There are many religious groups around the world that are not presented separately in this report due to their relatively small size and the limitations of national censuses and other data sources. These groups include Baha’is, Jains, Shintoists, Sikhs, Daoists (also spelled Taoists), Wiccans, Zoroastrians and numerous others, some of which are commonly described as folk or traditional religions.
Because the groups in this category are very diverse, people in this category may not share the same beliefs and practices. The groups within this category also may have quite different demographic profiles.
However, combining these groups into an umbrella category – all “other religions”– allows us to explore overall trends among people who identify as something other than Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish or religiously unaffiliated.
Global change
The estimated number of people in other religions grew worldwide by 12%, from 154 million to 172 million, between 2010 and 2020. The world’s overall population grew at roughly the same pace, and as a result, the share of the global population that falls into the “other religions” category remained stable at about 2%.
Regional change
The absolute number (or count) of adherents of other religions grew in every region.
In the Asia-Pacific region, where most people in the “other religions” category live, their count grew to 113 million (up 3%) – their lowest growth rate in any region. Meanwhile, their number doubled to 20 million in the Latin America-Caribbean area (up 101%). In North America, the small population of people in other religions rose above 5 million (up 62%).
The percentage of residents belonging to other religions grew in three regions, fell in two regions, and was stable in the Middle East-North Africa region.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, people in other religions made up 3% of the overall public in 2020, up about 1 percentage point from 2010. They now account for a larger segment of residents of Latin America and the Caribbean than they do of Asia-Pacific residents. The “other religions” category also grew in Europe and North America, but by less than 1 percentage point.
Meanwhile, the share of people in other religions declined by less than 1 percentage point in the Asia-Pacific region and sub-Saharan Africa. In both places, the “other religions” category made up less than 3% of the regional population in 2020.
Regional distribution of people of other religions
Between 2010 and 2020, the share of the world’s “other religions” population living in the Asia-Pacific region fell to 65% (down 6 points), and the share living in the Latin America-Caribbean region increased to 12% (up 5 points). The percentage of people in other religions living in North America grew to 3% (up 1 point). Less change occurred in other regions.
Countries with the highest counts of people of other religions
China is the country with the world’s largest number of people who fall into the “other religions” category.
While only 3% of the country’s population identifies with other religions, China has such a large population that this translates to 25% of all adherents of other religions around the world.
In China, some common religions in this category include Daoism and Chinese folk religion, such as the worship of Mazu, the Chinese sea goddess, and Guan Gong, also known as the god of wealth.
India also has a very large population of people in other religions, including many Sikhs and Jains. The 36 million Indians in the “other religions” category constitute one-in-five people in this group globally.
The 10 places with the highest counts of people in other religions combined were home to 129 million, or 75%, of their worldwide population.
Where did the ‘other religions’ share of the population change the most?
We identified only one country in which the percentage of people belonging to other religions shifted substantially (by at least 5 percentage points): Guinea-Bissau. The share of Guinea-Bissau residents who belong to other religions declined to 11% (down 7 points) between 2010 and 2020. During this period, the share of residents who are religiously unaffiliated grew by 9 points, to 12%.
Recommended Citation: Hackett, Conrad, Marcin Stonawski, Yunping Tong, Stephanie Kramer, Anne Shi and Dalia Fahmy. 2025. “How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020.” Pew Research Center. doi: 10.58094/fj71-ny11.
