Demographics2

 

GLOBAL STATUS OF MAJOR WORLD RELIGIONS
(RANKED BY MEMBERSHIP SIZE)

Religion

World
2000 United States
1970 United States
2000

United States
2025

Christians  1,999,564,000 191,182,000  235,741,000   266,348,500 Muslims 1,888,243,000 800,000  4,131,910 5,290,000 Hindus 811,336,000 100,000    1,031,677 1,500,000 Buddhists  359,982,000 200,000 2,449,570   5,000,000 Ethnoreligionists 228,367,000 0,000 434,851 500,000 Sikhs  23,258,000 1,000 233,820 310,000 Jews 14,434,000 14,434,000  5,621,339 6,100,000 Confucianists 6,299,000 *** *** *** Babi and Baha’i   7,106,000 138,000 753,423 1,150,000 Jains 4,218,000 000 6,959 7,000 Shinto 2,762,000 000 56,220 84,000 Zoroastrians 2,544,000 000 52,721 84,000 Nonreligionists 918,249,000 10,070,000 25,077,844 40,000,000

Agnostics

768,159,000 *** *** ***

Aethists

150,090,000 200,000 1,149,486 1,600,000    


The term “major world religion” generally applies to groups that are of major historical and cultural significance. Precisely what should be deemed a major world religion is a matter of some disagreement. Baha’ism may be omitted because it is a recent tradition or mis-classified as an Islamic sect. Zoroastrianism and Shinto may be omitted because they are relatively small and geographically limited. Confucianism and Taoism may be omitted because they are defined as ethical systems rather than religions and have few formal adherents with a primary loyalty to them.

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