According to a recent Pew Research Report, the number of countries with a Christian majority has decreased between 2010 and 2020. Even though Christianity is a widely spread religion—representing about 29% of the global population—there’s been a noticeable trend of people leaving the faith. In fact, the number of individuals identifying as having no religious affiliation is on the rise. This group includes atheists, agnostics, and people who label themselves as “nothing in particular.”
By 2020, only 120 out of 124 countries analyzed had a Christian majority, down from 124 in 2010. This represents a drop from 62% to 60% of Christian-majority nations worldwide. Christian Post noted that key changes occurred in countries like the UK, Australia, France, and Uruguay, where the percentage of Christians fell by 50% throughout the decade. Interestingly, Uruguay is now the only nation in the Americas that does not have a Christian majority as of 2020.
During this same timeframe, New Zealand and the Netherlands also shifted to being part of a group of seven countries with no religious majority. This group includes nations like China, North Korea, the Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Macau, and Japan.
Overall, by 2020, there were 10 countries with a religiously unaffiliated majority, an increase from seven in 2010.
On the other hand, Hinduism and Islam maintained majority populations in a few smaller countries. Hindus, who make up about 15% of the global population, are majorities only in India and Nepal. Meanwhile, there are 53 countries where Muslims hold a majority, along with seven where Buddhism is predominant.
