Where the world's religions are concentrated - in only a handful of countries
By RYAN GORMAN
The majority of the world's religions are concentrated in only a handful of countries, a new report has revealed.
Half of the planet's population lives in only six nations, and world religions are even more concentrated, according to the Pew Research Group. Christians are by far the most spread out among the world religious orders.
The think tank found that Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, the religiously unaffiliated, followers of folk religions and also those who adhere to lesser-known religions are mostly concentrated in a surprisingly small number of countries.
The world's most populous nation, not so surprisingly dominates Pew's findings. Almost two-thirds (62 percent) of the world's unaffiliated people live in China. About half of the world's 488 million Buddhists also live in China.
China and India combine to claim 37 percent of the world's population and also 63 percent of those following other religions including Baha'I, Jainism, Shintoism, Sikhism, Taosim, Tenrikyo, Wicca and Zoroastrianism.
Pew found that about 405 million people adhere to folk religions.
Nearly all, 94 percent, of the world's Hindus live in India, the world's second-most populous country.
More than half of the world's Muslims are concentrated in only six countries: Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Nigeria and Pakistan.
Among these six nations, Arabic is the official language only in Egypt.
The world's 2.2 billion Christians are the most spread out of all religions. About half of them are found in 11 countries: Brazil, China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Nigeria, the Philippines, Russia and the United States.
Those countries also make up about 38 percent of the planet's people, Pew noted.
Jews are the most concentrated of all the world's religions.
About 81 percent are split between Israel and the United States. They are equally split among the two nations, according to Pew.
These two countries also make up only five percent of the world's population.
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