World Religions: What People Believe and Where
Updated July 28, 2023 |
Infoplease Staff
How many religions are there in the world? If you ask ten different religious studies experts, you’ll probably get twenty different answers.
The majority of people follow one of five major world religions: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. But there are many, many more religions than that. And within each of these are denominations so distinct that some people may consider them to be different religions altogether.
What Are the 12 Major Religions of the World in Order?
These are the 12 religions with the greatest number of followers.
1. Christianity (31.1%)
Christianity is currently the world’s largest religion. It’s one of the three Abrahamic religions, which trace their lineage to the Hebrew patriarch Abraham, and is practiced by approximately 2.4 billion people worldwide.
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who lived from 4 BCE to between 30 and 33 CE. The Christian holy book is the Bible. Some non-Christian religions, such as Islam and Judaism, also value the Bible.
Check out the calendar of Western Christian Holidays, 2010-2030.
2. Islam (21.9%)
Islam is a monotheistic Abrahamic religion. Approximately 1.9 billion people in the Middle East and around the world practice Islam. The Islamic religion centers on the teachings of Mohammed, who lived from 570 CE to 632 CE. Mohammed’s teachings are collected in the Quran, the Muslim holy book.
Check out the calendar of Islamic Holidays from 2010-2013 (A.H. 1431-1452).
3. Non-Religious (15.6 %)
1.2 billion people around the world practice no particular religion and consider themselves atheists, agnostic, or unaffiliated.
4. Hinduism (15.2 %)
Hinduism is the oldest religion still practiced. Around 1.16 billion people around the world practice Hinduism.
Hinduism is a polytheistic belief system with many gods and goddesses. Reincarnation is a central idea of Hindu philosophy. Hinduism also believes in karma, the idea that people’s actions are rewarded and punished in future lives.
The Vedas are the major sacred texts of Hinduism. Check out the calendar of Hindu Festival Dates 2015-2030.
5. Buddhism (5.06%)
Approximately 506 million people around the world practice Buddhism.
Buddhist beliefs are based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, who lived in the 5th century CE. Buddhism, like Hinduism, originated in India, and believes in the ideas of karma and reincarnation. The goal of Buddhism is to achieve freedom from the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.
6. Chinese Traditional Religion (5%)
“Chinese Traditional Religion” comprises a wide range of beliefs and practices of the Han Chinese people. It’s practiced by some 394 million people around the world. Individual beliefs and practices can be drawn from Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism.
7. African Traditional Religions (1.2%)
There are many traditional African religions, and they are quite diverse. However, many traditional African religions share certain characteristics. Approximately 100 million people practice a traditional African religion. Many traditional African religions are animistic and/or polytheistic. Many traditional African religions transmit knowledge orally rather than through scripture.
8. Sikhism (0.3%)
Sikhism originated in the Punjab area of the Indian subcontinent, near the end of the 15th century CE. There are around 26 million Sikhs around the world.
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion that believes in the equality of all humankind, and the importance of striving for justice and prosperity for all. The Sikh scripture is Guru Granth Sahib.
Check out the calendar of Sikh Festival Dates, 2015-2030.
9. Spiritism (0.19%)
Spiritism, not to be confused with Spiritualism, believes in the unity of science, philosophy, and religion. Spiritism was founded in France in 1850, by Hippolyte Léon Denizard Rivail, also known as Allan Kardec.
Approximately 15 million people worldwide practice Spiritism.
10. Judaism (0.18%)
Around the world, some 14 million people practice Judaism. Judaism is a monotheistic Abrahamic religion that originated with the Hebrew people in the Middle East. It’s the ethnic religion practiced by the Jewish people.
Judaism dates to the fifth century BCE, and is the world’s oldest monotheistic religion.
Three important scriptures of Judaism are the Torah (the first five books of the Bible), the Talmud, which is the origin of Rabbinic law, and the Midrash, which is an exegesis (study and commentary) of religious texts.
Check out the calendar of Jewish Holidays, 2010-2030 (A.M. 5770-5791).
11. Baha’i (0.7%)
Five million people around the world practice the Baha’i faith. Baha’i is a relatively new religion that developed in Iran in the 19th century. The two main teachings of Baha’i and the Baha’u’llah are the essential worth of all religions and the equality of all people.
12. Jainism (0.5%)
4.2 million people practice Jainism, which dates to the ninth century BCE in India. It’s one of the world’s oldest religions. Jainism is a transtheistic religion that believes that the universe always was and always will be, without a creator, governor, judge, or destroyer.
The three main principles of Jainism are ahimsa (non-violence), anekantavada (non-absolutism), and aparigraha (asceticism).
Check out the calendar of Jain Festival Dates, 2015–2030.
Some Other Important Religious Groups
No discussion of what people believe and where would be complete without mentioning a few extra religious groups.
Shinto
Shintoism originated in Japan in the Yayoi period (300 BCE to 300 CE). It’s a polytheistic and animistic religion. Approximately 4 million people (0.5% of the world’s population) practice Shintoism.
Zoroastrianism
The monotheistic religion of Zoroastrianism is one of the world’s oldest faiths, and comes from Iran. Some 2.6 million people (0.3% of the world’s population) practice Zoroastrianism.
