Religion Map Tracker
The most comprehensive publicly available dataset on religious composition by country — drawing on census records, national surveys, demographic modelling, and Pew Research projections to produce percentage-level breakdowns of religious affiliation across 190+ countries and territories. Where census data is unavailable, estimates are modelled explicitly and flagged.
The world by religion
Christianity and Islam together account for over half the world’s population. But aggregate global figures obscure the geographic concentration that makes religious composition so relevant to political and economic risk analysis — a country that is 97% Muslim has a fundamentally different risk profile from one that is 50% Christian and 45% Muslim, even if both fall into the same macro category.
Selected country-level religious compositions. The full dataset — including sub-denomination breakdowns, demographic projections to 2050, data quality scores, and source attribution — is available on subscription.
Selected country profiles
✓ Public| Country | Majority religion | % | Data quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | Islam | 93% | Census |
| India | Hinduism | 80% | Census |
| Thailand | Buddhism | 95% | Census |
| Israel | Judaism | 75% | Census |
| Brazil | Christianity | 87% | Census |
| China | Unaffiliated | 52% | Modelled |
| Ethiopia | Christianity | 75% | Census |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | Islam | 51% | Census |
| Nigeria | Christianity | ~50% | Contested |
| France | Unaffiliated | 40% | Survey |
Most religiously diverse countries
✓ Public| Country | Largest group | % | Diversity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore | Buddhist | 31% | Very high |
| Suriname | Hindu | 27% | Very high |
| Nigeria | Christian | ~50% | High |
| Lebanon | Muslim | ~61% | High |
| Tanzania | Christian | 63% | High |
| Côte d’Ivoire | Muslim | 43% | High |
| Guinea-Bissau | Muslim | 46% | High |
| Trinidad & Tobago | Christian | 65% | Moderate |
| USA | Christian | 63% | Moderate |
| South Africa | Christian | 86% | Low |
Full Religion Map dataset · 190+ countries · denomination-level detail
⬤ Subscription requiredHow the data is built — and where it is modelled
Religious affiliation data is among the most complex demographic statistics to collect accurately. Census coverage is uneven, self-identification varies culturally, state repression distorts reported figures in some countries, and the definition of “affiliated” differs significantly across religious traditions. We document every source and flag modelled estimates explicitly.
Tier 1 — Census data
- Direct national census records
- Available for ~110 countries
- Most recent census used as baseline
- Adjusted for census age where >10 years old
- Sub-denomination data extracted where published
Marked: Census [year]
Tier 2 — National surveys
- Pew Research Global Religious Futures
- World Values Survey (WVS)
- Arab Barometer (MENA region)
- Afrobarometer (sub-Saharan Africa)
- Latinobarómetro (Latin America)
Marked: Survey [source/year]
Tier 3 — Modelled estimates
- ~40 countries with no reliable census/survey
- Bayesian estimation from proxy variables
- Linguistic and ethnic group correlation
- Historical and colonial heritage weighting
- Neighbouring country and regional priors
Marked: Modelled [confidence band]
Tier 4 — Contested / suppressed
- Countries where data is politically sensitive
- State restrictions on minority self-identification
- Active contestation between official and estimated figures
- Both official and estimated figures published
- Divergence explicitly noted and explained
Marked: Contested — see notes
Sub-denomination tracking
- Christianity: Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, Evangelical, Other
- Islam: Sunni, Shia, Ibadi, Ahmadiyya, Other
- Hinduism: major sampradaya traditions where data exists
- Buddhism: Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana, Other
- Judaism: Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Secular
Demographic projections
- 2030 and 2050 projections for all countries
- Based on Pew Research Centre modelling
- Incorporates fertility differentials by religion
- Migration and conversion rates factored
- High / central / low projection scenarios
Data quality scoring
- Every country receives a data quality score (A–D)
- A: Recent census, high confidence
- B: Survey-based, good coverage
- C: Modelled estimate, moderate confidence
- D: Highly uncertain, wide confidence band
Known data challenges
- China: state restrictions on religious self-identification
- Nigeria: census does not include religion (last: 1963)
- France: census legally cannot ask about religion
- North Korea: independent data impossible to obtain
- Saudi Arabia: non-citizen population significantly Muslim
Why religious composition matters for risk intelligence
Religious composition is not inherently a risk indicator — but it is a structural variable that intersects with political stability, social cohesion, minority rights, conflict risk, and market behaviour in ways that are consistently underweighted in standard risk frameworks.
State religion & minority dynamics
The relationship between the state and religious institutions, the legal status of religious minorities, and the role of religion in political mobilisation are all structural political risk variables.
Sectarian and intercommunal tension
Religious diversity indices and composition data are among the most consistently significant predictors of intercommunal conflict risk when combined with political and economic vulnerability indicators.
Consumer behaviour & market entry
Religious composition directly affects consumer markets — from halal and kosher certification requirements to dietary products, financial services (Islamic finance), and retail calendar effects.
Fertility differentials & population change
Religious affiliation correlates with fertility rates in most countries — making religious composition data essential for longer-term demographic projections and the political shifts that follow from them.
Get full access to the Religion Map Tracker
190+ countries. Denomination-level detail. 2050 projections. Data quality ratings and full source attribution for every country.