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.

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.

This statistic illustrates the projected growth of major religious groups from 2015 to 2060. In 2060, it is projected that there will be about *** billion Muslims worldwide, compared to *** billion Muslims in 2015.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This dataset was found online at the Association of Religious Data Archives (ARDA) website. http://www.thearda.com/ . This data set shows information on religous groups throughout the United States. All data was uploaded as a polypoint centroids per county in the United States, in shapefile format. This Data set shows the Total congregations, Total Adherents, and Rate of Adherence per 1000 population for All religions in the United States and for the Mainline Religions.

Attitudes towards religious practices.

Topics: assessment of personal happiness; attitudes towards pre-marital sexual intercourse; attitudes towards committed adultery; attitudes towards homosexual relationships between adults; attitudes towards abortion in case of serious disability or illness of the baby or low income of the family; attitudes towards gender roles in marriage; trust in institutions (parliament, business and industry, churches and religious organizations, courts and the legal system, schools and the educational system); mobility; attitudes towards the influence of religious leaders on voters and government; attitudes towards the benefits of science and religion (scale: modern science does more harm than good, too much trust in science and not enough in religious faith, religions bring more conflicts than peace, intolerance of people with very strong religious beliefs); judgment on the power of churches and religious organizations; attitudes towards equal rights for all religious groups in the country and respect for all religions; acceptance of persons from a different religion or with different religious views in case of marrying a relative or being a candidate of the preferred political party (social distance); attitudes towards the allowance for religious extremists to hold public meetings and to publish books expressing their views (freedom of expression); doubt or firm belief in God (deism, scale); belief in: a life after death, heaven, hell, religious miracles, reincarnation, Nirvana, supernatural powers of deceased ancestors; attitudes towards a higher truth and towards meaning of life (scale: God is concerned with every human being personally, little that people can do to change the course of their lives (fatalism), life is meaningful only because God exists, life does not serve any purpose, life is only meaningful if someone provides the meaning himself, connection with God without churches or religious services); religious preference (affiliation) of mother, father and spouse/partner; additional country specific for Kenya: religious preference (affiliation) of mother, father and spouse/partner; religion respondent was raised in; additional country specific for Kenya: religion respondent was raised in; frequency of church attendance (of attendance in religious services) of father and mother; personal frequency of church attendance when young; frequency of prayers and participation in religious activities; shrine, altar or a religious object in respondent’s home; frequency of visiting a holy place (shrine, temple, church or mosque) for religious reasons except regular religious services; self-classification of personal religiousness and spirituality; truth in one or in all religions; attitudes towards the profits of practicing a religion (scale: finding inner peace and happiness, making friends, gaining comfort in times of trouble and sorrow, meeting the right kind of people).

Optional items: conversion of faith after crucial experience; personal sacrifice as an expression of faith such as fasting or following a special diet during holy season such as Lent or Ramadan.

Demography: sex; age; marital status; steady life partner; years of schooling; highest education level; country specific education and degree; current employment status (respondent and partner); hours worked weekly; occupation (ISCO 1988) (respondent and partner); supervising function at work; working for private or public sector or self-employed (respondent and partner); if self-employed: number of employees; trade union membership; earnings of respondent (country specific); family income (country specific); size of household; household composition; party affiliation (left-right); country specific party affiliation; participation in last election; religious denomination; religious main groups; attendance of religious services; self-placement on a top-bottom scale; region (country specific); size of community (country specific); type of community: urban-rural area; country of origin or ethnic group affiliation; additional country specific for Kenya and Tanzania: ethnic group affiliation.

Additionally coded: administrative mode of data-collection; case substitution; weighting factor.

