In 2021, around 86.8 percent of the population in Bali were Hindus. Indonesia has the largest Islamic population in the world and therefore the largest Muslim nation. However, Indonesia is not a Muslim nation by constitution. The archipelago has six official religions – Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism.
With almost all major religions being practiced throughout the country, India is known for its religious diversity. Hinduism made up for the highest share of faith followed by people in the country. According to the Indian census of 2011, Himachal Pradesh had the highest share of Hindu population in the country.
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.
It was estimated that by 2050, India's Muslim population would grow by 76 percent compared to 2010. For followers of the Hindu faith, this change stood at 33 percent. According to this projection, the south Asian country would be home not just to the world's majority of Hindus, but also Muslims by this time period. Regardless, the latter would continue to remain a minority within the country at 18 percent, with 77 percent or 1.3 billion Hindus at the forefront by 2050.
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.
According to India's last census in 2011, the Muslim population had about 24.6 percent of decadal growth rate, while Hindus had a decadal growth rate of 16.8 percent. India, a secular nation provides religious freedom as a fundamental right under the constitution to its citizens.
According to a survey conducted by India's fifth National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) in 2021 stated that about 36 percent of Christian men consumed alcohol in India. In contrast, over six percent of Muslim men consumed alcohol.
This study, designed and carried out by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB), compiled data on the number of congregations and adherents for 236 religious groups in each county of the United States. Participants included 217 Christian denominations, associations, or communions (including Latter-day Saints, Messianic Jews, and Unitarian/Universalist groups); counts of Jain, Shinto, Sikh, Tao and National Spiritualist Association congregations, and counts of congregations and adherents from Bahá'ís, three Buddhist groupings, four Hindu groupings, four Jewish groupings, Muslims and Zoroastrians. The 236 groups reported a total of 344,894 congregations with 150,686,156 adherents, comprising 48.8 percent of the total U.S. population of 308,745,538 in 2010.
Visit the "/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.
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.
A survey conducted across India in 2024 found that 77 percent of Hindu population and 81 percent of minorities agree that India belongs to all religions equally. The survey reflects citizens' faith in the secular and pluralistic fabric of the country.
In the census data from Singapore in 2020, **** percent of the resident population claimed to be Buddhists. Singapore is a multi-religious society with five main religious groups: Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity.
According to a survey conducted in 2020, 54 percent of Indian Americans in the United States said that they identified as Hindu while 13 percent said that they identified as Muslim. A further nine percent said that they identified with no religion in particular.
In 2019, around 14 percent of the Vietnamese population were categorized as religious believers. Six percent of the population were Roman Catholics, followed by Buddhists at five percent. Other smaller religious groups included Hinduism, Muslim, Baha'i Faith, and members of the Church of Jesus Christ. Religious groups originating within the country were Buu Son Ky Huong, Tu An Hieu Nghia, Minh Su Dao, Minh Ly Dao, Tinh Do Cu Si Phat Hoi, and Phat Giao Hieu Nghia Ta Lon. Also, present within the country was a small Jewish population as well as individuals that blend traditional practices with religious teachings.
In 2023 roughly half of the Dutch population did not identify with any religious denomination. Of the religious population, the largest number of people at 17 percent identified themselves as Roman Catholics. That is particularly interesting, as the dominating church in the Netherlands since the Reformation had been the Protestant church. According to the source, approximately 13 percent of the Dutch population considered themselves a member of the three main protestant churches, the Dutch Reformed Church, the Protestant Church in the Netherlands and the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands. The category 'other' includes not only the smaller protestant churches, but also religions that are newer to the Netherlands, such as Buddhism and Hinduism. According to this statistic, Muslims made up six percent of the population in the Netherlands.
According to the population census data in 2010, 54.14 percent of the population in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia were Catholics. East Nusa Tenggara is the province with the least Muslim population in Indonesia. Indonesia has the largest Islamic population in the world. However, Indonesia is a multi-faith country that recognizes six official religions – Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism.
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.
The population of India is divided into several groups based on social, educational, and financial statuses. The formation of these groups is a result of the historical social structure of the country. Between 2019 and 2021, Other Backward Class (OBC) constituted the largest part of Indian households accounting for about ** percent. On the other hand, Schedule Tribes formed about *** percent of households. How prosperous is India’s caste-based society? India suffers from extreme social and economic inequality. The combined share of Schedule Tribe and Schedule Caste in the affluent population of India was less than ** percent. Contrary to this, economically and socially stronger groups constituted the major part of the affluent population. Hence, indicating a strong relationship between caste and prosperity. India’s thoughts on caste-based reservation The constitution of India provides reservations to the weaker sections of the society for their upliftment and growth. However, the need for reservation has increased with time, making the whole situation even more complicated. People are divided over the existence of a system that provides preference to certain castes or sects. In a survey conducted in 2016 about providing employment reservation to young adults of Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe, many people expressed opposition. More than ** percent of opposition came from upper Hindu caste. Minimum opposition was observed from the people belonging to Schedule Tribe and Schedule Caste.
In 2021, 53.3 percent of the total population in Canada were Christian, 4.9 percent were Muslim, but almost more than a third are not religious at all – with the rest stating they adhere to Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, the Jewish faith, and other Christian denominations. Canada’s religious pluralismCanada is not a very religious country in general. Canadians adhere to a wide variety of beliefs and faiths, with the majority following Christianity, followed by those who do not believe in any deity or religion at all. As with many Western countries, the younger generations are less inclined to identify with faith, and Christianity in particular is not as popular as it is among the older generations. Alternative worship for the younger generations?Canadian teenagers are no less enthusiastic about religion than their parents, and they are just as grounded in their faith as the older generations. They are, however, also just as indecisive when it comes to whether they would call themselves religious or not. Interestingly, they seem much more interested in traditional aboriginal spirituality than in the Judeo-Christian model. They also seem quite interested in another alternative to Christianity: Buddhism is quite popular among the younger generations. Whether this signifies a general trend away from Christianity and towards religious alternatives remains to be seen.
In 2023, the population of Bali, Indonesia, amounted to around *** million people. The Hindu population in Bali accounts for about ** percent of its total population, and the island is well known for its rich culture, religious practices, and traditions. While Buleleng is the largest regency in the province, the highest population density is found in Denpasar, the capital and primary hub of Bali. Tourism economy in Bali Bali is considered one of the world’s most famous islands, offering picturesque natural settings and vibrant culture, attracting large numbers of both local and international visitors. As of the first quarter of 2023, more than *** million foreign tourists visited the island, with most international travelers to Bali coming from Australia. Bali also stands as the most preferred domestic travel destination among Indonesians, making tourism a vital sector of its economy. Balinese agricultural foundations Besides travel and tourism, Bali is also closely tied to agriculture, forestry, and fishing, as these sectors provide work opportunities for a significant part of the population. The tropical island is renowned for some primary commodities, such as coconuts, cocoa, and coffee, which dominate its overall crop production. Furthermore, paddy fields, a striking part of Bali’s landscape in many areas of the island, cover more than ** percent of its total land area, conveying its agrarian roots. Paddy fields are commonly utilized to cultivate rice, one of the staple foods of Indonesians. Tabanan and Gianyar are among the Balinese regencies producing the highest quantities of rice.
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.
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In 2021, around 86.8 percent of the population in Bali were Hindus. Indonesia has the largest Islamic population in the world and therefore the largest Muslim nation. However, Indonesia is not a Muslim nation by constitution. The archipelago has six official religions – Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism.