| Part of a series on |
| Culture of Asia |
|---|
Asia is the largest and most populous continent and the birthplace of manyreligions includingBuddhism,Christianity,Confucianism,Hinduism,Islam,Jainism,Judaism,Shinto,Sikhism,Taoism,Korean shamanism, andZoroastrianism. All major religious traditions are practiced in the region and new forms are constantly emerging. Asia is noted for its diversity of culture. Hinduism and Islam are the largest religion in Asia with approximately 1.2-1.3 billion adherents each.
Asia is the birthplace of 11 major religions:Judaism,Hinduism,Taoism,Shintoism,Zoroastrianism,Buddhism,Jainism,Christianity,Islam,Sikhism, and theBaháʼí Faith.
Indian religions, also called Dharmic religions are the oldest religions of Asia. All Indian religions originated in theIndian subcontinent. These religions all have the similar concepts likedharma,karma, andreincarnation, but the interpretation of these concepts varies with each religion.
Hinduism is the largest religion inAsia with about 1.26 billion followers, mainly inSouth andSoutheast Asia.[2] Hinduism, like all Dharmic religions, originates inIndia. More than 93% of the globalHindu population live in India. Demographically, it is the largest religion inIndia (80%),Nepal (85%), and the island ofBali (87%),[3] with strong minorities in the Asian nations ofBhutan,Fiji,Indonesia,Malaysia,Bangladesh,Pakistan,Singapore,Sri Lanka,United Arab Emirates,Oman,Yemen,Russia,Saudi Arabia,Bahrain,Kuwait,Qatar,Myanmar, thePhilippines, andAfghanistan. As of 2020, India has a Hindu population of 1.10 billion, Nepal has a Hindu population of 23.5 million, and there are 14.5 million Hindus in Bangladesh.[4]
Hinduism is a fusion that resulted from incorporating the tribal cultures, tribal and folk religions, and tribal deities, Its principles like karma, moksha, rebirth, reincarnation, renunciation, samsara are incorporated into Sramana traditions like Buddhism, Jainism, and the traditions predating the Buddha and Mahavira.
Buddhism was founded bySiddartha Gautama, who is known as theBuddha.Buddhism is the fourth largest world religion and the third largest religion in Asia, which is adhere by 12% of Asia's population.[5] It is the predominant religion and hold the majority population inThailand (95%),Myanmar (89%),Cambodia (98%),[5][6]Sri Lanka (70%),Laos (67%),Mongolia (54%),Japan (20%.[7] - 36%[5] or 67%[8]),Bhutan (75%),Tibet (79%)[9] andMacau (80%).[10] Large Buddhist populations reside inTaiwan (35%),China (4%),Singapore (33%),South Korea (22.9%),Malaysia (19.8%),Hong Kong (15%),North Korea (13.8%),Nepal (10.7%),Vietnam (10%),[5]Ladakh (39.65%) andSikkim (27.39%).[11] There are also strong Buddhist minorities inIndia,Indonesia,Brunei, thePhilippines,Bangladesh andRussia.
Before the advent of Islam, Buddhism was one of the most widely practiced religions inCentral Asia,Afghanistan,Malaysia, thePhilippines, andIndonesia.[12][13][14]
Jainism is anIndian religion. Jains are mostly found inIndia but are increasingly found throughout the world.[15] Jains have significantly influenced and contributed toethical,political and economic spheres in India. Jains have an ancient tradition of scholarship and have the highest degree of literacy for a religious community in India.[16][17] Jain libraries are the oldest in the country.[18][19] It has traditionally been confined to theIndian subcontinent. It is based on the teachings ofVardhaman Mahavir and also on 23 other Tirthankaras.
Sikhism is the fifth largest organized religion in the world,[20] with approximately 30 million adherents.[21] And one of the most steadily growing.[22] It is amonotheistic religion founded byGuru Nanak Dev in the 1500s. The religion professes its roots in the area ofPunjab region, in the northern part of theIndian subcontinent.
This system of religious philosophy and expression has been traditionally known as the Gurmat (literally the counsel of the gurus) or the Sikh Dharm. Sikhism originated from the word Sikh, which in turn comes from the Sanskrit root śhiṣhya meaning "disciple" or "learner", or śhikṣha meaning "instruction".
Sikhism is the 4th largest religion in India with 2% of the total population being Sikh. There is also a large concentration of Sikhs inMalaysia,Thailand,Myanmar, thePhilippines,Pakistan,Afghanistan,Hong Kong,Singapore,Indonesia,Kuwait andU.A.E.