Einstellung zur religiösen Praxis. Themen: Einschätzung des persönlichen Glücksgefühls; Einstellung zu vorehelichem Geschlechtsverkehr und zu außerehelichem Geschlechtsverkehr (Ehebruch); Einstellung zu homosexuellen Beziehungen zwischen Erwachsenen; Einstellung zu Abtreibung im Falle von Behinderung oder Krankheit des Babys und im Falle geringen Einkommens der Familie; Rollenverständnis in der Ehe; Vertrauen in Institutionen (Parlament, Unternehmen und Industrie, Kirche und religiöse Organisationen, Gerichte und Rechtssystem, Schulen und Bildungssystem); eigene Mobilität; Einstellung zum Einfluss von religiösen Führern auf Wähler und Regierung; Einstellung zu Wissenschaft und Religion (Skala: moderne Wissenschaft bringt mehr Schaden als Nutzen, zu viel Vertrauen in die Wissenschaft und zu wenig religiöses Vertrauen, Religionen bringen mehr Konflikte als Frieden, Intoleranz von Menschen mit starken religiösen Überzeugungen); Beurteilung der Macht von Kirchen und religiösen Organisationen im Lande; Einstellung zur Gleichberechtigung aller religiösen Gruppen im Land und Respekt für alle Religionen; Akzeptanz einer Person anderen Glaubens oder mit unterschiedlichen religiösen Ansichten als Ehepartner im Verwandtschaftskreis sowie als Kandidat der präferierten Partei (soziale Distanz); Einstellung zur öffentlichen Redefreiheit bzw. zum Publikationsrecht für religiöse Extremisten; Zweifel oder fester Glaube an Gott (Skala Deismus); Glaube an: ein Leben nach dem Tod, Himmel, Hölle, Wunder, Reinkarnation, Nirwana, übernatürliche Kräfte verstorbener Vorfahren; Einstellung zu einer höheren Wahrheit und zum Sinn des Lebens (Gott kümmert sich um jeden Menschen persönlich, nur wenig persönlicher Einfluss auf das Leben möglich (Fatalismus), Leben hat nur einen Sinn aufgrund der Existenz Gottes, Leben dient keinem Zweck, eigenes Tun verleiht dem Leben Sinn, persönliche Verbindung mit Gott ohne Kirche oder Gottesdienste); Religion der Mutter, des Vaters und des Ehepartners bzw. Partners; zusätzlich länderspezifisch für Kenia: Religion der Mutter, des Vaters und des Ehepartners bzw. Partners; Religion, mit der der Befragte aufgewachsen ist; zusätzlich länderspezifisch für Kenia: Religion,mit der der Befragte aufgewachsen ist; Kirchgangshäufigkeit des Vaters undder Mutter; persönliche Kirchgangshäufigkeit in der Jugend; Häufigkeit des Betens und der Teilnahme an religiösen Aktivitäten; Schrein, Altar oder religiöses Objekt (z.B. Kreuz) im Haushalt des Befragten; Häufigkeit des Besuchs eines heiligen Ortes (Schrein, Tempel, Kirche oder Moschee) aus religiösen Gründen; Selbsteinschätzung der Religiosität und Spiritualität; Wahrheit in einer oder in allen Religionen; Vorteilhaftigkeit der Ausübung einer Religion (Skala: inneren Frieden und Glück finden, Freundschaften schließen, Unterstützung in schwierigen Zeiten, Gleichgesinnte treffen). Optionale Items: Bekehrung zum Glauben nach einem Schlüsselerlebnis;persönliche Opfer als Ausdruck des Glaubens wie Fasten oder Einhalteneiner speziellen Diät während heiliger Zeiten wie z.B. Ramadan. Demographie: Geschlecht; Alter; Familienstand; Zusammenleben mit einem Partner; Jahre der Schulbildung, höchster Bildungsabschluss; länderspezifischer Bildungsgrad; derzeitiger Beschäftigungsstatus des Befragten und seines Partners; Wochenarbeitszeit; Beruf (ISCO-88) des Befragten und seines Partners; Vorgesetztenfunktion; Beschäftigung im privaten oder öffentlichen Dienst oder Selbständigkeit des Befragten und seines Partners; Selbständige wurden gefragt: Anzahl der Beschäftigten; Gewerkschaftsmitgliedschaft; Einkommensquellen des Befragten (länderspezifisch), Haushaltseinkommen (länderspezifisch); Haushaltsgröße; Haushaltszusammensetzung; Parteipräferenz (links-rechts), länderspezifische Parteipräferenz; Wahlbeteiligung bei der letzten Wahl; Konfession; Kirchgangshäufigkeit; Selbsteinstufung auf einer Oben-Unten-Skala; Region und Ortsgröße (länderspezifisch), Urbanisierungsgrad; Geburtsland und ethnische Herkunft; zusätzlich länderspezifisch für Kenia und Tansania: ethnische Herkunft. Zusätzlich verkodet wurde: Datenerhebungsart; case substitution;Gewichtungsfaktoren. Attitudes towards religious practices. Topics: assessment of personal happiness; attitudes towards pre-marital sexual intercourse; attitudes towards committed adultery; attitudes towards homosexual relationships between adults; attitudes towards abortion in case of serious disability or illness of the baby or low income of the family; attitudes towards gender roles in marriage; trust in institutions (parliament, business and industry, churches and religious organizations, courts and the legal system, schools and the educational system); mobility; attitudes towards the influence of religious leaders on voters and government; attitudes towards the benefits of science and religion (scale: modern science does more harm than good, too much trust in science and not enough in religious faith, religions bring more conflicts than peace, intolerance of people with very strong religious beliefs); judgment on the power of churches and religious organizations; attitudes towards equal rights for all religious groups in the country and respect for all religions; acceptance of persons from a different religion or with different religious views in case of marrying a relative or being a candidate of the preferred political party (social distance); attitudes towards the allowance for religious extremists to hold public meetings and to publish books expressing their views (freedom of expression); doubt or firm belief in God (deism, scale); belief in: a life after death, heaven, hell, religious miracles, reincarnation, Nirvana, supernatural powers of deceased ancestors; attitudes towards a higher truth and towards meaning of life (scale: God is concerned with every human being personally, little that people can do to change the course of their lives (fatalism), life is meaningful only because God exists, life does not serve any purpose, life is only meaningful if someone provides the meaning himself, connection with God without churches or religious services); religious preference (affiliation) of mother, father and spouse/partner; additional country specific for Kenya: religious preference (affiliation) of mother, father and spouse/partner; religion respondent was raised in; additional country specific for Kenya: religion respondent was raised in;frequency of church attendance (of attendance in religious services) of father and mother; personal frequency of church attendance when young; frequency of prayers and participation in religious activities; shrine, altar or a religious object in respondent’s home; frequency of visiting a holy place (shrine, temple, church or mosque) for religious reasons except regular religious services; self-classification of personal religiousness and spirituality; truth in one or in all religions; attitudes towards the profits of practicing a religion (scale: finding inner peace and happiness, making friends, gaining comfort in times of trouble and sorrow, meeting the right kind of people). Optional items: conversion of faith after crucial experience; personalsacrifice as an expression of faith such as fasting or following aspecial diet during holy season such as Lent or Ramadan. Demography: sex; age; marital status; steady life partner; years of schooling; highest education level; country specific education and degree; current employment status (respondent and partner); hours worked weekly; occupation (ISCO 1988) (respondent and partner); supervising function at work; working for private or public sector or self-employed (respondent and partner); if self-employed: number of employees; trade union membership; earnings of respondent (country specific); family income (country specific); size of household; household composition; party affiliation (left-right); country specific party affiliation; participation in last election; religious denomination; religious main groups; attendance of religious services; self-placement on a top-bottom scale; region (country specific); size of community (country specific); type of community: urban-rural area; country of origin or ethnic group affiliation; additional country specific for Kenya and Tanzania: ethnic group affiliation. Additionally coded: administrative mode of data-collection; case substitution;weighting factor.

