Michael Brooks
As of 2022, Islam is the second-largest religion in the world, with 25.8% of the global population identifying as Muslim. Christianity is the largest religion, with 31.6% of the global population identifying as Christian. Half of Christians identify as Catholic, which equates to 15.8% of the world's population. While the Catholic population continues to keep pace with global population growth, Muslims have a higher fertility rate, with 2.9 children per woman in 2015-2020, compared to the Christian fertility rate of 2.6 during the same period. This has resulted in a larger Muslim population in recent years, with the number of Muslims expected to exceed the number of Catholics by the end of the 21st century.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Percentage of Catholics in the world | 17.4% |
| Percentage of Muslims in the world | 19.2% |
| Median age of Catholics | 28 (same as the world's overall population) |
| Median age of Muslims | 23 |
| Number of Catholics in the world | 1.13 billion |
| Number of Muslims in the world | 1.25 billion |
| Largest religious group in the world | Christians |
| Second largest religious group in the world | Muslims |
| Third largest religious group in the world | Unaffiliated |
| Fourth largest religious group in the world | Hindus |
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What You'll Learn
Muslims outnumber Catholics
According to a 2008 Vatican report, Muslims constitute 19.2% of the world's population, while Catholics make up 17.4%. This equates to roughly 1.3 billion Muslims and 1.13 billion Catholics. The higher birth rate among Muslims is a significant factor in their growing numbers. They have the highest fertility rate of the major religious groups, with a median age of 23 years, compared to 28 for the global population. The growth of Islam is particularly noticeable in Sub-Saharan Africa, the fastest-growing region globally. By the end of the 21st century, Muslims are projected to constitute the largest religious group worldwide.
The Muslim population is diverse, spanning numerous ethnic backgrounds and hundreds of languages. They are the majority in 49 countries, predominantly in the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of South Asia. Indonesia, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh have the largest Muslim populations, with Indonesia alone accounting for 13.1%. In contrast, Catholics constitute half of all Christians, who are primarily based in the Americas, Europe, Oceania, and Sub-Saharan Africa. The United States has the most significant Christian population at 11.3% of the global total, followed by Brazil (8%) and Mexico (5%).
While the Catholic population keeps pace with global population growth, Muslims exceed it due to larger family sizes. The disparity in fertility rates is influenced by educational attainment for women. In Muslim countries where girls receive less education, the average fertility rate is significantly higher. However, it is important to note that the statistics on Muslims are estimates provided by individual countries to the United Nations, whereas Catholic statistics are more methodically tabulated.
The median age of Muslims is indicative of a younger demographic compared to other religious groups. Christians, for example, have a median age of 30, while Jews have the highest median age at 36. The younger population structure of Muslims contributes to their higher fertility rates and underscores the potential for continued growth in their population.
In summary, Muslims currently outnumber Catholics globally, and this trend is expected to continue. The higher birth rates and younger median age of Muslims are driving their population growth, particularly in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa. The diverse and widespread nature of the Muslim population underscores the need for cultural considerations regarding family planning and women's status within specific Islamic contexts.
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Christians are the most evenly dispersed religious group
Christians are the most geographically dispersed religious group, with nearly equal numbers spread across Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, and sub-Saharan Africa. In 2012, 26% of Christians lived in Europe, 24% in Latin America and the Caribbean, and 24% in sub-Saharan Africa. By 2020, the distribution had shifted slightly, with 31% of Christians living in sub-Saharan Africa, 24% in Latin America and the Caribbean, and 22% in Europe.
This is a significant change from the early 1900s, when Christians in sub-Saharan Africa made up only 1% of the global Christian population, and two-thirds of Christians lived in Europe. Today, Christians are the second-largest religious group worldwide, making up 32% of the world's population in 2010 and 33% in 2006, according to the Vatican.
In contrast, other religious groups tend to be more heavily concentrated in specific regions. For example, 99% of Hindus live in the three Hindu-majority countries of India, Mauritius, and Nepal, and 99% of Buddhists live in the Asia-Pacific region. Similarly, 73% of Muslims live in Muslim-majority countries, with 19 out of 20 countries in the Middle East and North Africa being predominantly Muslim.
The geographic distribution of religious groups is influenced by various factors, including historical origins, migration patterns, and religious conversion. For example, the large number of people leaving Christianity and becoming religiously unaffiliated has contributed to the growth of the unaffiliated population between 2010 and 2020. Additionally, factors such as fertility rates, education, access to birth control, and women's workforce participation rates can impact the religious makeup of a region.