Modern Paganism
Nearly one million people around the world practice Modern Paganism, which can take beliefs from a variety of pre-Christian religions from different places.
World Religions by Country
People worldwide practice many different religions and they practice them in very different ways. Hopefully, this list of religious populations in each country will help you learn a bit more about them.
The following data is from the CIA World Factbook, a public data source that we also use for our Country Profiles. The figures aren't necessarily from the same years, since different countries have surveyed their religious populations at different times.
| Afghanistan | Islam 99.7% (Sunni 84.7 - 89.7%, Shia 10 - 15%), other <0.3% (2009 est.) |
| Albania | Islam 56.7%, Christian (Roman Catholic 10%, Orthodox 6.8%), atheist 2.5%, Bektashi (a Sufi order) 2.1%, other 5.7%, unspecified 16.2% (2011 est.) |
| Algeria | Islam (official; predominantly Sunni) 99%, other (includes Christian, Jewish, and minority Muslim groups) <1% (2012 est.) |
| Andorra | Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic) 89.5, other 8.8%, unaffiliated 1.7% (2020 est.) |
| Angola | Christian (Roman Catholic 41.1%, Protestant 38.1%), other 8.6%, none 12.3% (2014 est.) |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Protestant 68.3%, Roman Catholic 8.2%, other 12.2%, unspecified 5.5%, none 5.9% (2011 est.) |
| Argentina | Christian (Roman Catholic 62.9%, Evangelical 15.3%, Jehovah's Witness and Church of Jesus Christ 1.4%), other 1.2% (includes Muslim, Jewish), none 18.9% (2019 est.) |
| Armenia | Christian (Armenian Apostolic 92.6%, Evangelical 1%), other 2.4%, none 1.1%, unspecified 2.9% (2011 est.) |
| Australia | Christian (Protestant 23.1%, Roman Catholic 22.6%, other Christian 4.2%), Muslim 2.6%, Buddhist 2.4%, Orthodox 2.3%, Hindu 1.9%, other 1.3%, none 30.1%, unspecified 9.6% (2016 est.) |
| Austria | Christian (Catholic 57%, Eastern Orthodox 8.7%), Muslim 7.9%, Evangelical Christian 3.3%, other/none/unspecified 23.1% (2018 est.) |
| Azerbaijan | Islam 97.3% (predominantly Shia), Christian 2.6%, other <0.1, unaffiliated <0.1 (2020 est.) |
| Bahamas | Christian (Protestant 69.9%, Roman Catholic 12%, other Christian 13%), other 0.6%, none 1.9%, unspecified 2.6% (2010 est.) |
| Bahrain | Islam 73.7%, Christian 9.3%, Jewish 0.1%, other 16.9% (2017 est.) |
| Bangladesh | Islam, other 11.6% (2020 est.) |
| Barbados | Christian (Protestant 66.4%, Roman Catholic 3.8%, other Christian 5.4%), Rastafarian 1%, other 1.5%, none 20.6%, unspecified 1.2% (2010 est.) |
| Belarus | Christian (Orthodox 48.3%, Catholic 7.1%, other 3.5%), atheist 41.1% (2011 est.) |
| Belgium | Christian (Roman Catholic 57.1%, Protestant 2.3%, other Christian, 2.8%) Muslim 6.8%, other 1.7%, atheist 9.1%, agnostic 20.2% (2018 est.) |
| Belize | Christian (Roman Catholic 40.1%, Protestant 31.5%, other 10.5% (includes Baha'i, Buddhist, Hindu, Church of Jesus Christ, Muslim, Rastafarian, Salvation Army), unspecified 0.6%, none 15.5% (2010 est.) |
| Benin | Islam 27.7%, Christian (Roman Catholic 25.5%, Protestant 13.5%, other Christian 9.5%), Vodoun 11.6%, other traditional religions 2.6%, other 2.6%, none 5.8% (2013 est.) |
| Bhutan | Lamaistic Buddhist 75.3%, Indian- and Nepali-influenced Hinduism 22.1%, other 2.6% (2005 est.) |
| Bolivia | Christian (Roman Catholic 70%, Evangelical 14.5%, Adventist 2.5%, Church of Jesus Christ 1.2%), agnostic 0.3%, atheist 0.8%, other 3.5%, none 6.6%, unspecified 0.6% (2018 est.) |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Islam 50.7%, Christian (Orthodox 30.7%, Roman Catholic 15.2%), atheist 0.8%, agnostic 0.3%, other 1.2%, undeclared/no answer 1.1% (2013 est.) |
| Botswana | Christian 79.1%, Badimo 4.1%, other 1.4% (includes Baha'i, Hindu, Muslim, Rastafarian), none 15.2%, unspecified 0.3% (2011 est.) |
| Brazil | Christian (Roman Catholic 64.6%, other Catholic 0.4%, Protestant 22.2%, other Christian 0.7%), Spiritist 2.2%, other 1.4%, none 8%, unspecified 0.4% (2010 est.) |
| Brunei | Islam (official) 80.9%, Christian 7.1%, Buddhist 7.1%, other (includes indigenous beliefs) 5% (2016 est.) |
