Crores Moving Away from Organised Religions, Study Shows
Article Today, Hyderabad:
Across the world, secularism is steadily becoming a powerful social movement, with crores of people distancing themselves from organised religions. Particularly in developed countries, identifying as non-religious is now seen as a modern lifestyle choice. A recent report by the Pew Research Center has revealed significant shifts in global religious patterns.
Growing Numbers Without Religious Identity
According to the Pew Research Center’s latest findings, the number of people who do not associate with any religion has crossed 147 crore worldwide. This group now forms 24.2% of the global population, which has risen from 23.3% in 2010. Countries like China, the United States, and Japan have the highest share of non-religious people. A key reason for this growth is that many people born into Christian families are now choosing to leave the religion.
Secularism Rising in Developed Nations
The report highlights that secularism is growing rapidly in developed countries, where modern thinking and scientific lifestyles are reshaping beliefs. In contrast, in Sub-Saharan Africa and many parts of Asia, religion continues to play a strong role in daily life and governance. While secular thinking is becoming common in the West, many developing countries remain deeply rooted in religious traditions.
Christian Population Share Declining
Even though the total number of Christians worldwide increased from 218 crore in 2010 to 230 crore in 2020, their share in the world’s population dropped from 30.6% to 28.8%. The main reason for this decline is religious switching. The study noted that for every one person who becomes Christian, around three people are leaving the faith. The number of countries where Christians form the majority fell from 124 to 120 during this period. In countries like the United Kingdom, Australia, France, and Uruguay, Christians now make up less than half of the population. Interestingly, the Christian population increased in Sub-Saharan Africa, where their share rose from 24.8% to 31%, with Mozambique seeing a 5% rise.
Islam Growing at the Fastest Pace
Islam remains the fastest-growing religion in the world. Between 2010 and 2020, the Muslim population grew by 34.7 crore people, reaching nearly 200 crore. The Muslim share in the world’s population increased by 1.8%, now standing at 25.6%. The report explained that this rise is due to higher birth rates, a younger population, and very low religious switching among Muslims.
Hindu Growth Rate Stable
The Hindu population has shown steady growth, rising by 12.6 crore people to reach 120 crore globally. Hindus now make up 14.9% of the world’s population. Religions such as Judaism, Jainism, and various traditional faiths have remained mostly stable. The Jewish population slightly increased from 1.38 crore in 2010 to 1.48 crore in 2020, maintaining a small share of 0.2% in the global population.
Buddhist Population Declining
In contrast, the Buddhist population has gone down from 34.3 crore in 2010 to 32.4 crore in 2020. Lower birth rates and religious switching are the main reasons for this decline. Other smaller religions, including Jainism and traditional faiths, together continue to represent about 2.2% of the world’s population, keeping pace with general population growth.
Conclusion
The Pew Research Center’s detailed report clearly shows that the world’s religious map is changing quickly. Secularism is becoming more popular, especially in advanced countries, while traditional religions are experiencing both growth and decline in different regions. Islam and Hinduism are growing steadily, but Christianity is losing ground in several parts of the world. The rise of the secular population signals a major shift in global belief systems and cultural identities.
