In 2022, around 31.6 percent of the global population were identify as Christian. Around 25.8 percent of the global population identify as Muslims, followed by 15.1 percent of global populations as Hindu.

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.

The World Religion Project (WRP) aims to provide detailed information about religious adherence worldwide since 1945. It contains data about the number of adherents by religion in each of the states in the international system. These numbers are given for every half-decade period (1945, 1950, etc., through 2010). Percentages of the states' populations that practice a given religion are also provided. (Note: These percentages are expressed as decimals, ranging from 0 to 1, where 0 indicates that 0 percent of the population practices a given religion and 1 indicates that 100 percent of the population practices that religion.) Some of the religions are divided into religious families. To the extent data are available, the breakdown of adherents within a given religion into religious families is also provided.

The project was developed in three stages. The first stage consisted of the formation of a religion tree. A religion tree is a systematic classification of major religions and of religious families within those major religions. To develop the religion tree we prepared a comprehensive literature review, the aim of which was (i) to define a religion, (ii) to find tangible indicators of a given religion of religious families within a major religion, and (iii) to identify existing efforts at classifying world religions. (Please see the original survey instrument to view the structure of the religion tree.) The second stage consisted of the identification of major data sources of religious adherence and the collection of data from these sources according to the religion tree classification. This created a dataset that included multiple records for some states for a given point in time. It also contained multiple missing data for specific states, specific time periods and specific religions. The third stage consisted of cleaning the data, reconciling discrepancies of information from different sources and imputing data for the missing cases.

The National Religion Dataset: The observation in this dataset is a state-five-year unit. This dataset provides information regarding the number of adherents by religions, as well as the percentage of the state's population practicing a given religion.

In 2022, 99 percent of Hindus and Buddhists worldwide lived in Asia-Pacific. In comparison, 43 percent of Jews lived in North America, and 45.4 percent lived in the Middle East and North Africa. Christians were more evenly divided around the continents.

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.

From 2022 to 2060, the worldwide population of Muslims is expected to increase by 45.7 percent. For the same period, the global population of Buddhists is expected to decrease by 12.2 percent.

Among the people surveyed in 26 countries around the world, a slight majority of the baby boomer generation were Christians. By comparison, only 42 percent of Generation Z stated that they were Christians. Millennials was the generation with the highest share of people stating that they had a religious belief other than Islam and Christianity.

In Brazil, 70 percent of the respondents believed in God as described in the holy scriptures, and another 19 percent believed in a higher power or spirit. In South Africa, the figures were 73 and 16 percent respectively. By contrast, less than one in five in Japan and only one in three in South Korea believed in God or some form of spirit or higher power.

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World religion data in this dataset is from the World Religion Database.The map shows the percentage of the majority religion by provinces/states and also included in the database is Christian percentage by provinces/states. Boundaries are based on Natural Earth, August, 2011 modified to match provinces in the World Religion Database.*Originally titled

This statistic illustrates the projected growth of major religious groups from 2015 to 2060. In 2060, it is projected that there will be about 2.9 billion Muslims worldwide, compared to 1.7 billion Muslims in 2015.

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: Punjab data was reported at 348,230.000 Person in 03-01-2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 292,800.000 Person for 03-01-2001. Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Punjab data is updated decadal, averaging 320,515.000 Person from Mar 2001 (Median) to 03-01-2011, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 348,230.000 Person in 03-01-2011 and a record low of 292,800.000 Person in 03-01-2001. Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Punjab 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: Kerala data was reported at 2,385,605.000 Person in 03-01-2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 1,426,646.000 Person for 03-01-2001. Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Kerala data is updated decadal, averaging 1,906,125.500 Person from Mar 2001 (Median) to 03-01-2011, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,385,605.000 Person in 03-01-2011 and a record low of 1,426,646.000 Person in 03-01-2001. Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Kerala 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: Delhi data was reported at 146,093.000 Person in 03-01-2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 130,319.000 Person for 03-01-2001. Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Delhi data is updated decadal, averaging 138,206.000 Person from Mar 2001 (Median) to 03-01-2011, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 146,093.000 Person in 03-01-2011 and a record low of 130,319.000 Person in 03-01-2001. Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Delhi 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.

Philippines Population: RA: Tribal Religions data was reported at 243,704.000 Person in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 207,246.000 Person for 2010. Philippines Population: RA: Tribal Religions data is updated yearly, averaging 207,246.000 Person from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2015, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 243,704.000 Person in 2015 and a record low of 164,080.000 Person in 2000. Philippines Population: RA: Tribal Religions data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Philippine Statistics Authority. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Philippines – Table PH.G003: Population: Religious: Affiliation.

Census: Population: by Religion: Muslim: Bihar: Male data was reported at 9,044,086.000 Person in 03-01-2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 7,061,908.000 Person for 03-01-2001. Census: Population: by Religion: Muslim: Bihar: Male data is updated decadal, averaging 8,052,997.000 Person from Mar 2001 (Median) to 03-01-2011, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 9,044,086.000 Person in 03-01-2011 and a record low of 7,061,908.000 Person in 03-01-2001. Census: Population: by Religion: Muslim: Bihar: 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.GAE003: Census: Population: by Religion: Muslim.

Singapore Population: Religion: Islam data was reported at 459.800 Person th in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 457.435 Person th for 2010. Singapore Population: Religion: Islam data is updated yearly, averaging 457.435 Person th from Jun 2000 (Median) to 2015, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 459.800 Person th in 2015 and a record low of 371.660 Person th in 2000. Singapore Population: Religion: Islam data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Department of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Singapore – Table SG.G002: Population by Religion .

Census: Population: by Religion: Other Religion and Persuasions: Meghalaya: Female data was reported at 130,288.000 Person in 03-01-2011. This records a decrease from the previous number of 133,346.000 Person for 03-01-2001. Census: Population: by Religion: Other Religion and Persuasions: Meghalaya: Female data is updated decadal, averaging 131,817.000 Person from Mar 2001 (Median) to 03-01-2011, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 133,346.000 Person in 03-01-2001 and a record low of 130,288.000 Person in 03-01-2011. Census: Population: by Religion: Other Religion and Persuasions: Meghalaya: 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.GAE008: Census: Population: by Religion: Other Religion and Persuasions.

Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Assam data was reported at 1,165,867.000 Person in 03-01-2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 986,589.000 Person for 03-01-2001. Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Assam data is updated decadal, averaging 1,076,228.000 Person from Mar 2001 (Median) to 03-01-2011, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,165,867.000 Person in 03-01-2011 and a record low of 986,589.000 Person in 03-01-2001. Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Assam 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.