| Bulgaria | Christian (Eastern Orthodox 59.4%), Muslim 7.8%, other 1.7%, none 3.7%, unspecified 27.4% (2011 est.) |
| Burkina Faso | Islam 63.2%, Christian (Roman Catholic 24.6%, Protestant 6.9%), traditional/animist 4.2%, none 0.7%, unspecified 0.4% (2017-18 est.) |
| Burundi | Christian (Roman Catholic 58.6%, Protestant 35.3%), Muslim 3.4%, other 1.3%, none 1.3% (2016-17 est.) |
| Cambodia | Buddhist (official) 97.1%, Muslim 2%, Christian 0.3%, other 0.5% (2019 est.) |
| Cameroon | Christian (Roman Catholic 38.3%, Protestant 25.5%, other Christian 6.9%), Muslim 24.4%, animist 2.2%, other 0.5%, none 2.2% (2018 est.) |
| Canada | Christian (Catholic 39%, Protestant 20.3%, Orthodox 1.6%, other Christian 6.3%), Islam 3.2%, Hindu 1.5%, Sikh 1.4%, Buddhist 1.1%, Jewish 1%, other 0.6%, none 23.9% (2011 est.) |
| Cape Verde | Christian (Roman Catholic 77.3%, Protestant 4.6%, other Christian 3.4%), Islam 1.8%, other 1.3%, none 10.8%, unspecified 0.7% (2010 est.) |
| Central African Republic | Christian 89%, Muslim 9%, folk religion 1%, unaffiliated 1% (2020 est.) |
| Chad | Islam 52.1%, Christian (Protestant 23.9%, Roman Catholic 20%, , other Christian 0.2%), animist 0.3%, none 2.8%, unspecified 0.7% (2014-15 est.) |
| Chile | Christian (Roman Catholic 60%, Evangelical 18%), atheist or agnostic 4%, none 17% (2018 est.) |
| China | Unaffiliated 52.1%, folk religion 21.9%, Buddhist 18.2%, Christian 5.1%, Muslim 1.8%, Hindu < 0.1%, Jewish < 0.1%, other 0.7% (2021 est.) |
| Colombia | Christian 92.3% (predominantly Roman Catholic), other 1%, unspecified 6.7% (2020 est.) |
| Comoros | Sunni Muslim 98% (official), other (including Shia Muslim, Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Protestant) 2% |
| Congo, Democratic Republic of the | Christian (Roman Catholic 29.9%, Protestant 26.7%, other Christian 36.5%), Kimbanguist 2.8%, Muslim 1.3%, other (includes syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs) 1.2%, none 1.3%, unspecified 0.2% (2014 est.) |
| Congo, Republic of | Christian (Roman Catholic 33.1%, Awakening Churches/Christian Revival 22.3%, Protestant 19.9%), Salutiste 2.2%), Muslim 1.6%, Kimbanguiste 1.5%, other 8.1%, none 11.3% (2007 est.) |
| Costa Rica | Christian (Roman Catholic 47.5%, Evangelical and Pentecostal 19.8%, Jehovah's Witness 1.4%, other Protestant 1.2%), other 3.1%, none 27% (2021 est.) |
| Côte d'Ivoire | Islam 42.9%, Christian (Catholic 17.2%, Evangelical 11.8%, Methodist 1.7%, other Christian 3.2%), animist 3.6%, other religion 0.5%, none 19.1% (2014 est.) |
| Croatia | Christian (Roman Catholic 86.3%, Orthodox 4.4%), Muslim 1.5%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2.5%, not religious or atheist 3.8% (2011 est.) |
| Cuba | Christian 58.9%, folk religion 17.6%, Buddhist <1%, Hindu <1%, Jewish <1%, Muslim <1%, other <1%, none 23.2% (2020 est.) |
| Cyprus | Christian (Orthodox 89.1%, Roman Catholic 2.9%, Protestant/Anglican 2%), Islam 1.8%, Buddhist 1%, other (includes Maronite, Armenian Church, Hindu) 1.4%, unknown 1.1%, none/atheist 0.6% (2011 est.) |
| Czechia | Christian (Roman Catholic 7%, other), believers unaffiliated with a religious society 9.1%, none 47.8%, unspecified 30.1% (2021 est.) |
| Denmark | Christian (Evangelical Lutheran (official) 74.7%), Muslim 5.5%, other/none/unspecified (denominations of less than 1% each include Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Serbian Orthodox Christian, Jewish, Baptist, Buddhist, Church of Jesus Christ, Pentecostal, and nondenominational Christian) 19.8% (2019 est.) |
| Djibouti | Sunni Muslim 94%, other 6% (mainly foreign-born residents) |
| Dominica | Christian (Roman Catholic 52.7%, Protestant 29.7%, Jehovah's Witness 1.3%), Rastafarian 1.1%, other 4.3%, none 9.4%, unspecified 1.4% (2011 est.) |
| Dominican Republic | Christian (Roman Catholic 44.3%, Evangelical 13%, Protestant 7.9%, Adventist 1.4%, other 1.8%), atheist 0.2%, none 29.4%, unspecified 2% (2018 est.) |
| East Timor | Christian (Catholic 97.5%, 1.96% Protestant), 0.24% Islam, 0.23% other (2015) |