The "Religion and Rule of Law" data set was assembled from multiple data sources to aid the study of connections between religion, corruption, and the rule of law. In the resulting data file, each of the 236 cases represents a country or territory. The data file includes basic country identifiers, governance variables, religious tradition variables, demographic and developmental variables, and geography variables. Indices regarding the rule of law and the level of corruption were generated based on the World Bank's Governance Research Indicators Country Snapshot (GRICS) data set (Kaufman, Kraay, and Mastuzzi 2005). Data on the GDP per capita in constant PPP dollars and related variables are based on data from the CIA's World Factbook 2003. In addition, data on each country's largest religious groups in the years 1900 and 2000 stem from Barrett, Kurian, and Johnson (2001). Sources for all variables are shown in the attached PDF codebook.

All mosques from around the world by available capacity, that belong to any Islamic school or branch, that can accommodate at least 15,000 worshippers in all available places of prayer such as prayer halls (musala), courtyards (ṣaḥn) and porticoes (riwāq). All the mosques in this list are congregational mosques – a type of mosque that hosts the Friday prayer (ṣalāt al-jumuʿa) in congregation (jamāʿa).

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

Religious beliefs and moral attitudes.

Thopics: perceived change in violence on the streets, bribery, adultery and tax evasion during the last 10 years; justifyability of tax evasion (scale); justifyability of death penality; attitude towards: homosexual adoption, right to commit suicide, men more right for job than women; attitudes towards abortion in different circumstances (scale);
individual or public responsability for pensions; cuts in unemployment benefits; smoking ni public buildings; goals in education of children: indepdendence, obedience, creativity; attitudes towards income differeces; attitudes towards homeless people in neighbourhood; acceptance of nepotism (Kohlberg); Criteria for selecting patients for important surgery in hospitals; attitudes towards euthanasia; rules about good and bad; source of morality (scale); control over life; solving problems: individual vs. society; social orientation; volunteering: religious organizations, non-religious organizations; geographical mobility; residence of best friend; nationality of respondent; nationality of mother; nationality of father; attitudes towards migrants (ethnocentrism); political interest; party preference; least preferred party; reception of political news; concept of god; beliefs about life after death; salvation; conditions of salvation; theodizee (scale); respondent´s religiosity (self-assessment); beliefs influence daily life; beliefs influence important decisions; spiritual life; church attendance; frequency of praying; religious services: birth, marriage, death; conceptions of jesus; conceptions of the bible; dramatic change around millennium; denominational membership; closeness to church; women as priests; conversion experience; church attendance at age 12; transcendental experiences; possession of holy object; power of holy obejct; possession of talisman or lucky charm; power of talisman or lucky charm; consult horoscope; take horoscope into account in daily life; share of friends with different religion; perceived percentage of religious people in country; role of religion in world; attitudes towards: girls cover heads, take soft drugs, prevent blood transfusion, commit suicide; attitudes towards religious groups (enrichement, cause of conflict, other religious teachings, Jehovas witness, scientologist); truth in religion; religious symbols in schools; financial support: religious schools, religions; attitudes towards: oath with reference to God; consult religions in making laws, nurse may refuse legal abortion; attitutes towards science; desired influence of churches on politics; perceived influence of churches on politics;

Demographics: gender; age (year of birth); highest level of education; emloyment status; status of unpaid work; secondary job; marital status; steady life partner; partner´s highest level of education; partner´s religion; partner´s church attendance; number of children; household (number of children +18; 13-17; 5-12; less than 4); net household income; acceptance of cut in income for solidarity with poorest countries; community size; national ranking of community size; history of church membership;

Additionally coded: length of interview; year of interview.

Optional questions (not asked in all countries): importance of freedom; importance of equality; God concerned with every individual; God is valuable in humankind; life has meaning because of a God; sorrows have meaning if beliefs in a God; sorrows receive meaning from yourself; death is natural resting point; death is passage to another life; life has meaning if yourself give meaning; Virgin Mary was taken to heaven; believe in saints; father´s religion at age 12; father attend religious services at age 12; mothers´s religion at age 12; mother attend religious services at age 12; education in religious schools; profession (ISCO); partner´s profession (ISCO), community size (not grouped); pope hinders unity of Christians; religious services: sober; religious services: music and ceremonial clothes; pope should adapt his message; laity involvement; meaning of Christmas; month of interview; father´s highest level of education; mother´s level of education; number of household members

Additional questions in the BELGIAN questionnaire (only substantial questions. No country specific versions of questions from the masterquestionnaire): meaning of marriage in church; homosexuals may marry; light candle when enter church; water from Lourdes at home; pilgrimage; ...

This dataset represents the popular baby names for each religion with genders.

Abstract

The World Values Survey (www.worldvaluessurvey.org) is a global network of social scientists studying changing values and their impact on social and political life, led by an international team of scholars, with the WVS association and secretariat headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. The survey, which started in 1981, seeks to use the most rigorous, high-quality research designs in each country. The WVS consists of nationally representative surveys conducted in almost 100 countries which contain almost 90 percent of the world’s population, using a common questionnaire. The WVS is the largest non-commercial, cross-national, time series investigation of human beliefs and values ever executed, currently including interviews with almost 400,000 respondents. Moreover the WVS is the only academic study covering the full range of global variations, from very poor to very rich countries, in all of the world’s major cultural zones. The WVS seeks to help scientists and policy makers understand changes in the beliefs, values and motivations of people throughout the world. Thousands of political scientists, sociologists, social psychologists, anthropologists and economists have used these data to analyze such topics as economic development, democratization, religion, gender equality, social capital, and subjective well-being. These data have also been widely used by government officials, journalists and students, and groups at the World Bank have analyzed the linkages between cultural factors and economic development.

Geographic coverage

This survey covers the Philippines.

