Religious Landscape: An Overview of Religion by Country, 2024

According to a demographic study based on analysis of more than 3,000 censuses, surveys, and population registers, Christianity remains the world’s largest religion, with approximately 2.2 billion followers, comprising 32 percent of the world’s population as of 2024. It includes diverse denominations such as Catholicism, Protestantism, and Eastern Orthodoxy. Islam is the second-largest religion, with over 1.6 billion adherents (23 percent of the world’s population). Nearly 500 million Buddhists (7 percent) and 14 million Jews (0.2 percent) across the globe.  It’s noteworthy that around 1.2 billion people globally identify as unaffiliated with any religion or hold Atheist beliefs, particularly prevalent in countries like China and Japan.

It’s estimated that more than 6 percent of the world’s population practices various folk or traditional religions, which include African traditional religions, Chinese folk religions, Native American religions, and Australian aboriginal religions. Additionally, there are an estimated 58 million people worldwide, which is less than 1 percent of the global population, who belong to other religions such as the Baha’i faith, Jainism, Sikhism, Shintoism, Taoism, Tenrikyo, Wicca, and Zoroastrianism, among others. A study by CEOWORLD magazine found that 1.1 billion people, or 16 percent of the global population, have no religious affiliation. This makes the unaffiliated the third-largest religious group worldwide, behind Christians and Muslims.

Understanding the number of religions worldwide can be challenging due to various factors. The differentiation between religions and denominations may be subjective, and the line between spiritual experiences and organized religions varies. Some estimates suggest that there are around 4,000-4,300 religions globally, but disputes arise due to the inclusion of extinct belief systems and counting each denomination separately. Approximately 85 percent of the world’s population is associated with a religion. Christianity is the most widespread religion, followed by Islam. However, projections indicate Islam may rival Christianity in terms of followers by 2050.

Christianity, with its various branches, holds a significant presence globally. Vatican City and the Pitcairn Islands stand out with 100 percent Christian populations, and several other nations such as Timor-Leste, Romania, Armenia, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, Greenland, Haiti, Paraguay, Zambia, and the Bahamas have over 95 percent Christian populations.

Islam, as the second-largest religion, is predominantly practiced in countries such as Mauritania, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Iran, where the entire population follows Islam. Numerous nations such as Algeria, Morocco, Comoros, Niger, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Azerbaijan, Jordan, Senegal, Yemen, Djibouti, Libya, Pakistan, Gambia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Iraq have Muslim majorities, with at least 95 percent of the population identifying as Sunni or Shia Muslim.

Hinduism, originating in the Indian subcontinent, ranks as the third-largest religion. India has the most significant Hindu population, followed by Nepal. Other countries with substantial Hindu populations include Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, the United States, Sri Lanka, and the United Kingdom.

Buddhism, rooted in India and centered on the teachings of Buddha, has a global following of about 500 million. China has the highest Buddhist population, followed by Thailand, Japan, Burma (Myanmar), Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia, and South Korea.

Religion is a diverse and complex subject globally. Different nations, such as Guinea-Bissau and Haiti, practice various traditional and indigenous religions. Moreover, countries like China, Estonia, the Czech Republic, and Japan have a significant population of unaffiliated or atheist individuals. Different regions’ spiritual and cultural identities are shaped by Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and various indigenous beliefs, adding another layer of complexity to this intricate tapestry.

Religion by Country, 2024

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