Did you know that millions of people follow several religions in the world? Let’s get to know the most followed religions in the world, their backgrounds, and the people following them.
Top 15 Most Followed Religions In The World
1. Hinduism
This is one of the oldest religions in the world. It is so old that people do not know how and when it was exactly founded. Unlike other religions, it has no particular founder, but it is a fusion of various beliefs, rituals, traditions, etc. Hindus worship several Gods like Vishnu, Durga, Shiva, etc. Today, Hinduism is followed by more than 900 million people all around the world.
2. Christianity
Christianity came after the birth of Jesus Christ in 4 BC. Even though the basic ideas and beliefs are the same, this religion has various denominations with some differences among them. It is the most accepted religion with about 2.1 billion people following it all around the world.
3. Tenrikyo
This religion, mainly followed by the Japanese, was brought into existence by a lady named Nakayama Miki. The followers of this religion believe in reincarnation. Around 2 million people follow it.
4. Chinese Traditional Religion
This religion is followed mainly by the people of China. Due to the spread of Buddhism in China, its influence is also seen in Chinese Traditional Religion. They do not believe in one God and rather believe them in the form of forces. It is followed by 394 million people.
5. Islam
Islam is believed to have been founded by the prophet Muhammad, and it is his ideologies that Islamic people are expected to follow. Islam has various denominations around the world, like Sunni and Shia. Considered to be one of the most powerful religions, Islam is followed by around 1.5 billion people worldwide.
6. Zoroastrianism
This religion is believed to have been brought into the world by a prophet named Zoraster back in the 6th century. This is also one of the world’s oldest religions, with a following of over 2.6 million people around the world.
7. Sikhism
Sikhism is now a prevalent religion in India, and Guru Nanak founded it in the 16th century. The culture of Sikhism and Hinduism is quite similar based on a few common ideologies, making them very close to each other. It is followed by around 23 million people all around the world.
8. Buddhism
Buddhism was founded by a prince named Siddhartha Gautam of India, who later came to be known by Buddha’s name. He left home and practiced meditation under a tree in Gaya, Jharkhand. He became a great teacher, and many people started following him. Today, more than 376 million people follow this religion all around the world.
9. Jainism
Jainism is believed to have been originated in India, back in 450 BCE. It is a religion that preaches many life principles, such as nonviolence, nonattachment, the importance of life, etc. The people following it, known as Jains, are pure vegans and do not even eat root vegetables. Around 4.2 million people follow this religion.
10. Spiritism
Allan Kardec, a French man, founded this religion. This religion is inspired by Christianity and teaches almost the same values as followed by Christians except that it doesn’t consider Jesus as their God. They only believe him to be a great human who believed in humankind. It is followed by 15 million people all around the world.
11. Cao Dai
The followers of this religion practice a vegetarian life and believe in nonviolence. It is mainly followed by the people of Vietnam, where they have to worship 4 times a day. It is followed by 4 million people.
12. Judaism
Judaism was believed to be originated in Israel, and Abraham is considered the father of the Jews. It is followed by around 14 million people all over the world.
13. Shinto
Again, this religion has most of its followers in Japan and forms the largest religion in that country. More than 80% of Japanese people follow this religion constituting around 4 million followers.
14. Baha’i
The religion was founded by a Persian man named Baha’u’llah in the 19th century. They believe in unity and consider only one God for all religions. It is followed by 7 million people all around the world.
15. African Traditional Religion
There are many religions followed by people in Africa. They believe in one God, and their rituals include the sacrifice of animals. African Traditional Religion is followed by almost 100 million people.
Read also – Top 15 Luxury Hobbies For the Rich