Judaism is the predominant religion inIsrael (75.6%), which has a nominal Jewish population of about 6.1 million.[23]
Outside of Israel there are small diaspora communities ofJewish people living inPalestine (432,800),[24]Turkey (17,400),[25]Azerbaijan (9,100),[26]Iran (8,756),[27]India (5,000) andUzbekistan (4,000).[28]
Christianity is anAbrahamicmonotheisticreligion based on thelife and teachings ofJesus of Nazareth. Its adherents, known asChristians, believe that Jesus is theChrist, whose coming as theMessiah wasprophesied in theHebrew Bible, called theOld Testament in Christianity, and chronicled in theNew Testament which are brought together in theChristian Bible as canonicalscripture.[29] It is theworld's largest religion with about 2.4 billion followers and is culturally and traditionally diverse.[30]Christianity is a widespread minority religion inAsia with more than 286 million adherents according toPew Research Center in 2010,[31] and nearly 364 million according toBritannica Book of the Year 2014[32] constituting around 8.5% of the total population ofAsia.[32]
Only six countries arepredominantly Christian:Asian Russia which predominantly adheres to theRussian Orthodox Church;Cyprus, which is predominantlyOrthodox; thePhilippines, which is the third-largestRoman Catholic nation in the world;[33]Timor Leste, which is the most overwhelming Christian (99.6%) and Roman Catholic nation in Asia (97.6%);[34]Armenia, which was the first state to adopta Christian denomination as its state religion; andGeorgia (88.1).[35]Christianity also accounts for 29.2% of South Korea's population (54.5% of its religious population) and is now the predominant religion inSouth Korea, Christianity is also a large minority religion inLebanon accounting for 40% of its population.[36] Christianity is also a large minority religion inKazakhstan (26%),[37]Singapore (18.3%),[38] andKyrgyzstan (17%).[39]
Asian countries with largeChristian populations arePhilippines (84 million),[33]China (68 million),[40]India (30 million),[41]Indonesia (28 million),Kazakhstan (4.7 million),[39]South Korea (15 million),[39]Vietnam (7 million),[42]Georgia (4.6 million),[43]Armenia (3.2 million),[44]Malaysia (2.6 million),[45]Japan (2.5 million),[39]Pakistan (2.5 million),[46]Uzbekistan (2.5 million),[47]Syria (1.8 million),[48]Sri Lanka (1.5 million),[49]East Timor (1.2 million)[34] andTaiwan (one million).[50]
There are still large ancient communities ofMiddle Eastern Christians andArab Christians inLebanon,[39]Iraq,[39]Iran,[51]Turkey,[52][39]Syria,[39]Jordan,[39]Israel andPalestine numbering more than 3 million inWest Asia. There are also a large populations of expatriate workers which include a sizeable Christian communities live inArabian Peninsula numbering more than 3 million.[53]
Islam is a monotheistic and Abrahamic religion articulated by the Qur'an, a book considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of God (Allāh) and by the teachings and normative example (called the Sunnah and composed of hadith) of Muhammad, considered by them to be the last prophet of God. Islam is the largest religion in Asia with about 1.2 billion adherents.[54][55] Asia constitute in absolute terms theworld's Muslim population.[56]South andSoutheast Asia are home of the most populous Muslim countries, withIndonesia,Pakistan,India,Bangladesh andMalaysia having more than 100 million adherents. According toU.S. government figures, in 2006 there were 20 millionMuslims in China. InWestern Asia, the non-Arab countries ofIran andTurkey are the largest Muslim-majority countries. InSouth Asia,Pakistan andBangladesh are the countries with the largest Muslim-majority.In Central Asia,Afghanistan andUzbekistan are the countries with the largest Muslim-majority.