| Ecuador | Christian (Roman Catholic 68.8%, Evangelical 15.4%, Adventist 1.2%, Jehovah's Witness 1%), other 1.3%, agnostic or atheist 1.4%, none 10.1%, don't know/no response 1% (2020 est.) |
| Egypt | Islam (predominantly Sunni) 90%, Christian (majority Coptic Orthodox) 10% |
| El Salvador | Christian (Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 36%), other 2%, none 12% (2014 est.) |
| Equatorial Guinea | Christian (Roman Catholic 88%, Protestant 5%), Muslim 2%, other 5% (animist, Baha'i, Jewish) (2015 est.) |
| Eritrea | Christian (Eritrean Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran), Sunni Muslim |
| Estonia | Christian (Orthodox 16.2%, Lutheran 9.9%, other Christian 2.2%), other 0.9%, none 54.1%, unspecified 16.7% (2011 est.) |
| Ethiopia | Christian (Ethiopian Orthodox 43.8%,Protestant 22.8%, Catholic 0.7%), Muslim 31.3%, traditional 0.6%, other 0.8% (2016 est.) |
| Fiji | Christian (Methodist 34.6%, Roman Catholic 9.1%, Assembly of God 5.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 3.9%, Anglican 0.8%, other Christian 10.4%), Hindu 27.9%, Muslim 6.3%, Sikh 0.3%, other 0.3%, none 0.8% (2007 est.) |
| Finland | Christian (Lutheran 66.6%, Greek Orthodox 1.1%) other 1.7%, none 30.6% (2021 est.) |
| France | Christian (Roman Catholic 47%, Protestant 2%,Orthodox 1%) Islam 4%, Buddhist 2%, Jewish 1%, other 1%, none 33%, unspecified 9% |
| Gabon | Christian (Roman Catholic 42.3%, Protestant 12.3%, other Christian 27.4%), Islam 9.8%, animist 0.6%, other 0.5%, none/no answer 7.1% (2012 est.) |
| Gambia | Islam 96.4%, Christian 3.5%, other or none 0.1% (2019-20 est.) |
| Georgia | Christian (Orthodox (official) 83.4%), Islam 10.7%, other 1.2% (includes Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Yazidi, Protestant, Jewish), none 0.5%, unspecified/no answer 1.2% (2014 est.) |
| Germany | Christian (Roman Catholic 26.7%, Protestant 24.3%), Muslim 3.5%, other 4.8%, none 40.7% (2020 est.) |
| Ghana | Christian 71.3% (Pentecostal/Charismatic 31.6%, Protestant 17.4%, Catholic 10%, other 12.3%), Muslim 19.9%, traditionalist 3.2%, other 4.5%, none 1.1% (2021 est.) |
| Greece | Greek Orthodox 81-90%, Muslim 2%, other 3%, none 4-15%, unspecified 1% (2015 est.) |
| Grenada | Christian (Protestant 49.2%, Roman Catholic 36%), Jehovah's Witness 1.2%, Rastafarian 1.2%, other 5.5%, none 5.7%, unspecified 1.3% (2011 est.) |
| Guatemala | Christian (Roman Catholic 41.7%, Evangelical 38.8%, other 2.7%), atheist 0.1%, none 13.8%, unspecified 2.9% (2018 est.) |
| Guinea | Muslim 89.1%, Christian 6.8%, animist 1.6%, other 0.1%, none 2.4% (2014 est.) |
| Guinea-Bissau | Muslim 46.1%, folk religions 30.6%, Christian 18.9%, other or unaffiliated 4.4% (2020 est.) |
| Guyana | Christian (Protestant 34.8%, Roman Catholic 7.1%, other Christian 20.8%), Hindu 24.8%, , Muslim 6.8%, Jehovah's Witness 1.3%, Rastafarian 0.5%,other 0.9%, none 3.1% (2012 est.) |
| Haiti | Christian (Catholic 55%, Protestant 29%), Vodou 2.1%, other 4.6%, none 10% (2018 est.) |
| Honduras | Christian (Evangelical/Protestant 48%, Roman Catholic 34%), other 1%, none 17% (2020 est.) |
| Hungary | Christian (Roman Catholic 37.2%, Calvinist 11.6%, Lutheran 2.2%, Greek Catholic 1.8%), other 1.9%, none 18.2%, no response 27.2% (2011 est.) |
| Iceland | Christian (Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland (official) 62.3%, Roman Catholic 4%, Independent Congregation of Reykjavik 2.7%, Independent Congregation of Hafnarfjordur 2%), pagan worship 1.4%, Icelandic Ethical Humanist Association 1.1%, other or unspecified 19%, none 7.6% (2021 est.) |
| India | Hindu 79.8%, Muslim 14.2%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.7%, other and unspecified 2% (2011 est.) |
| Indonesia | Muslim 87.2%, Christian (Protestant 7%, Roman Catholic 2.9%), Hindu 1.7%, other 0.9%, unspecified 0.4% (2010 est.) |
| Iran | Muslim (official) 99.6% (Shia 90-95%, Sunni 5-10%), other (includes Zoroastrian, Jewish, and Christian) 0.3%, unspecified 0.2% (2016 est.) |
| Iraq | Muslim (official) 95-98% (Shia 61-64%, Sunni 29-34%), Christian 1%, other 1-4% (2015 est.) |
