Islam is now the fastest-growing religion in the world, according to a recent report by the Pew Research Center. Between 2010 and 2020, the global Muslim population increased by 347 million, more than any other religious group.
The report, titled “How the Global Religious Landscape Changed from 2010 to 2020,” shows that population growth — not conversions — is the main reason behind the rise in the number of Muslims.
Christianity remains the largest religion in the world, but its share in the global population has slightly declined over the past decade. In contrast, both Islam and the number of people with no religion (called “nones”) have continued to rise.
The global Hindu population grew at a pace similar to overall world population growth, reaching 1.2 billion in 2020. Around 95% of Hindus live in India.
In India, Hindus made up 79% of the population in 2020, a slight drop from 80% in 2010. Meanwhile, Muslims in India increased from 14.3% to 15.2% during the same period.
The report also highlights that the “nones” category — people who do not follow any religion — grew by 270 million, reaching 1.9 billion globally. Their share rose to 24.2% of the world’s population.
