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:
“All the philosophy, therefore, in the world, and all the religion, which is nothing but a species of philosophy, will never be able to carry us beyond the usual course of experience, or give us measures of conduct and behaviour different from those which are furnished by reflections on common life. No new fact can ever be inferred from the religious hypothesis; no event foreseen or foretold; no reward or punishment expected or dreaded, beyond what is already known by practice and observation.”
—David Hume (1711–1776)
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