Based on global adherence data, Sunni Islam stands as the world’s largest religious group, with approximately 1.58 billion followers. Spread across the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, Sunni Islam plays a major role in shaping social, cultural, and political life in many regions. Its size reflects centuries of historical expansion and deep-rooted communal traditions.
In second place is Roman Catholic Christianity, with about 1.27 billion adherents worldwide. As the largest single Christian denomination, Roman Catholicism has a truly global presence, particularly strong in Europe, Latin America, and parts of Africa and Asia. Its centralized structure and long institutional history have helped maintain its influence across generations.
Hinduism ranks third, followed by roughly 1.08 billion people, making it the largest non-Abrahamic religion in the world. Predominantly practiced in India and Nepal, Hinduism is one of the world’s oldest living religious traditions. Together, these top three religions account for a significant share of the global population, highlighting how belief systems continue to shape humanity at a massive scale.