Analysis unit

• Household
• Individual

Universe

The WVS for the Philippines covers national population, aged 18 years and over, for both sexes.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The sample size for the Philippines is N=1200 and covers national population, aged 18 years and over, for both sexes.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

Some special variable labels have been included, such as: V56 Neighbours: Muslims and V149 Institution: ASEAN. Special categories labels are: V167 Least liked groups: 1 stands for Muslims, 3 for Hard Lined Communists and 7 for Extreme Rightists. V179 Religion has many categories that have been recoded to 8 (Other) except for 4 (protestant) recoded to 2, 7 (Islam) recoded to 5, 19 (Pentecostal) recoded to 11 and 21 (Evangelist) recoded to 10. V203/ V204: Geographical affinity, 3 stands for ‘Philippines’ and 4 stands for ‘Asia’. Country Specific variables included are: V232 Size of the town is missing (but present in printed questionnaire); V208: Ethnic identification: 1. Hispano Filipino, 2. American Filipino 3. Chinese Filipino 4. Japanese Filipino, 5. Filipino then ethnic and 6. Ethnic then Filipino; V209: Language at home. The variables political parties V210 a V212; Ethic group: V 233; Region: V 234 and V235 Interview language are also included as country specific variables.

Sampling error estimates

+/- 2,9%

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.

According to Cognitive Market Research, the global Religious Tourism market size was USD 1354845.6 million in 2024. It will expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.00% from 2024 to 2031.

North America held the major market share for more than 40% of the global revenue with a market size of USD 541938.24 million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.2% from 2024 to 2031.
Europe accounted for a market share of over 30% of the global revenue with a market size of USD 406453.68 million.
Asia Pacific held a market share of around 23% of the global revenue with a market size of USD 311614.49 million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.0% from 2024 to 2031.
Latin America had a market share of more than 5% of the global revenue with a market size of USD 67742.28 million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.4% from 2024 to 2031.
Middle East and Africa had a market share of around 2% of the global revenue and was estimated at a market size of USD 27096.91 million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.7% from 2024 to 2031.
The Day trips and local gateways Type held the highest Religious Tourism market revenue share in 2024.

Market Dynamics of Religious Tourism Market

Key Drivers of the Religious Tourism Market

Cultural and Spiritual Appeal Enhancing Travel : Growing enthusiasm for spiritual growth and cultural heritage is propelling visits to religious sites, festivals, and landmarks. Pilgrimages and faith-oriented events provide opportunities for personal reflection and distinctive cultural experiences, drawing in travelers from around the globe.

Rising Disposable Income Facilitating Travel : Increased disposable incomes enable a larger segment of the population to partake in spiritual journeys, ranging from pilgrimages to high-end religious tours. This financial leeway stimulates expenditure on travel, lodging, and guided experiences.

Restraint Factor for the Religious Tourism Market

Political Instability Diminishing Visitor Confidence : Unrest and security concerns in specific areas deter travel to religious sites, resulting in advisories and a decline in tourism, which in turn hampers market growth.

Overtourism Burdening Religious Sites : An overwhelming number of visitors at popular religious locations can harm heritage sites, put pressure on local infrastructure, and lessen the spiritual ambiance. This situation may result in restrictions, decreased visitor satisfaction, and a long-term downturn in tourism attractiveness.

Key Trends of the Religious Tourism Market

Technology-Enhanced Religious Tourism : Virtual reality experiences, mobile applications, and live-streamed religious events are broadening access to sacred locations. These digital innovations engage a global audience, allowing participation for those unable to travel while also promoting destinations to prospective future visitors.

Integration of Wellness and Spiritual Retreats : Religious tourism is progressively blending with wellness travel, providing meditation retreats, yoga sessions, and holistic healing experiences at sacred sites. This combination appeals to a wider audience in search of both spiritual and personal wellness.

Impact of COVID-19 on the Religious Tourism Market

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the Religious Tourism Market, leading to a sharp decline in travel due to global restrictions and safety concerns. Lockdowns, travel bans, and social distancing measures halted pilgrimages and religious events, affecting tourism revenue and disrupting long-standing traditions. Many religious sites faced temporary closures or limited access, reducing visitor numbers. Economic uncertainties and health risks also discouraged travel. However, the pandemic prompted the adoption of virtual pilgrimages and online religious experiences, highlighting a shift towards digital engagement. As restrictions eased, the market began to recover, with renewed focus on health and safety protocols. The pandemic's legacy includes increased awareness of resilience and adaptability in religious tourism practices, influencing future trends and strategies.

Introduction of the Religious Tourism Market

The Religious Tourism Market is expanding as travelers seek spiritual and cultural enrichment thr...

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.