Major Religions of the World Ranked by Number of Adherents

[Beorn]

Major Religions of the World (http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html)
Ranked by Number of Adherents (http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html)






http://www.adherents.com/images/rel_pie.gif






Christianity (http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html#Christianity): 2.1 billion
Islam (http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html#Islam): 1.5 billion
Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist (http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html#Nonreligious): 1.1 billion
Hinduism (http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html#Hinduism): 900 million
Chinese traditional religion (http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html#Chinese): 394 million
Buddhism (http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html#Buddhism): 376 million
primal-indigenous (http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html#primal): 300 million
African Traditional & Diasporic (http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html#African): 100 million
Sikhism (http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html#Sikhism): 23 million
Juche (http://www.adherents.com/largecom/Juche.html): 19 million
Spiritism (http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html#Spiritism): 15 million
Judaism (http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html#Judaism): 14 million
Baha'i (http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html#Baha%27i): 7 million
Jainism (http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html#Jainism): 4.2 million
Shinto (http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html#Shinto): 4 million
Cao Dai (http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html#CaoDai): 4 million
Zoroastrianism (http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html#Zoroastrianism): 2.6 million
Tenrikyo (http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html#Tenrikyo): 2 million
Neo-Paganism (http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html#Neo-Paganism): 1 million
Unitarian-Universalism (http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html#Unitarian): 800 thousand
Rastafarianism (http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html#Rastafarianism): 600 thousand
Scientology (http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html#Scientology): 500 thousand





Introduction

The adherent counts presented in the list above are current estimates of the number of people who have at least a minimal level of self-identification as adherents of the religion. Levels of participation vary within all groups. These numbers tend toward the high end of reasonable worldwide estimates. Valid arguments can be made for different figures, but if the same criteria are used for all groups, the relative order should be the same. Further details and sources are available below and in the Adherents.com (http://www.adherents.com/) main database. A major source for these estimates is the detailed country-by-country analysis done by David B. Barrett's religious statistics organization, whose data are published in the Encyclopedia Britannica (including annual updates and yearbooks) and also in the World Christian Encyclopedia (the latest edition of which - published in 2001 - has been consulted). Hundreds of additional sources providing more thorough and detailed research about individual religious groups have also been consulted.
This listing is not a comprehensive list of all religions, only the "major" ones (as defined below). There are distinct religions other than the ones listed above. But this list accounts for the religions of over 98% of the world's population. Below are listed some religions which are not in this listing (http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html#NotIncluded) (Mandeans, PL Kyodan, Ch'ondogyo, Vodoun, New Age, Seicho-No-Ie, Falun Dafa/Falun Gong, Taoism, Roma), along with explanations for why they do not qualify as "major world religions" on this list.
This world religions listing is derived from the statistics data in the Adherents.com (http://www.adherents.com/) database. The list was created by the same people who collected and organized this database, in consultation with university professors of comparative religions and scholars from different religions. We invite additional input. The Adherents.com collection of religious adherent statistics now has over 43,000 adherent statistic citations, for over 4,300 different faith groups, covering all countries of the world. This is not an absolutely exhaustive compilation of all such data, but it is by far the largest compilation available on the Internet. Various academic researchers and religious representatives regularly share documented adherent statistics with Adherents.com so that their information can be available in a centralized database.

Statistics and geography citations for religions not on this list, as well as subgroups within these religions (such as Catholics, Protestants, Karaites, Wiccans, Shiites, etc.) can be found in the main Adherents.com database.


Composed with/by statistics from 2005, so it would be interesting to see if any changes have occurred in the four intervening years.

[Eldritch]

21% of the people in the world are Muslims? :eek:

I would have thought it would be somewhere between ten and fifteen percent. This is a grave crisis for the entire human race.

[Tabiti]

21% of the people in the world are Muslims?
That is mainly because the Southeastern Asian populations.
This is also interesting:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Islam

[Brännvin]

Indonesia has the world's single largest Muslim population. What surprised me, it is just 6% for the Chinese traditional religion (Confucionism).

[Eldritch]

Indonesia has the world's single largest Muslim population. What surprised me, it is just 6% for the Chinese traditional religion (Confucionism).

I've lived a year in Indonesia, actually, and trust me: Indonesians hate the Chinese.

[Loki]

Wow, only 16% of humanity have seen the light? :eek:

[Lars]

Wow, only 16% of humanity have seen the light? :eek:

I suspect it's MUCH higher than mere 16%. Many people are just cultural religious. They have no faith but use the church institutions for marriage and funerals etc. Many are afraid to 'come out of the closet' as Richard Dawkins put it. They are many reasons, but I'm certain they are many more non-believers than these figures show.

[Rachel]

so where does the Norse/Heathen community fall... Neo Paganism or do we fall in the Primal-Indigenous group?

[Loki]

so where does the Norse/Heathen community fall... Neo Paganism or do we fall in the Primal-Indigenous group?

Probably under "Other". You can't compare modern, reconstructed European paganism with surviving tribal traditions that have been unbroken in time.

[Rachel]

that seems more logical...

[Psychonaut]

so where does the Norse/Heathen community fall... Neo Paganism or do we fall in the Primal-Indigenous group?

On a poll like this, I assume we'd be placed under the Neopagan section.

[Beorn]

so where does the Norse/Heathen community fall... Neo Paganism or do we fall in the Primal-Indigenous group?

If you click the link (http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html#Neo-Paganism) it will tell you.

"Neo-Paganism: Neo-Paganism is an umbrella term for modern revivals of ancient ethnic and magickal traditions. These are usually polytheistic, but many Neo-Pagans consider their faith pantheistic, and many other concepts of deity can be found among Neo-Pagans as well. Subdivisions within Neo-Paganism include Wicca, Magick, Druidism, Asatru, neo-Native American religion and others."

[Jamt]

Now you see? We all need to repent and grow the 33% or we will all be secularly doomed.