslim Majority Countries 2020 [Internet]. Walnut (CA): World Population Review. 2020- [Cited 2020 Sept 28]. Available from: http://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/muslim-majority-countries (16) Worldometers.info. Worldometer. Dover (DE): Worldometer; 2020 [cited 2020 Sept 28]. Available from: http://worldometers.info

Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Sikkim: Male data was reported at 30,290.000 Person in 03-01-2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 18,428.000 Person for 03-01-2001. Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Sikkim: Male data is updated decadal, averaging 24,359.000 Person from Mar 2001 (Median) to 03-01-2011, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 30,290.000 Person in 03-01-2011 and a record low of 18,428.000 Person in 03-01-2001. Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Sikkim: Male 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.

Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Madhya Pradesh: Female data was reported at 107,985.000 Person in 03-01-2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 85,025.000 Person for 03-01-2001. Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Madhya Pradesh: Female data is updated decadal, averaging 96,505.000 Person from Mar 2001 (Median) to 03-01-2011, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 107,985.000 Person in 03-01-2011 and a record low of 85,025.000 Person in 03-01-2001. Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Madhya Pradesh: Female 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.

This study, designed and carried out by the "http://www.asarb.org/" Target="_blank">Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB), compiled data on 372 religious bodies by county in the United States. Of these, the ASARB was able to gather data on congregations and adherents for 217 religious bodies and on congregations only for 155. Participating bodies included 354 Christian denominations, associations, or communions (including Latter-day Saints, Messianic Jews, and Unitarian/Universalist groups); counts of Jain, Shinto, Sikh, Tao, Zoroastrian, American Ethical Union, and National Spiritualist Association congregations, and counts of congregations and adherents from Baha'i, three Buddhist groupings, two Hindu groupings, four Jewish groupings, and Muslims. The 372 groups reported a total of 356,642 congregations with 161,224,088 adherents, comprising 48.6 percent of the total U.S. population of 331,449,281. Membership totals were estimated for some religious groups.

In January 2024, the ARDA added 21 religious tradition (RELTRAD) variables to this dataset. These variables start at variable #12 (TOTCNG_2020). Categories were assigned based on pages 88-94 in the original "https://www.usreligioncensus.org/index.php/node/1638" Target="_blank">2020 U.S. Religion Census Report.

Visit the "https://www.thearda.com/us-religion/sources-for-religious-congregations-membership-data" Target="_blank">frequently asked questions page for more information about the ARDA's religious congregation and membership data sources.

Christianity was the largest religion in a high number of the countries included in the survey. Of the countries, Peru, South Africa, and Poland had the highest share of Christians at around 75 percent. Moreover, around 90 percent in India and Thailand stated that they believed in another religion, with Hinduism and Buddhism being the major religion in the two countries respectively. Sweden and South Korea were the only two countries where 50 percent or more of the respondents stated that they did not have any religious beliefs.

Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Rajasthan data was reported at 96,430.000 Person in 03-01-2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 72,660.000 Person for 03-01-2001. Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Rajasthan data is updated decadal, averaging 84,545.000 Person from Mar 2001 (Median) to 03-01-2011, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 96,430.000 Person in 03-01-2011 and a record low of 72,660.000 Person in 03-01-2001. Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Rajasthan 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.

Population: by Religion: Muslim data was reported at 300.000 Person th in 2017. This stayed constant from the previous number of 300.000 Person th for 2016. Population: by Religion: Muslim data is updated yearly, averaging 90.000 Person th from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2017, with 21 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 300.000 Person th in 2017 and a record low of 70.000 Person th in 2004. Population: by Religion: Muslim data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Hong Kong Yearbook. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Hong Kong – Table HK.G011: Population: By Religion.

Census: Population: by Religion: Muslim: Uttarakhand data was reported at 1,406,825.000 Person in 03-01-2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 1,012,141.000 Person for 03-01-2001. Census: Population: by Religion: Muslim: Uttarakhand data is updated decadal, averaging 1,209,483.000 Person from Mar 2001 (Median) to 03-01-2011, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,406,825.000 Person in 03-01-2011 and a record low of 1,012,141.000 Person in 03-01-2001. Census: Population: by Religion: Muslim: Uttarakhand 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.GAE003: Census: Population: by Religion: Muslim.

India Census: Population: by Religion: Buddhist: Urban data was reported at 3,628,123.000 Person in 2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 3,061,597.000 Person for 2001. India Census: Population: by Religion: Buddhist: Urban data is updated yearly, averaging 3,344,860.000 Person from Mar 2001 (Median) to 2011, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3,628,123.000 Person in 2011 and a record low of 3,061,597.000 Person in 2001. India Census: Population: by Religion: Buddhist: Urban 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.GAE001: Census: Population: by Religion.

India Census: Population: by Religion: Buddhist data was reported at 8,442,972.000 Person in 2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 7,955,207.000 Person for 2001. India Census: Population: by Religion: Buddhist data is updated yearly, averaging 8,199,089.500 Person from Mar 2001 (Median) to 2011, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 8,442,972.000 Person in 2011 and a record low of 7,955,207.000 Person in 2001. India Census: Population: by Religion: Buddhist 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.GAE001: Census: Population: by Religion.