| Ireland | Christian (Roman Catholic 78.3%, Church of Ireland 2.7%, other Christian 1.6%, Orthodox 1.3%), Muslim 1.3%, other 2.4%, none 9.8%, unspecified 2.6% (2016 est.) |
| Israel | Jewish 74%, Muslim 18%, Christian 1.9%, Druze 1.6%, other 4.5% (2020 est.) |
| Italy | Christian 80.8% (overwhelmingly Roman Catholic), Muslim 4.9%, unaffiliated 13.4%, other 0.9% (2020 est.) |
| Jamaica | Christian (Protestant 64.8%, Roman Catholic 2.2%, Jehovah's Witness 1.9%), Rastafarian 1.1%, other 6.5%, none 21.3%, unspecified 2.3% (2011 est.) |
| Japan | Shintoism 70.5%, Buddhism 67.2%, Christianity 1.5%, other 5.9%. Many people practice Shintoism and Buddhism together. (2019 est.) |
| Jordan | Muslim 97.1% (official; predominantly Sunni), Christian 2.1% (majority Greek Orthodox), Buddhist 0.4%, Hindu 0.1%, Jewish <0.1%, folk <0.1%, other <0.1%, unaffiliated <0.1% (2020 est.) |
| Kazakhstan | Muslim 70.2%, Christian 26.2% (mainly Russian Orthodox), other 0.2%, atheist 2.8%, unspecified 0.5% (2009 est.) |
| Kenya | Christian 85.5% (Protestant 33.4%, Catholic 20.6%, Evangelical 20.4%, African Instituted Churches 7%, other Christian 4.1%), Muslim 10.9%, other 1.8%, none 1.6%, don't know/no answer 0.2% (2019 est.) |
| Kiribati | Christian (Roman Catholic 58.9%, Kiribati Uniting Church 21.2%, Kiribati Protestant Church 8.4%, Church of Jesus Christ 5.6%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.1%), Baha'i 2.1%, other 1.7% (2020 est.) |
| Korea, North | Traditionally Buddhist and Confucian, some Christian and syncretic Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way) |
| Korea, South | Christian (Protestant 19.7%, Catholic 7.9%), Buddhist 15.5%, none 56.9% (2015 est.) |
| Kuwait | Muslim (official) 74.6%, Christian 18.2%, other and unspecified 7.2% (2013 est.) |
| Kyrgyzstan | Muslim 90% (majority Sunni), Christian 7% (Russian Orthodox 3%), other 3% (includes Jewish, Buddhist, Baha'i) (2017 est.) |
| Laos | Buddhist 64.7%, Christian 1.7%, none 31.4%, other/not stated 2.1% (2015 est.) |
| Latvia | Christian (Lutheran 36.2%, Roman Catholic 19.5%, Orthodox 19.1%, other Christian 1.6%), other 0.1%, unspecified/none 23.5% (2017 est.) |
| Lebanon | Muslim 67.8% (31.9% Sunni, 31.2% Shia, smaller percentages of Alawites and Ismailis), Christian 32.4% (Maronite Catholics are the largest Christian group), Druze 4.5%, very small numbers of Jews, Baha'is, Buddhists, and Hindus (2020 est.) |
| Lesotho | Christian (Protestant 47.8%, Roman Catholic 39.3%, other Christian 9.1%), non-Christian 1.4%, none 2.3% (2014 est.) |
| Liberia | Christian 85.6%, Muslim 12.2%, Traditional 0.6%, other 0.2%, none 1.5% (2008 est.) |
| Libya | Muslim (official; virtually all Sunni) 96.6%, Christian 2.7%, Buddhist <1%, Hindu <1%, Jewish <1%, folk religion <1%, other <1%, unaffiliated <1% (2020 est.) |
| Liechtenstein | Christian (Roman Catholic (official) 73.4%, Protestant Reformed 6.3%, Muslim 5.9%, Christian Orthodox 1.3%, Lutheran 1.2%, other Protestant 0.7%, other Christian 0.3%), other 0.8%, none 7%, unspecified 3.3% (2015 est.) |
| Lithuania | Christian (Roman Catholic 74.2%, Russian Orthodox 3.7%, Old Believer 0.6%, Evangelical Lutheran 0.6%, Evangelical Reformist 0.2%), other (including Sunni Muslim, Jewish, Greek Catholic, and Karaite) 0.9%, none 6.1%, unspecified 13.7% (2021 est.) |
| Luxembourg | Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic) 70.6%, Muslim 2.3%, other (includes Buddhist, folk religions, Hindu, Jewish) 0.4%, unaffiliated 26.7% (2020 est.) |
| Macedonia | Christian (Macedonian Orthodox 46.1%, other Christian 13.8%), Muslim 32.2%, other and none 0.5%, unspecified 0.2%, no data available 7.2% (2021 est.) |
| Madagascar | Christian (Macedonian Orthodox 46.1%, other Christian 13.8%), Muslim 32.2%, other and none 0.5%, unspecified 0.2%, no data available 7.2% (2021 est.) |
| Malawi | Christian (Protestant 33.5%, Roman Catholic 17.2%, other Christian 26.6%), Muslim 13.8%, traditionalist 1.1%, other 5.6%, none 2.1% (2018 est.) |
