Religion plays an important role in society. Despite individual views and states' laicism, religion defines many aspects of life, culture, history, and ideas. From widespread traditions to ethical stances, religion has an undoubted presence in our lives. Nevertheless, religions are given a different place and status from country to country. For instance, in some regions of the world, religious and governmental decisions go hand in hand, whereas in other countries, politics is not influenced by religious beliefs.
In terms of number of adherents, Christianity is the largest religion in the world. Over two billion people on earth identify themselves as Christian, while more than 1.5 billion individuals are Muslim, the second largest religion. Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Judaism follow as the world's most popular religions. Nevertheless, when looking at the different groups among the global population, a large share of people do not belong to any religion.
A look at regional differences reveal how the spread of religions change significantly from country to country. The great majority of Hindus and Buddhists live in the Asia-Pacific region, while most Muslims are situated in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. The largest share of Jews live in North America, the Middle East and North Africa, while Christianity is more homogeneously present over all these regions, with the exception of the Middle East and North Africa.
Religion in EuropeThe Religion category includes data on religious adherence, attendence, and religious minorities as well as opinions on different aspects of religion. For instance, data shows how often people attend religious services, which religion they belong to, and how certain religious traditions are celebrated, from Christmas to Ramadan. Moreover, studies and statistics can be found on various forms of prejudice and hostility towards religious groups, such as Anti-Semitism, or discrimination against religious minorities. Additionally, this branch shows the results of several surveys on the perception of religions, rites, and ethical issues.
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