World Religion Map

A religion is difficult to define; everyone has a different idea of religion. It can be described as a collection of cultural practices, belief systems and views that spiritually and morally relates to humanity. Many religions have traditions and sacred histories, organized conducts, narratives, scriptures, rituals, symbols, holy places, festivals, etc which aim to give meaning to life or explain the origin of life and universe. A global poll informs that 59% world population is religious, 23% are not religious and 13% are atheists.

This map of World Religion throws light on different religions being followed in the world and in which part of the world a religion is practiced in majority. Thought it should also be noted that many secular countries have several different religions being practiced.

Religion Followers (approx) Christianity 2.4 billion Islam 1.65 billion Buddhism 376 million Taoism 2.7 million Hinduism 1 billion Judaism 14.5 million Non-religious 1.12 billion

Religion % in world Christianity 33.32% Muslims 21.01% Hindus 13.26% Buddhists 5.84% Other religions 12.48% Non-religions 14.09% Total 100.00%

Christianity: Christianity was founded in the early 1st century CE, with the teachings, miracles, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the largest religion in the world and has around 2.4 billion followers. It is the dominant religion in the western world. Today Christianity has developed a few division based on beliefs, forms and practices but all of them center on the faith in Jesus Christ.

Top ten countries with the greatest proportion of Christians:

1. Vatican City 100%
2. Federated States of Micronesia 96%
3. Samoa ~100%
4. Panama ~ 99%
5. Romania 99.5%
6. East Timor 94.2%
7. Armenia 98.7%
8. Bolivia 98.3%
9. Venezuela 98.2%
10. Malta 98.1%

Three destinations attract great number of Christian pilgrims. The main pilgrimage is to the Holy Land of Jerusalem. The second would be the Vatican City in Rome. The third is the Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain.

Islam: Islam is a monotheistic religion established on revelations received by Prophet Muhammad in the 7th century CE and were later noted down in the sacred text Qur'an. Islam spread rapidly and today became the second largest religion in the world. The Arabic word Islam means "submission", referring to the religion's central principle of submitting to God's will. Followers practice the Five Pillars of Islam: faith, prayer, fasting, pilgrimage and alms.

Top ten countries with the greatest proportion of Muslims:

1. Saudi Arabia 100%
2. Somalia 100%
3. Afghanistan 100%
4. Yemen 99.9%
5. Mauritania 99.9%
6. Maldives 99.33%
7. Oman 100%
8. Djibouti 99%
9. Tunisia 99%
10. Algeria 99%

The most important Muslim pilgrimage is the pilgrimage to Mecca (the Haj), as it is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Another important pilgrimage place for Muslims is the city of Medina in Saudi Arabia, the second holiest place in Islam.

Buddhism: Buddhism was founded in India about 2500 years ago and remains the dominant religion of the Far East. It is becoming quite popular in the West nowadays. Over the course of time, Buddhism has developed into different forms, ranging from worship of deities and importance on religious rituals to absolute rejection of both deities and rituals in support of pure meditation. But all of them share one thing in common i.e. immense respect for the teachings of the Buddha - The Enlightened One.

Top ten countries with the greatest proportion of Buddhists:

1. Cambodia 96%
2. Thailand 94.6%
3. Mongolia 90%
4. Hong Kong 90%
5. Myanmar 89%
6. Vietnam 85%
7. Macau 85%
8. Laos 67-98%
9. People's Republic of China 50-80%
10. Bhutan 66-75%

Buddhists make pilgrimage to four places. They are: Lumbini in Nepal where Buddha was born, Bodh Gaya in Bihar, India the place of Enlightenment, Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh, India where he delivered his first teaching and Kusinagar in Uttar Pradesh, India where he attained Parinirvana. There are also other pilgrimage places in India and Nepal connected to the life of Gautama Buddha.

Taoism: Taoism is established on the teachings of the Tao Te Ching, a short article written in the 6th century BCE in China. It stresses on spiritual harmony within an individual and harmonizes with Confucianism's focus on social duty. In the present day, there are about 20 million Taoists worldwide; most of them reside in Taiwan, China or Southeast Asia. Taoism is also spreading its influence in the West, especially in the discipline of martial arts like Tai Chi and alternative medicine.

Major eight countries that follow Taoism:

1. Republic of China (Taiwan) 33-80%
2. People's Republic of China 30%
3. Hong Kong 28%
4. Macau 13.9%
5. Singapore 8.5%
6. Malaysia 2.6%
7. South Korea 0.2-1%
8. Philippines 0.01-0.05%

Taoist Make pilgrimages to sacred sites like temples, statues, birthplace of Taoist sages, Mount Penglai and wander within the sacred mountains, known as "Grotto-Heavens and Wholesome Earths". These are important practices for many Taoist followers as these journeys are believed to contain the power to catalyze the internal transformations that is the essence of Taoist.

Hindusim: Hinduism is a religion of prehistoric times with no known date of origin or founder. The Hinduism religion refers to a wide variety of mythologies, religious traditions, beliefs and philosophies that have developed in India over the course of time. Most of the Hindus worship one or more deities, believe in reincarnation, karma, moksha, meditation and observe traditional festivals and holidays. Hinduism has around 750 million followers in the world.

Top ten countries with the greatest proportion of Hindus:

1. Nepal 86.5%
2. India 80.5%
3. Mauritius 54%
4. Guyana 28%
5. Fiji 27.9%
6. Bhutan 25%
7. Trinidad and Tobago 22.5%
8. Suriname 20%
9. Sri Lanka 15%
10. Bangladesh 9.2%

There are several pilgrimage places for Hindus and they are encouraged to take pilgrimages at least once in their lifetime. Famous pilgrimage sites for Hinduism are:

United States 2.8%

Gibraltar 2.1%

Cayman Islands 1.71%

France 2%

Canada 1.1%

Belarus 1%

Argentina 0.8%

Hungary 0.8%

Jews from various countries make pilgrimages to the holy sites throughout the land of Israel. The most sacred site for Jews is the preserved western wall of the original temple, known as the Wailing Wall or Western Wall remains in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Please note that all the above information is intended to provide a short and general introduction. As a result many things have been omitted. The omissions are not intentional and readers are encouraged to consult other resources for more in-depth information.



Last Updated on : December 17, 2024