| Malaysia | Muslim (official) 61.3%, Buddhist 19.8%, Christian 9.2%, Hindu 6.3%, Confucianism, Taoism, other traditional Chinese religions 1.3%, other 0.4%, none 0.8%, unspecified 1% (2010 est.) |
| Maldives | Sunni Muslim (official) |
| Mali | Muslim 93.9%, Christian 2.8%, animist 0.7%, none 2.5% (2018 est.) |
| Malta | Roman Catholic (official) more than 90% (2006 est.) |
| Marshall Islands | Christian (Protestant 80.5% (United Church of Christ 47%, Assembly of God 16.2%, Bukot Nan Jesus 5.4%, Full Gospel 3.3%, Reformed Congressional Church 3%, Salvation Army 1.9%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.4%, Meram in Jesus 1.2%, other Protestant 1.1%), Roman Catholic 8.5%, Church of Jesus Christ 7%, Jehovah's Witness 1.7%), other 1.2%, none 1.1% (2011 est.) |
| Mauritania | Muslim (official) 100% |
| Mauritius | Hindu 48.5%, Roman Catholic 26.3%, Muslim 17.3%, other Christian 6.4%, other 0.6%, none 0.7%, unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.) |
| Mexico | Christian (Roman Catholic 78%, Protestant/evangelical Christian 11.2%), other 0.002%, unaffiliated (includes atheism) 10.6% (2020 est.) |
| Micronesia | Christian (Roman Catholic 54.7%, Protestant 41.1%, other 1.9%), none 0.7%, unspecified 0.1% (2010 est.) |
| Moldova | Christian (Orthodox 90.1%, other Christian 2.6%), other 0.1%, agnostic <0.1%, atheist 0.2%, unspecified 6.9% (2014 est.) |
| Monaco | Roman Catholic 90% (official), other 10% |
| Mongolia | Buddhist 51.7%, Muslim 3.2%, Shamanist 2.5%, Christian 1.3%, other 0.7%, none 40.6% (2020 est.) |
| Montenegro | Christian (Orthodox 72.1%, Catholic 3.4%), Muslim 19.1%, atheist 1.2%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2.6% (2011 est.) |
| Morocco | Muslim 99% (official; virtually all Sunni), other 1% (includes Christian, Jewish, and Baha'i) (2020 est.) |
| Mozambique | Muslim 99% (official; virtually all Sunni), other 1% (includes Christian, Jewish, and Baha'i) (2020 est.) |
| Myanmar | (2017 est.) Buddhism (official) 87.9%, Christianity 6.2%, Islam 4.3%, other 1.6% |
| Namibia | Christian 97.5%, other 0.6% (includes Muslim, Baha'i, Jewish, Buddhist), unaffiliated 1.9% (2020 est.) |
| Nauru | Christian (Protestant 60.4%, Roman Catholic 33%), other 3.7%, none 1.8%, unspecified 1.1% (2011 est.) |
| Nepal | Hindu 81.3%, Buddhist 9%, Muslim 4.4%, Kirat Mundhum 3.1%, Christian 1.4%, other 0.5%, unspecified 0.2% (2011 est.) |
| Netherlands | Christian (Roman Catholic 20.1%, Protestant 14.8%), Muslim 5%, other 5.9% (includes Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish), none 54.1% (2019 est.) |
| New Zealand | Christian 37.3% (Catholic 10.1%, Protestant 27.2%), Hindu 2.7%, Maori 1.3%, Muslim, 1.3%, Buddhist 1.1%, other religion 1.6%, no religion 48.6%, objected to answering 6.7% (2018 est.) |
| Nicaragua | Christian (Roman Catholic 50%, Evangelical 33.2%), other 2.9%, none 0.7%, unspecified 13.2% (2017 est.) |
| Niger | Muslim 99.3%, Christian 0.3%, animist 0.2%, none 0.1% (2012 est.) |
| Nigeria | Muslim 53.5%, Roman Catholic 10.6%, other Christian 35.3%, other .6% (2018 est.) |
| Norway | Christian (Church of Norway (official) 67.5%, Roman Catholic 3.1%, other Christian 3.8%), Muslim 3.1%, other 2.6%, unspecified 19.9% (2021 est.) |
| Oman | Muslim 85.9%, Christian 6.4%, Hindu 5.7%, other and unaffiliated 2% (2020 est.) |
| Pakistan | Muslim (official) 96.5% (Sunni 85-90%, Shia 10-15%), other (includes Christian and Hindu) 3.5% (2020 est.) |
| Palau | Christian (Roman Catholic 45.3%, Protestant 34.9%, Church of Jesus Christ 1.5%), Modekngei 5.7% (indigenous to Palau), Muslim 3%, other 9.7% (2015 est.) |
| Palestinian State (proposed) | West Bank: Islam 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8%; Gaza Strip: Islam 98.7% (predominantly Sunni), Christian 0.7%, Jewish 0.6%. |
| Panama | Christian (Roman Catholic 48.6%, Evangelical 30.2%, other 4.7%), agnostic 0.2%, atheist 0.2%, none 12.3%, unspecified 3.7% (2018 est.) |
| Papua New Guinea | Christian (Protestant 64.3%, Roman Catholic 26%, other Christian 5.3%), non-Christian 1.4%, unspecified 3.1% (2011 est.) |
| Paraguay | Christian (Roman Catholic 89.6%, Protestant 6.2%, other Christian 1.1%), other or unspecified 1.9%, none 1.1% (2002 est.) |
