Global — June 11, 2025 — A comprehensive demographic study by the Pew Research Center reveals that Islam has emerged as the world’s fastest-growing major religion, edging closer to Christianity in terms of global share. Meanwhile, Hinduism has maintained a stable presence, according to recent religious population data. (reddit.com)
🌍 Key Findings
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Islam’s Rise: Between 2010 and 2020, the Muslim population grew from about 23.8% to 25.6% of the global population, fueled by a youthful demographic—average age 24—and higher fertility rates compared to other faiths (washingtonpost.com).
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Christianity’s Position: Despite increasing in absolute numbers—from 2.18 billion to 2.30 billion—the Christian share declined by 1.8 percentage points (from ~30.6% to 28.8%) due to slower growth and significant disaffiliation (washingtonpost.com).
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Hinduism Steady: Hindus have remained stable as a percentage of the global population, without major gains or losses over the decade (washingtonpost.com).
📈 What’s Behind the Shift?
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Youth & Fertility: Muslim communities around the world have a lower median age (~24) and higher average fertility—around 3.1 children per woman—compared to other major religions, driving faster population growth (en.wikipedia.org).
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Disaffiliation Trend: Christianity saw many adherents disaffiliate, while Muslim populations experienced lower attrition rates within the decade (washingtonpost.com).
🔮 Projections & Predictions
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Demographers project that if current trends continue, Islam may surpass Christianity in global adherents by mid-century or later in the century (washingtonpost.com).
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Sub‑Saharan Africa and South Asia—regions with young Muslim populations—are central to these changes .
🧭 Regional Patterns
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Africa: Rapid urbanization, combined with high fertility, has contributed to robust growth in both Muslim and Christian populations .
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India: Though predominantly Hindu (around 79.8% per the 2011 census), India already hosts the third-largest Muslim population globally; projections estimate by 2050, Muslims could account for 18–19% of India’s population (en.wikipedia.org).
Disclaimer: This article reflects data and projections released by the Pew Research Center as of June 2025. Population figures are based on census and survey data from 2010–2020, and future projections are subject to changes due to migration, shifts in fertility rates, religious conversion, and global events.
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