ReligionCompare

World Religions

Explore major world religions with factual, citation-backed information on beliefs, practices, history, demographics, and more.

Christianity

~2.3 billion (2020) [1] adherentsLevant, 1st century CE [2]

Islam

~2.0 billion (2020) [1] adherentsArabian Peninsula, 7th century CE [2]

Hinduism

~1.2 billion (2020) [1] adherentsIndian subcontinent, ~1500 BCE [2]

Buddhism

~324 million (2020) [1] adherentsIndian subcontinent, 5th century BCE [2]

Judaism

~14.8 million (2020) [1] adherentsLevant, ~2000 BCE [2]

Sikhism

~25-30 million [1] adherentsPunjab, 15th century CE [2]

Baha'i Faith

~5-8 million [1] adherentsPersia, 19th century CE [2]

Jainism

~4-5 million [1] adherentsIndian subcontinent, 6th century BCE [2]

Shinto

~4 million [1] adherentsJapan, prehistoric religious tradition [2]

Taoism

~12 million [1] adherentsChina, 4th century BCE [2]

Zoroastrianism

~100-200 thousand [1] adherentsPersia, ~1500-500 BCE [2]

Indigenous & Traditional

~300+ million [1][3] adherentsVarious regions, prehistoric and ancestral traditions [2]

Catholicism

~1.3 billion [1] adherentsRome, 1st century CE [2]

Orthodox Christianity

~220 million [1] adherentsEastern Mediterranean, 1st century CE [2]

Protestantism

~800 million-1 billion [1] adherentsEurope, 16th century CE [2]

Confucianism

~6-7 million formal [1] adherentsChina, 6th-5th century BCE [2]

Latter-day Saints

~17 million [1] adherentsUnited States, 19th century CE [2]

Jehovah's Witnesses

~9.2 million active (2025) [6] adherentsUnited States, 1870s CE [2]

Secular Humanism & Atheism

~1.9 billion unaffiliated (2020) [1] adherentsGlobal, Enlightenment era onward [2]

African Diaspora Religions

~60-100 million [1] adherentsAmericas & Caribbean, 16th century onward [2]

Paganism & Wicca

~3-5 million [1] adherentsEurope & global, mid-20th century revival [2]

Rastafari

~700,000-1 million [1] adherentsJamaica, 1930s CE [2]

Druze

~1-2 million [1] adherentsEgypt/Levant, 11th century CE [2]

Unitarian Universalism

~800,000 [1] adherentsEurope & North America, 16th-20th century CE [2]

Sources & Further Reading

Adherent counts are approximate global estimates and vary by methodology and update cycle [1][3]. Figures marked 2020 are Pew Research Center’s estimates from its June 2025 study. Historical origin windows are summarized from major reference works [2].

  1. Pew Research Center, "How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020" (June 9, 2025), and other Pew religion reports.pewresearch.org (2025 study)
  2. Encyclopaedia Britannica, religion reference entries.https://www.britannica.com/topic/religion
  3. World Religion Database, global adherence estimates.worldreligiondatabase.org (publisher site)
  4. Oxford Reference, comparative religion topics.oxfordreference.com (publisher site)
  5. CIA World Factbook, country-level demographic context.https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/
  6. Jehovah's Witnesses, "2025 Grand Totals," 2025 Service Year Report (peak publishers).jw.org (2025 report)