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AN EXTENSIVE STUDY carried out by the Pew Research Centre has yielded some fascinating information regarding the trajectory of world religions over the next four decades.
As of 2010, Christianity was the dominant world religion with roughly 2.2 billion adherents and Muslims were second with about 1.6 billion adherents.
If current demographic trends continue however, Islam is expected to catch up to Christianity midway through the 21st century.
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Furthermore, people are leaving Christianity in droves. About 106 million Christians are expected to switch affiliation from 2010 to 2050 while only about 40 million people are expected to enter Christianity.
The religiously unaffiliated (atheists, agnostics) are expected to see the largest net gains from switching, adding more than 61 million followers.
Click here to view a larger version.
In North America, the fastest growing religious groups are Muslims and followers of “other religions” (an umbrella category that includes Baha’is, Jains, Sikhs, Taoists and many smaller faiths). Christianity is expected to decline from 78% of the overall population in 2010 to 66 percent in 2050.
Unaffiliated religions are expected to rise over that same time from 16% of the population to 26 percent. By 2050, the United States will have more Muslims (2.1% of the population) than Jews (1.4%).
In South America and the Caribbean, Christianity will see a slight dip over the next four decades, from 90% in 2010 to 89% in 2050. Over that same time the religiously unaffiliated population will add 45 million followers increasing from 8% of the population in 2010 to 9% in 2050.
If the current trends continue beyond 2050 – which is a big if considering unforeseen events that can happen over a 40 year span (such as war, famine, innovation) – then by the year 2070 the world’s population of Muslims would roughly equal that of Christians.
Here are other chief findings from the report:
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And back in Ireland, despite empty churches, we will have a 90% plus Catholic rate in the next census.
Sean, Ireland didn’t even have a 90% Catholic rate in the last census so not sure how you are coming up with that number.
The next census will likely show it in the 70% area,
Of course you are right, a large percentage of the Irish population in Ireland still consider themselves Catholic even though they don’t believe in many of the Catholic churches main teachings for example, Mary being a Virgin, that when you take communion you are actually eating Jesus and most certainly do not agree with the church’s frankly outdated and backward views on sex before marriage, condom use and other issues like divorce and marriage equality.
What’s even more strange is back in around 2010 the Catholic Bishops commissioned a survey in relation to the people that do actually go to mass. They found that approx 10% of mass going Catholics don’t even believe in a God.
It seems some people are so desperate to fit in with the community or keep their partners, husbands/wife’s, parents or grandparents happy that they’ll do the mass stuff even when they don’t believe in the all power got that the Catholic Church bases it’s entire believe structure on.
It was around 84% last time.
Ya right . What census is that .. Did u get that straight from the church’s mouth
So true
Sean could not agree more I’m a firm believer that the school system is the last hold they have on Irish society. The census will only give you figures on the question asked. I’d like them to ask did you Christian your child to guarantee a place in your local government school. And if you are a Catholics are you a practicing Catholic. Because the figures don’t match reality.
Catholic atheist comes to mind when people fill out the consensus forms.
The last census is a false memory. The universe began last Thursday.
Surveys since the last census have shown that the majority of catholics are actually protestants. They don’t even believe in transubstantiation.
Some are not even christians. They don’t believe in heaven and hell.
And something like 8% are not even theists, they don’t believe in god.
A lot of people identify as catholic as a cultural in-group identification and nothing to do with the religion.
“It was around 84% last time.”
And it had dropped from about 91-2% from memory, but that didn’t stop the newspapers reporting instead that the number of catholics had increased, which was technically true but the population increased in size, but grossly misleading.
Barry, last census from 2011; 84.66%
Please educate yourself before opening your mouth.
http://www.cso.ie/multiquicktables/quickTables.aspx?id=cd702
What about the growing number of Jedi Knights .
Where can I get a light sabre?
A true Jedi builds his or her own.
Otherwise, there are a bunch of places on the internet .
Argos but they are shite .
Interesting piece. Looks like we all better understand each other better. Nobody is going away!
I wonder what the perception of Islam will be in 2050
Your grandchildren will be cursing you!.
Probably the same its been the last 14 centuries. Feared with just cause.
Everyone will be an atheist by then with a bit of luck.
Religion is just for simple people. It’s not true
A sweeping statement Conor. Any proof, apart from your own preference?
I think we all know it’s a load of hocus pocus at this stage.
Thank god for technology. :-D
The sun god Ra that is…
George Salter, well I think my children are cute and innocent for believing in the tooth fairy, Santa and Elves. As a grown man what’s your excuse?
What’s your excuse for lying to your children?
Pontious pilot that means nothing. Some intelligent people liked religion then therefore it should be respected. What? Did you go to school?
Religion has never been proven. It’s a ghost story.
No tax. Lies. Corruption. Paedophilia. Violence. Rape. Money laundering. Wars.
Pathetic concept.
I’d imagine God lost interest long ago given that most religions have become the equivalent
of Father Ted trying to take that dint out of the car.
You never mentioned us. The Church of People with Small Big Toes. That’s discrimination. We might be small but we are growing
I hear that brother!
