Divinity Atlas

Sacred Correspondences
Sources

Religious Composition of the World, 2010-2020

Citation Formats

General Reference

APA Style

BibTeX

A demographic report from the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan American research organization, tracking changes in the size of the world's major religious groups between 2010 and 2020, including the rise in the Muslim population share and the size of the religiously unaffiliated population. Pew's established methodology and reputation as a research institution place this at this atlas's middle tier, a reputable secondary source rather than peer reviewed academic scholarship in the strict sense. It is a strong source for global demographic trend figures, stated with whatever caveats Pew itself attaches, such as its own noted uncertainty around figures for China. It is not a source on the religious content or lived experience behind the numbers.

Facts
Assessment
Reliability Tier
2
Established survey research organization with a stated, published methodology (over 2,700 national censuses, surveys and population registers across 201 countries); a reputable secondary demographic source rather than peer reviewed academic scholarship, this atlas's middle tier.
Notes
Muslims 1.7 billion (2010) to 2.0 billion (2020), 24 to 26 per cent of the world; religiously unaffiliated about 1.9 billion in 2020, with the China caveat stated in the entry.
Citation
Author
Pew Research Center
Publisher
Pew Research Center
Publication Year
2025
URL
https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2025/06/09/how-the-global-religious-landscape-changed-from-2010-to-2020/
Source Type
reference
Cross-Tradition Connections

Associated With

China, Countries

This source names China directly: "noted uncertainty around figures for China."

Source Religious Composition of the World, 2010-2020Pew Research Center
Global, Continents

This source names Global directly: "It is a strong source for global demographic trend figures, stated with whatever caveats Pew itself attaches, such as its own noted uncertainty around figures for China."

Source Religious Composition of the World, 2010-2020Pew Research Center

Authored By

Source Pew Research Center: Our HistoryPew Research Center
Claims Backed By This Source (966 claims)

This source backs 966 claims across the atlas. As facts: 438 well-attested, 4 scholarly debate, 3 open question. As cited relationships: 246 holds, 37 connected. Plus 238 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.

Disposition By Topic

  • Countries, 633 claims: 189 well-attested, 4 scholarly debate, 3 open question, 243 holds, 194 general references.
  • Articles, 269 claims: 210 well-attested, 29 connected, 30 general references.
  • Open Questions, 32 claims: 21 well-attested, 8 connected, 3 general references.
  • Religions, 17 claims: 10 well-attested, 1 holds, 6 general references.
  • Sources, 10 claims: 8 well-attested, 2 holds.
  • Denominations, 3 claims: 3 general references.
  • Organizations, 1 claims: 1 general references.
  • Religious Organization & Structure, 1 claims: 1 general references.

Well-attested

438

Articles

Buddhism TodayReform, Politics and the PresentReligion and History in AfghanistanReligion and History in AlbaniaReligion and History in Antigua and BarbudaReligion and History in AustraliaReligion and History in AustriaReligion and History in BahrainReligion and History in BelarusReligion and History in BelizeReligion and History in BeninReligion and History in BrazilReligion and History in Burkina FasoReligion and History in CambodiaReligion and History in CanadaReligion and History in ChadReligion and History in ChileReligion and History in ChinaReligion and History in CubaReligion and History in DenmarkReligion and History in DjiboutiReligion and History in DominicaReligion and History in EthiopiaReligion and History in FranceReligion and History in French PolynesiaReligion and History in GermanyReligion and History in GreeceReligion and History in GrenadaReligion and History in GuineaReligion and History in Guinea-BissauReligion and History in GuyanaReligion and History in HaitiReligion and History in IndonesiaReligion and History in IranReligion and History in IraqReligion and History in IrelandReligion and History in IsraelReligion and History in ItalyReligion and History in JapanReligion and History in JordanReligion and History in KenyaReligion and History in KiribatiReligion and History in LaosReligion and History in LebanonReligion and History in LesothoReligion and History in LiberiaReligion and History in LiechtensteinReligion and History in LithuaniaReligion and History in LuxembourgReligion and History in Mali

Showing 1 to 50 of 291 entities carrying this claim. Next

Scholarly debate

4

Open question

3
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