Indonesia is 86% Muslim and is the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, Pakistan is 97% Muslim, Bangladesh is 89% and Malaysia is 65%.India's Muslim population is 14% of the total, approximately 200 million people, which grew because of pluralist mindset of native Indian religions.[57] Around 6-11 percent, some 6 - 12 million people in the Philippines are Muslim.[58][59][60][61][62] Thailand's Muslims make up 4.6 percent of the population, or approximately 3 million people.[63] Also Sri Lanka's Muslims make up 10 percent of the population, or approximately 2.5 million people
Bangladesh,Malaysia,Indonesia,Brunei,Kazakhstan,Qatar,Kuwait,Pakistan,Afghanistan,Uzbekistan,Maldives,Tajikistan,Turkmenistan,Iraq,Iran,Syria,Saudi Arabia,Bahrain,Yemen,United Arab Emirates,Oman,Turkey,Azerbaijan,Kyrgyzstan,Jordan,Palestine andLebanon are the 27 Muslim majority states inAsia
TheBaháʼí Faith is an Abrahamic religion although it is quite different fromChristianity,Islam, andJudaism. It was so founded byBahá'u'lláh in what was then Persia (also known as Iran). Today[when?] the largest national population of Baháʼís isin India with between 1.7 million[64] to over 2 million,[65] where there is also theLotus Temple. Significant populations are found in many countries includingVietnam andMalaysia where "about 1%", some 260,000, of the population are Baháʼís.[66] In other places, likeKazakhstan there are 25 Local Spiritual Assemblies.[67]
In modern-day Iran, the religion is severely persecuted (seePersecution of Baháʼís). In neighboringTurkmenistan, Baháʼí Faith is effectively banned,[68] and individuals have had their homes raided forBaháʼí literature.[69]
Druze are anArabic-speakingesotericethnoreligious group[70] originating inWestern Asia who self-identify asThe People of Monotheism (Al-Muwaḥḥidūn).[71]Jethro ofMidian is considered an ancestor of Druze, who revere him as their spiritual founder and chief prophet.[72][73][74][75][76] It is amonotheistic andAbrahamic religion based on the teachings ofHamza ibn Ali ibn Ahmad and thesixth Fatimid caliph,al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, andAncient Greek philosophers such asPlato,Aristotle,Pythagoras, andZeno of Citium.[77][78] Druze do not identify asMuslims.[79][80][81]
The number of Druze people worldwide is between 800,000 and one million, with the vast majority residing in the Levant.[82] The Institute of Druze Studies estimates that 40–50% of Druze live in Syria, 30–40% in Lebanon, 6–7% in Israel, and 1–2% in Jordan. About 2% of the Druze population are also scattered within other countries in the Middle East.[83]
TheLebanese Druze are believed to constitute about 5.2 percent or 250,000,[84]Syrian Druze are believed to constitute an estimated 3.2 percent of the population (as of 2010),[85] or approximately 700,000 persons (including residents of theGolan Heights).[86] In 2019, there were 143,000Druze living in Israel, 1.6% of the total population of the country.[87] TheJordanian Druze are believed to constitute about 0.5% of the total population of Jordan, which is around 32,000.[88]
East Asian religions (also known asFar Eastern religions,Chinese religions, orTaoic religions) form a subset of theEastern religions.Shamanism andanimism have historically been practised in Asia, and is still practiced in most of Asia.[89][90][91][92]
Confucianism was founded in ancientChina byConfucius (551 B.C.E. - 479). Confucianism is a complex ofmoral,social,political,philosophical, andreligious concerns that permeated the culture and history ofEast Asia. Confucianism emphasizes family, social hierarchy, and personal integrity and is manifested in practices and attitudes rather than institutions and is centered on the family and local society. It was, however, considered thestate religion of East Asian countries in some periods. Today theChinese,Korean,Japanese andVietnamese diasporas have brought Confucianism to all parts of the world.
Taoism (alsoromanized Daoism) is a diverse philosophical and religious tradition that emphasizes living in harmony with theTao (also romanized "Dao"), a term that means "Way", "Path" or "Principle". The concept is shared with other Chinese philosophies and religions. In Taoism, however,Tao denotes both the source and the driving force inherent in everything that exists. It is ultimatelyineffable: "The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao."[93]
Laozi is traditionally regarded as the founder of Taoism and is closely associated with "original", or "primordial", Taoism.[94] Whether he actually existed is commonly disputed;[95][96] however, the work attributed to him – theDaodejing – is dated to the late 4th century BC.[97]
Taoist propriety and ethics vary according to the particular school, but in general tends to emphasizewu-wei (action through non-action), "naturalness", simplicity, spontaneity, and theThree Treasures: compassion, moderation, and humility.
Significant Taoist communities can be found in China, Taiwan,Hong Kong,Singapore,Malaysia,Korea,Japan,Vietnam and among theChinese,Korean,Japanese andVietnamese diaspora communities.