| Peru | Christian (Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 14.6%), other 0.3%, none 4%, unspecified 21.1% (2017 est.) |
| Philippines | Christiahn (Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 14.6%), other 0.3%, none 4%, unspecified 21.1% (2017 est.) |
| Poland | Christian (Catholic 85%, Orthodox 1.3%, Protestant 0.4%), other 0.3%, unspecified 12.9% (2020 est.) |
| Portugal | Christian (Roman Catholic 81%, other Christian 3.3%), other 0.6%, none 6.8%, unspecified 8.3% (2011 est.) |
| Qatar | Muslim 65.2%, Christian 13.7%, Hindu 15.9%, Buddhist 3.8%, folk religion <0.1%, Jewish <0.1%, other <1%, unaffiliated <1% (2020 est.) |
| Romania | Christian (Eastern Orthodox 81.9%, Protestant 6.4%, Roman Catholic 4.3%), other (includes Muslim) 0.9%, none or atheist 0.2%, unspecified 6.3% (2011 est.) |
| Russia | Christiahn (Russian Orthodox 15-20%, other Christian 2%), Muslim 10-15%, (2006 est., includes practicing worshippers only) |
| Rwanda | Christian (Protestant 57.7%, Roman Catholic 38.2%), Muslim 2.1%, other 1%, none 1.1% (2019-20 est.) |
| St. Kitts and Nevis | Christian (Protestant 75.6%, Roman Catholic 5.9%, Jehovah's Witness 1.4%), Hindu 1.8%, , Rastafarian 1.3%, other 5%, none 8.8%, unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.) |
| St. Lucia | Christian (Roman Catholic 61.5%, Protestant 25.5%, other Christian 3.4%), Rastafarian 1.9%, other 0.4%, none 5.9%, unspecified 1.4% (2010 est.) |
| St. Vincent and the Grenadines | Christian (Protestant 75%, Roman Catholic 6.3%, Jehovah's Witness 0.8%), Rastafarian 1.1%, other 4.7%, none 7.5%, unspecified 4.7% (2012 est.) |
| Samoa | Christian (Protestant 54.9%, Roman Catholic 18.8%, Church of Jesus Christ 16.9%, Worship Centre 2.8%, other Christian 3.6%), other 2.9%, none 0.2% (2016 est.) |
| San Marino | Roman Catholic 100% |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | Christian (Catholic 55.7%, Adventist 4.1%, Assembly of God 3.4%, New Apostolic 2.9%, Mana 2.3%, Universal Kingdom of God 2%, Jehovah's Witness 1.2%), other 6.2%, none 21.2%, unspecified 1% (2012 est.) |
| Saudi Arabia | Muslim (official) Sunni 85-90%, Shia 10-12%), other (includes Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, and Sikh) (2020 est.) |
| Senegal | Muslim 97.2% (majority Sufi), Christian 2.7% (mostly Roman Catholic) (2019 est.) |
| Serbia | Christian (Orthodox 84.6%, Catholic 5%, Protestant 1%), Muslim 3.1%, atheist 1.1%, other 0.8%, undeclared or unknown 4.5% (2011 est.) |
| Seychelles | Christian (Roman Catholic 76.2%, Protestant 10.5%, other Christian 2.4%), Hindu 2.4%, Muslim 1.6%, other 1.1%, unspecified 4.8%, none 0.9% (2010 est.) |
| Sierra Leone | Muslim 77.1%, Christian 22.9% (2019 est.) |
| Singapore | Buddhist 31.1%, Christian 18.9%, Muslim 15.6%, Taoist 8.8%, Hindu 5%, other 0.6%, none 20% (2020 est.) |
| Slovakia | Christian (Roman Catholic 55.8%, Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession 5.3%, Greek Catholic 4%, Reformed Christian 1.6%), other 3%, none 23.8%, unspecified 6.5% (2021 est.) |
| Slovenia | Christian (Catholic 57.8%, Orthodox 2.3%, other Christian 1%), Muslim 2.4%, unaffiliated 3.5%, no response or unspecified 22.8%, none 10.1% (2002 est.) |
| Solomon Islands | Christian (Protestant 73.4%, Roman Catholic 19.6%, other Christian 2.9%), other 4%, unspecified 0.1% (2009 est.) |
| Somalia | Sunni Muslim (official) |
| South Africa | Christian 86%, traditional African religions 5.4%, Muslim 1.9%, other 1.5%, none 5.2% (2015 est.) |
| Spain | Roman Catholic 58.2%, atheist 16.2%, agnostic 10.8%, other 2.7%, non-believer 10.5%, unspecified 1.7% (2021 est.) |
| Sri Lanka | Buddhist (official) 70.2%, Hindu 12.6%, Muslim 9.7%, Roman Catholic 6.1%, other Christian 1.3%, other 0.05% (2012 est.) |
| Sudan | Sunni Muslim, small Christian minority |
| Suriname | Christian (Protestant 23.6%, Roman Catholic 21.6%, Jehovah's Witness 1.2%, other Christian 3.2%) Hindu 22.3%, Muslim 13.8%, Winti 1.8%, other 1.7%, none 7.5%, unspecified 3.2% (2012 est.) |
