The religious composition of Greece and relevant changes since 2010 have been revealed recently in a comprehensive global report by the US-based research think-tank Pew Research Center.
The Center analyzed more than 2,700 censuses and surveys worldwide.
The religious composition of Greece: 2010-2020
In 2010, out of a total population of 11,120,000, the religious composition in Greece was as follows:
Christians: 10,150,000
Muslims: 500,000
Unaffiliated: 410,000
Hindus: <10K
Buddhists: <10K
Other religions: 50,000
Jews: <10K
In 2020, out of a total population of 10,700,000, the religious composition changed with an increase in the number of Muslims and, in particular, those unaffiliated:
Christians: 9,570,000
Muslims: 550,000
Unaffiliated: 510,000
Hindus: <10K
Buddhists: <10K
Other religions: 50,000
Jews: <10K
Christians are the world’s largest religious group
The world’s population expanded from 2010 to 2020, and so did most religious groups, according to the Pew Research Center.
Christians remained the world’s largest religious group. However, Christians (of all denominations, counted as one group) did not keep pace with global population growth from 2010 to 2020.
The number of Christians rose by 122 million, reaching 2.3 billion. Yet, as a share of the world’s population, Christians fell 1.8 percentage points to 28.8 percent.
Muslims were the fastest-growing religious group over the decade. The number of Muslims increased by 347 million—more than all other religions combined. The share of the world’s population that is Muslim rose by 1.8 points to 25.6 percent.
Buddhists were the only major religious group that had fewer people in 2020 than a decade earlier. The number of Buddhists worldwide dropped by 19 million, declining to 324 million. As a share of the global population, Buddhists slipped by 0.8 points, to 4.1 percent.
People with no religious affiliation, sometimes referred to as “nones,” were the only category aside from Muslims that grew as a percentage of the world’s population. The number of religiously unaffiliated people rose by 270 million, reaching 1.9 billion. The share of “nones” climbed nearly a full percentage point to 24.2 percent.
According to the Pew Research Center, the increase in those unaffiliated with a religious group is striking because they are at a “demographic disadvantage.” Their population is relatively old, on average, with relatively low fertility rates. However, those unaffiliated continued to grow as a share of the global population because many of them around the world, primarily Christians, are converting.
The Hindu population grew at about the same rate as the world’s overall population. The number of Hindus rose by 126 million, reaching 1.2 billion. As a proportion of the global population, Hindus held steady at 14.9 percent. Jews also did so as a share of the world’s population.
The number of Jews worldwide grew by nearly one million, reaching 14.8 million. In percentage terms, Jews were the smallest group in the study, representing about 0.2 percent of the worldwide population.
All other religions combined (including Baha’is, Daoists, Jains, Sikhs, adherents of folk religions, and numerous other groups) expanded in tandem with the rest of the world. Their share of the global population held steady at 2.2 percent.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
