Our world has always been one of many religions, but in the twentieth century improved communications increased our awareness of each other and there were vast movements of people, which means that many countries are now multi-religious.

The question for the twenty first century is whether we can learn to live together harmoniously in local and national communities and work together for a more just and peaceful world.

You may find it helpful to have some idea how many people belong to the various religions and denominations.

 


World population by Religion: mid-1998
Christian
1,965,993,000
Muslim
1,179,326,000
Hindu
767,424,000
Non-religious
766,672,000
Buddhist
356,875,000
Tribal Religion
244,164,000
Atheist
146,406,000
New Religions
99,191,000
Sikh
22,874,000
Daoist
20,050,000
Jewish
15,050,000
Baha'i
6,251,000
Confucian
5,067,000
Jain
4,152,000
Shinto
3,571,000
Parsi (Zoroastrian)
479,000
Source: Atlas of the World's Religions Edited by Ninian Smart