Every major faith, by the numbers
World religions, ranked
Adherents on the 2020 Pew baseline, with net gain or loss from religious switching — the only number that measures conversion rather than birth rates.
Christianity
2.3bn
The largest religion on Earth, and the one losing the most people to switching — almost entirely in high-income countries.
Net from switching: -73m
Islam
2.0bn
The fastest-growing major religion — driven almost entirely by fertility and youth, not by conversion.
Net from switching: +1m
Religiously unaffiliated
1.9bn
Atheists, agnostics and 'nothing in particular' — the single biggest net winner from religious switching anywhere on the planet.
Net from switching: +96m
Hinduism
1.2bn
Geographically the most concentrated major religion: roughly 95% of all Hindus live in India, Nepal and Bangladesh.
Net from switching: -0.6m
Folk & traditional
325m
Chinese folk religion, African traditional religions, Indigenous and shamanic practice — often held alongside another faith.
Net from switching: -12m
Buddhism
324m
The only major religion that shrank in absolute numbers between 2010 and 2020.
Net from switching: -29m
Other religions
62m
Bahá'í, Jainism, Shinto, Taoism, Zoroastrianism, Wicca, Cao Dai and hundreds more.
Net from switching: +2m
Sikhism
30m
Concentrated in Punjab, with the largest diaspora communities in Canada, the UK and Australia.
Net from switching: -0.1m
Judaism
15m
Small but globally distributed, with about 85% of the world's Jews in Israel and the United States.
Net from switching: -0.3m