Religious Groups
The list of still-active religious movements given here is an attempt to summarize the most important regional and philosophical influences on local communities, but it is by no means a complete description of every religious community, nor does it explain the most important elements of individual religiousness.
The five largest religious groups by population, estimated to account for between 5 and 7 billion people, are Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism (with the relative numbers for Buddhism and Hinduism dependent on the extent of syncretism) and Chinese folk religion.
| Five largest religions | Adherents in 2000 | % of world population | Demographics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christianity | 2.0 billion | 33% | Christianity by country |
| Islam | 1.2 billion | 19.6% | Islam by country |
| Hinduism | 811 million | 13.4% | Hinduism by country |
| Chinese folk religion | 385 million | 6.4% | Chinese folk religion |
| Buddhism | 360 million | 5.9% | Buddhism by country |
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Famous quotes containing the words religious and/or groups:
“Pray for the Liberty of the Conscience to revive among us.... Religious bondage shackles and debilitates the mind and unfits it for every noble enterprize, every expanded prospect.”
—James Madison (1751–1836)
“Under weak government, in a wide, thinly populated country, in the struggle against the raw natural environment and with the free play of economic forces, unified social groups become the transmitters of culture.”
—Johan Huizinga (1872–1945)