By 2070, Islam will have become the world’s largest religion. The fate of humankind will hinge on the “Islamic response” to security threats

Day Figure

Author: Andrey Kortunov, Director General of the Russian International Affairs Council.

Today, Christianity is the world’s largest religion (2.2 billion people or 31% of the planet’s entire population). Islam is second (1.6 billion and 23%) with a significant margin over Hinduism which is third (1 billion and 15%).

However, being the world’s fastest-growing religion, Islam will nearly catch up with Christianity in mid-century: there will be 2.8 billion Muslims (30% of the global population) to 2.9 billion Christians (31%). Hinduism will retain its third place — 1.4 billion (15%).

By 2050, Christians will no longer be a majority in Australia, Great Britain, France, New Zealand, the Netherlands. Curiously, the share of atheists, agnostics, and the unaffiliated will drop — from 16% today to 13% in mid-century.

And by 2070, Islam will, for the first time in the history of humankind, have become the world’s largest religion. Thus, the world of the future may become more religious than it is today. And the principal factor determining the humankind’s future will be the “Islamic response” to the multiple security and development challenges of our century. 

Data

— Pew Research Center