Earlier this month the Pew Research Centre released data from its Global Religious Futures project, which forecasts the changing size of eight major religions over the next half century. The study is based on demographic factors in 198 countries including fertility, age and life expectancy. The global Christian population will remain stable over the next 35 years, despite Muslims being the fastest-growing religious group. Islam is forecast to be the world’s largest religion by 2070, if current trends continue. Atheism is on the rise in the West, but not worldwide. It is mainly rising in ageing populations and low fertility rates such as China and Japan. Although total numbers will increase, by 2050, two-thirds of Americans will be Christians, as opposed to three-quarters in 2010. In addition, over the next 35 years, Islam will replace Judaism as the second most-prevalent religion (although the biggest increase will be in the number of people with no religion).

Source: Independent