Christianity Is the Largest Religion in the World
Just over 100 years ago, Europe was considered the center of the Christian world.
With the bastions of the Anglican Church in Britain, the Vatican in Italy, and the original home of Calvinism, Baptism, and other major sects on the continent, Europe was clearly the most Christian place on earth.
However, things have changed.
Today, the Western Hemisphere is home to more than a third of the world's Christians.
The largest populations reside in the United States, Brazil, and Mexico.
Christians make up about a third of the world's population, which is about the same percentage that they were a century ago.
A new Pew poll finds that the locations of this third have changed.
In addition to being prevelent in the Americas, China has taken its place as being one of the top ten Christian countries with a population approaching 70 million.
Sub Saharan Africa has also seen a huge growth in Christian numbers.
Since 1910, the region has grown from 9 million of the faithful to about 516 million.
Three of the top ten Christian countries in the world are in this area.
The report also says that 50% of Christians are Catholic, 37% are protestant, and 12% are Orthodox.
The remaining percentage belong to other sects such as Mormonism.
The Pew Forum investigated 232 countries and territories to discover their findings.
The poll does not, however, measure the level or intensity of the faith, it merely counts those who identify as the faithful.
We can expect that the number also ignores those who refuse to openly identify as Christians due to persecution and other tragedies.
In contrast to the 2.
2 billion Christians around the world, there are also 1.
6 billion people who identify as Muslim.
This means that about a third of the world is Christian and a quarter is Muslim, which are incredibly staggering numbers considering the estimated world population of 6.
9 billion people.
It is interesting to note that the overall percentages of religious people have remained fairly constant but the location and demographics have changed.
In another hundred years, it appears that Africa and Asia will house more and more religious people as their populations grow while those in the West fall.
Religion continues, just as it has for centuries, to be a major part of people's lives.
Despite persecution, two world wars, and other hardships, people continue to honor their traditions.
With the bastions of the Anglican Church in Britain, the Vatican in Italy, and the original home of Calvinism, Baptism, and other major sects on the continent, Europe was clearly the most Christian place on earth.
However, things have changed.
Today, the Western Hemisphere is home to more than a third of the world's Christians.
The largest populations reside in the United States, Brazil, and Mexico.
Christians make up about a third of the world's population, which is about the same percentage that they were a century ago.
A new Pew poll finds that the locations of this third have changed.
In addition to being prevelent in the Americas, China has taken its place as being one of the top ten Christian countries with a population approaching 70 million.
Sub Saharan Africa has also seen a huge growth in Christian numbers.
Since 1910, the region has grown from 9 million of the faithful to about 516 million.
Three of the top ten Christian countries in the world are in this area.
The report also says that 50% of Christians are Catholic, 37% are protestant, and 12% are Orthodox.
The remaining percentage belong to other sects such as Mormonism.
The Pew Forum investigated 232 countries and territories to discover their findings.
The poll does not, however, measure the level or intensity of the faith, it merely counts those who identify as the faithful.
We can expect that the number also ignores those who refuse to openly identify as Christians due to persecution and other tragedies.
In contrast to the 2.
2 billion Christians around the world, there are also 1.
6 billion people who identify as Muslim.
This means that about a third of the world is Christian and a quarter is Muslim, which are incredibly staggering numbers considering the estimated world population of 6.
9 billion people.
It is interesting to note that the overall percentages of religious people have remained fairly constant but the location and demographics have changed.
In another hundred years, it appears that Africa and Asia will house more and more religious people as their populations grow while those in the West fall.
Religion continues, just as it has for centuries, to be a major part of people's lives.
Despite persecution, two world wars, and other hardships, people continue to honor their traditions.
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