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The median age of Muslims is lower than the world's overall population
Muslims currently make up about a quarter of the world's population, with numbers projected to increase rapidly in the coming decades. By 2050, Muslims are expected to comprise 30% of the world's population, or 2.8 billion people, up from 23% in 2010. Islam is currently the fastest-growing religion in the world, and the largest religion in Asia.
The growth of Islam is largely due to the young age and high fertility rate of Muslims relative to other religious groups. Muslims have a median age of 23, five years younger than the global median age of 28. In 2010, 34% of the global Muslim population was under the age of 15, compared with 27% of the overall world population. The high fertility rate of Muslims is also influenced by the average age of marriage, which is younger than in other religions.
Muslims in Europe and North America are considerably younger than the general populations in these regions. In Europe, the median age of Muslims is 30.4, 13 years younger than the median age of other Europeans. In 2016, 50% of all European Muslims were younger than 30, compared to 32% of non-Muslims. In North America, the median age of Muslims is 26, compared to 37 for the general population.
In the Asia-Pacific region, where about six-in-ten of the world's Muslims live, the median age of Muslims is 24, compared to 29 for the region as a whole. The Middle East and North Africa, where 19.8% of the world's Muslims live, has a median age of 23, the same as that of Muslims overall. In Sub-Saharan Africa, Muslims have a median age of 17, compared to 18 for the general population.
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Muslims are the second-largest religious group
With an estimated 1.8 billion followers worldwide, Islam is the second most widely practised religion. It began in Mecca, in modern-day Saudi Arabia, in the 7th century CE and was spread by the Prophet Muhammad, who Muslims believe to be God's ultimate prophet. The teachings of God, or Allah, are written down in the holy book, the Qur'an. Most Muslims belong to one of two main branches of Islam: Sunni or Shia.
Muslims are the majority in several countries in the Middle East and North Africa, such as Egypt, Iran, and Pakistan. They also make up a large proportion of the population in countries like Indonesia, India, and Nigeria. The median age of Muslims worldwide is 23, younger than the global average of 28.
While Christians as a whole, including Orthodox and Protestant groups, make up 33% of the world's population, Catholics specifically account for a smaller proportion. According to the Vatican yearbook, Catholics comprise 17.4% of the global population. However, it is important to note that the yearbook's figures are from 2006, and more recent estimates place the percentage of Catholics at around 15% of the world's population.
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The Muslim population is increasing faster than the Catholic population
As of 2022, the global population is made up of 31.6% Christians and 25.8% Muslims. While Islam has overtaken Roman Catholicism as the biggest single religious denomination in the world, with Muslims making up 19.2% of the world's population and Catholics making up 17.4%, the Muslim population is increasing faster than the Catholic population. This is due to the higher birth rates in Muslim families, with Muslims having the highest fertility rate in 2015-2020 (2.9) compared to the world average of 2.4. The median age among Muslims is 23, with over a third (34%) in the youngest segment of the population (birth to age 14). On the other hand, the median age of Christians is 30.
The Muslim population is expected to continue growing faster than the Catholic population due to several factors. Firstly, the majority of Muslims (73%) live in countries where they are the predominant religious group, which allows for cultural and societal influences that promote higher birth rates. Additionally, the growth of Islam will be most noticeable in sub-Saharan Africa, which is the fastest-growing region in the world. This will result in a significant increase in the number of Muslims in countries like Nigeria.
While the Catholic population is also growing, it is keeping pace with the global population growth rate. The fertility rate among Christians is 2.6, which is higher than the world average but lower than the fertility rate among Muslims. Additionally, two predominantly Catholic countries, Italy and Spain, have some of the smallest average completed family sizes in the world, with 1.3 and 1.2 children per woman, respectively. This is due in part to the Vatican's ban on modern methods of birth control, although the Church does support programs that improve health and education for women and girls, which leads to smaller family sizes.
The faster growth of the Muslim population compared to the Catholic population has significant implications for the future religious landscape of the world. By the end of the 21st century, Muslims are expected to comprise the largest religious group worldwide. This shift will have social, cultural, and political impacts, particularly in regions where the Muslim population is growing most rapidly, such as sub-Saharan Africa.
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Frequently asked questions
There are more Muslims than Catholics in the world. In 2008, the Vatican reported that Muslims made up 19.2% of the world's population, while Catholics made up 17.4%.
Muslims generally have higher birth rates than Catholics, which has led to a larger population.
Christianity has a larger following than Islam. In 2022, around 31.6% of the global population identified as Christian, while 25.8% identified as Muslim.
By the end of the 21st century, Muslims are expected to comprise the largest religious group in the world. The growth of Islam will be most noticeable in sub-Saharan Africa, which is the fastest-growing region.
