US PRC: Islam fastest growing religion, 2.76 billion Muslims expected by 2050

Islam will be the fastest growing religion in the world, and by 2050, it is estimated that there will be 2.76 billion Muslims, according to a report by the American Pew Research Center, writes CNN, reports the BH News Agency Patria.

However, the Muslim and Christian populations in the world could almost equalize by 2050. There could be around 2.92 billion Christians by the middle of the century.

In 2010, there were 1.6 billion Muslims and 2.17 billion Christians in the world.

Hindus will be the third largest religious group by the middle of the century (14.9 percent), followed by inhabitants of the planet who do not belong to any religion (atheists and agnostics), of whom, according to PRC forecasts, there will be 13.2 percent.

The Asia-Pacific region will have the largest concentration of Muslims, thanks to the youth of the population there and a high birth rate. India will have the largest Muslim population among the countries of the world, surpassing Indonesia, although a Hindu majority will be maintained in that country.

In Europe, Muslims will make up about 10 percent of the population by 2050. If current trends continue, Muslims will be the most numerous in the world by 2070.

Experts point out that many events, such as scientific discoveries, armed conflicts, social movements, political upheavals, natural disasters, and changes in economic conditions, can alter the projected demographic trends in ways that cannot be predicted.

Due to the aging population and stable birth rates in countries such as China, Japan, and Thailand, the number of Buddhists in the world will not increase by the middle of the century.

It is also predicted that the number of Christians in Europe will decrease from the current 553 million to 454 million by 2050.

In the US, according to PRC forecasts, the share of Christians in the general population will decrease from three-quarters to two-thirds. Islam will rise to second place among the most popular non-Christian religions in the US, while Judaism will fall to third place.

The Institute collected material for its report from more than 2,500 statistical reports and population registers in 175 countries worldwide, covering 95 percent of the world's population.