Islam is the fastest-growing religion worldwide, according to a new Pew Research Center study. Between 2010 and 2020, the Muslim population grew by 347 million people, with most of this growth due to natural demographic changes rather than conversions or defections.
Christianity remains the world’s largest faith group, despite growing at a slower rate, with an increase of 122 million members. However, it has declined as a percentage of the global population, now accounting for nearly 29% of the world’s population.
The study also found that the religiously unaffiliated group is now the third-largest faith group, with 24.2% identifying as such. This growth was particularly notable in North America, where the number of non-religious individuals increased by 13 percentage points between 2010 and 2020.
In contrast, Buddhism declined by 19 million people between 2010 and 2020, while Hinduism grew in some regions, including the Middle East-North Africa region and North America. The Jewish population remained relatively stable, growing by 6% over the same period.
Researchers used data from 2,700 sources to document the religious affiliations of 100,000 people across 201 countries. The study highlights the importance of demographic characteristics, such as age structure, education level, and fertility rates, in shaping the future size of faith groups.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2025/06/10/nx-s1-5429168/islam-is-the-fastest-growing-religion-in-the-world-pew-study-says