The wording is ridiculous! people don’t just change religion like they change their socks. Demographic changes mean people are leaving their religion mostly by dying.
And a Europe that’s 10% Muslim? that seems a conservative estimate. Either way, no thanks.
Actually the economist did an interesting piece about the perceptions of the number of Muslims vs. the actual population in different european countries. The media driven perception of Europe being ‘over run with Muslims’ has lead people to believing the numbers are at least 2-3 times the actual.
The French think their country is 30% Islamic when it’s actually 8%
The British think theirs is 21% when it’s actually 5%…
Here’s the link…. 10% is actually an extremely generous estimate. The actual is probably 3-5%
http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2015/01/daily-chart-2
Yes, but that’s now. The article refers to 2050 as the time when Muslims become 10%, which seems conservative as a projection.
Catholicism will continue to decline in the west just as it did during the Reformation until it liberalises on moral issues.
Would ya blame um .. After the crimes the church has commited against humanity how can anybody defend themselves for still turning up at mass at the weekend
The Catholic Church keep declining as they refuse to move forward at the same rate as the world. They like other religious groups want to preach an ideal life while they continue to live a lie. Even with the referendum coming up they won’t accept homosexual people for marriage. We live in the twenty first centaury why won’t they. It’s ok for them to be tweeting from Rome and using computers to keep us updated with first century blabber. They hit the self destruct button fifty or so years ago and it’s too late to stop it. Sure they will manage to manipulate the poor in Africa, Asia and south America but first world countries in most have seen the light. P.S how many refugees from Africa will be facilitated in Vatican City ? as they seen so keen on getting them.into Europe.
You ignored the fact that ‘first world’ countries like the USA has one of the largest % of Christian population in the world at around 70% so your theory they will only succeed in developing countries doesn’t really stack up. Personally I find the whole area of which invisible man in the sky is the best to seem incredibly immature but there’s no denying a lot of populations around the world still want to follow religious beliefs.
I’ve no religious affiliations but if given a choice between Catholicism or the rapid spread of the fascist Ideology of Islam and its millions of ignorant and brainwashed adherents, Catholicism would win hands down.
I referred in particular to the Roman Catholics of the Christian world as that’s the religion I and most of Ireland are familier with most.
Why would you have to follow either?
So the atheists are still considered followers ?
Thank God for that.
‘Why are all the God’s such c***s? Where is the God of tits & wine?’ Tyrion Lannister.
Every god has his day.
We’ll be a secular country soon. Please God…
I will pray for that day .
When it comes to bullshit you do have to stand back in awe when it comes to religion.
They also forgot to call out the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
http://www.venganza.org/about/
Millions, if not thousands, have been touched by his noodle appendage.
Ramen.
Without religion and silly superstition the world would be a far better place.
Good
This headline doesn’t seem accurate given the report says “The number of Christians also is projected to rise, but more slowly, at about the same rate (35%) as the global population overall”
Hmmm,
Looks also like Christianity is being shifted from Europe to the U.S. and the U.S. don’t mind fighting their wars in Europe.
The headline is very misleading. The number of Christians continue to grow. Still the same percentage, and increasing later.
But Europe continues to trade it’s inheritance for a pigs ear. The reality is that Europe is in such a mess with ideologies, it will shortly be ripe for conversion, the only question is will it flee back to Christianity, or will it be overrun by Muslims.
Historically, when Christianity is been abandoned, God raises up Saints with the gifts necessary for reconversion.
Silly mumbo jumbo.
Paddy a true defender of the Faith. But you’ll have to come up with something better than that,
There has been plenty folks uttering less ill ramblings dragged off to padded cells than you Paddy for their own best interests. I hope you get the help you need.
Paddy, it’s people like you that are helping people convert away from religion. Thank you kind sir.
I can just see you humming “Oh when the saints come marching in “.
fully agree Paddy,
the headline is completely misleading and sensationalist.
Journalists use tricks like this all the time – the usual ‘clickbait’ tactics we have come to expect from the Journal.ie
@ Jason O Shea
Humming is so timid, I prefer full gusto, no apologies.
Right, Paddy. Saints, is it? Hoppin’ around with the fairies at the bottom of the garden? What sorta saints? Modern ones, maybe? Patron saint of internet porn, perhaps? Or one who’s in charge of hedge-fund managers? Do you think some future Pope might make Bill Gates a saint? He’s done more for the poor than ol’ sandals in the bin Teresa did…
Education and common sense shows up religion for what it is – superstitious fairytales
“And what if we picked the wrong religion? Every day we’re just making God madder and madder” – Homer Simpson
Why weren’t the statistics for the Easter bunny and Santa involved in this one. Seems as where talking about fictional characters. Just saying.
Our alien overlords will be here by 2100 so religion will be completely eradicated.
I’m curious, how would you strike yourself off the Catholic ‘Register’ so to speak? It anoys me I’m still counted in the numbers. I doubt it’s easy once you’ve gone through the whole baptism, communion and confirmation crap
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