| Swaziland | Christian (Protestant 23.6%, Roman Catholic 21.6%, Jehovah's Witness 1.2%, other Christian 3.2%) Hindu 22.3%, Muslim 13.8%, Winti 1.8%, other 1.7%, none 7.5%, unspecified 3.2% (2012 est.) |
| Sweden | Christian 57.6%, other 8.9%, none or unspecified 33.5% (2019 est.) |
| Switzerland | Christian (Roman Catholic 34.4%, Protestant 22.5%, other Christian 5.7%), Muslim 5.4%, other 1.5%, none 29.4%, unspecified 1.1% (2020 est.) |
| Syria | Muslim 87% (official; includes Sunni 74% and Alawi, Ismaili, and Shia 13%), Christian 10%, Druze 3% |
| Taiwan | Buddhist 35.3%, Taoist 33.2%, Christian 3.9%, folk religion (includes Confucian) approximately 10%, none or unspecified 18.2% (2005 est.) |
| Tajikistan | Muslim 98% (Sunni 95%, Shia 3%) other 2% (2014 est.) |
| Tanzania | Mainland: Christian 63.1%, Muslim 34.1%, folk religion 1.1%, Buddhist <1%, Hindu <1%, Jewish <1%, other <1%, unspecified 1.6%; Zanzibar: almost 100% Muslim (2020 est.) |
| Thailand | Buddhist 94.6%, Muslim 4.3%, Christian 1%, other <0.1%, none <0.1% (2015 est.) |
| Togo | Christian 42.3%, folk religion 36.9%, Muslim 14%, Hindu <1%, Buddhist <1%, Jewish <1%, other <1%, none 6.2% (2020 est.) |
| Tonga | Christian (Protestant 64.1%, Church of Jesus Christ 18.6%, Roman Catholic 14.2%), other 2.4%, none 0.5%, unspecified 0.1% (2016 est.) |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Christian (Protestant 32.1%, Roman Catholic 21.6%, Jehovah's Witness 1.5%), Hindu 18.2%, Muslim 5%, other 8.4%, none 2.2%, unspecified 11.1% (2011 est.) |
| Tunisia | Muslim (official; Sunni) 99%, other <1% |
| Turkey | Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews) |
| Turkmenistan | Muslim 93%, Christian 6.4%, Buddhist <1%, folk religion <1%, Jewish <1%, other <1%, unspecified <1% (2020 est.) |
| Tuvalu | Protestant 92.7%, Baha'i 1.5%, Jehovah's Witness 1.5%, other 3.9%, none or refused 0.4% (2017 est.) |
| Uganda | Christian (Protestant 45.1%, Roman Catholic 39.3%), Muslim 13.7%, other 1.6%, none 0.2% (2014 est.) |
| Ukraine | Christian (Orthodox (includes the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC), and the Ukrainian Orthodox - Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP)), Ukrainian Greek Catholic, Roman Catholic, Protestant), Muslim > 1%, Jewish >1% (2013 est.) |
| United Arab Emirates | Muslim (official) 76%, Christian 9%, other 15% (2005 est.) |
| United Kingdom | Christian 59.5%, Muslim 4.4%, Hindu 1.3%, other 2%, unspecified 7.2%, none 25.7% (2011 est.) |
| United States | Christian (Protestant 46.5%, Roman Catholic 20.8%, Church of Jesus Christ 1.6%, Jehovah's Witness 0.8%, other Christian 0.9%), Jewish 1.9%, Muslim 0.9%, Buddhist 0.7%, Hindu 0.7%, other 1.8%, unaffiliated 22.8%, don't know/refused 0.6% (2014 est.) |
| Uruguay | Christian (Roman Catholic 42%, Protestant 15%), other 6%, agnostic 3%, atheist 10%, unspecified 24% (2014 est.) |
| Uzbekistan | Muslim 88% (mostly Sunni), Eastern Orthodox Christian 9%, other 3% |
| Vanuatu | Christian (Protestant 70%, Roman Catholic 12.4%), customary beliefs 3.7% (including Jon Frum cargo cult), other 12.6%, none 1.1%, unspecified 0.2% (2009 est.) |
| Vatican City (Holy See) | Roman Catholic |
| Venezuela | Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%, other 2% |
| Vietnam | Catholic 6.1%, Buddhist 5.8%, Protestant 1%, other 0.8%, none 86.3% (2019 est.) |
| Western Sahara (proposed state) | Islam |
| Yemen | Muslim 99.1% (official) (Sunni 65%, Shia), other 0.9% (2020 est.) |
| Zambia | Christian (Protestant 75.3%, Roman Catholic 20.2%), other 2.7%, none 1.8% (2010 est.) |
| Zimbabwe | Christian (Protestant 74.8%, Roman Catholic 7.3%, other Christian 5.3%), traditional 1.5%, Muslim 0.5%, other 0.1%, none 10.5% (2015 est.) |
The Global Religious Landscape
As you can see, the global religious landscape is broad and diverse. And this article only scratches the surface!
Would you like to know more about religions across the globe? Read our in-depth summary of the World's Major Religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Baha'i, Jainism, and even Confucianism.
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