Chinese folk religion is a label used to describe the ethnic religious traditions which have been a main belief system in China and among the Han Chinese ethnic group for most of the civilization's history. This group of diverse beliefs comprisesChinese mythology and includes the worship of variousShen (神, shén; "deities", "spirits", "awarenesses", "consciousnesses", "archetypes") which can be nature deities, Taizu or clan deities, city deities, national deities, cultural heroes and demigods, dragons and ancestors. Chinese folk religion is sometimes categorized with Taoism, since over the world institutional Taoism has been attempting to assimilate or administer local religions. More accurately, Taoism can be defined as a component of Chinese religion, since it sprang out of folk religion andChinese philosophy. Chinese folk religion is sometimes seen as a constituent part of Chinese traditional religion, but more often, the two are regarded as synonymous. With around 454 million adherents or about 6.6% of the world population, Chinese folk religion is one of the major religious traditions in the world. In China more than 30% of the population adheres to folk religions or Taoism.[98]
Kami-no-michi is almost unique toJapan and theJapanese diaspora. It is a set of practices carried out to establish a connection between present-day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written records of theKojiki andNihon Shoki in the 7th and 8th centuries. Still, these earliest Japanese writings do not refer to a unified "Shinto religion", but rather to disorganizedfolklore,history, andmythology. Shinto today applies to the publicshrines suited to various purposes such aswar memorials,harvest festivals, romance, and historical monuments, as well as various sectarian organizations.
Shinto is the largest religion in Japan, practiced by nearly 80% of the population, yet only a small percentage of these identify themselves as "Shintoists" in surveys.[99] According to surveys carried out in 2006 and 2008 show that 3% to 3.9% of the population of Japan are members ofShinto sects and derived religions.[100]
Korean Shamanism (Musok) ("religion of the Mu")[101][102] or sometimesSinism (Shingyo, "religion of the gods", withshin being theKorean character derivative of theHanja),[103] encompasses a variety ofindigenous religious beliefs and practices of theKorean people, theKorean sphere and theKorean diaspora.[104] In contemporary South Korea, the most used term isMusok (Korean: 무속;Hanja: 巫俗) and a shaman is known as amudang (Korean: 무당;Hanja: 巫堂). The role of themudang, usually a woman, is to act as intermediary between a spirit entity, spirits orgods and human beings.
Women are enlisted by those who want the help of the spirit world. Shamans holdgut, or services, in order to gain good fortune for clients, cure illnesses by exorcising negative or 'bad' spirits that cling to people, or propitiate local or village gods. Such services are also held to guide the spirit of a deceased person to higher realms. Today this religion is a minority, but has in recent years seen a resurgence.[105]
_(1).jpg)
Vietnamese folk religion orVietnamese indigenous religion (Vietnamese:tín ngưỡng dân gian Việt Nam,tôn giáo bản địa Việt Nam, sometimes just calledđạo Lương,Chữ Hán: 道良), is the largest religion inVietnam with about 45.3% of the Vietnamese population[106][107] that are associated with this religion. Vietnamese folk religion is not an organized religious system, but a set of local worship traditions devoted to thethần, a term which can be translated as "spirits", "gods" or with the more exhaustive locution "generative powers". These gods can benature deities ornational, community or kinshiptutelary deities or ancestral gods and theancestral gods of a specific family. Ancestral gods are often deified heroic persons.Vietnamese mythology preserves narratives telling of the actions of many of the cosmic gods and cultural heroes.
The Vietnamese indigenous religion is sometimes identified as Confucianism since it carries values that were emphasized byConfucius.Đạo Mẫu is a distinct form of Vietnamese folk religion, giving prominence to somemother goddesses into its pantheon. Thegovernment of Vietnam also categorisesCaodaism as a form of Vietnamese indigenous religion, since it brings together the worship of the thần or local spirits withBuddhism,Confucianism andTaoism, as well as elements ofCatholicism,Spiritism andTheosophy.[108][109]
Zoroastrianism was once the state religion of thePersian Empire, but is now a minority mostly found in India andIran. It worships amonotheistic god,Ahura Mazda, and was founded byZoroaster. Zoroastrianism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of prophet Zoroaster (also known as Zarathustra, in Avestan), probably founded some time before the 6th century BC. The term Zoroastrianism is, in general usage, essentially synonymous with Mazdaism, i.e., the worship of Ahura Mazda, exalted by Zoroaster as the supreme divine authority.
In Zoroastrianism, the Creator Ahura Mazda is all good, and no evil originates from Him. Thus, in Zoroastrianism good and evil have distinct sources, with evil (druj) trying to destroy the creation of Mazda (asha), and good trying to sustain it. Mazda is not immanent in the world, and His creation is represented by the Amesha Spentas and the host of other Yazatas, through whom the works of God are evident to humanity, and through whom worship of Mazda is ultimately directed. The most important texts of the religion are those of the Avesta, of which a significant portion has been lost, and mostly only the liturgies of which have survived. The lost portions are known of only through references and brief quotations in the later works of (primarily) the 9th-11th centuries.
The total number of currently practicing adherents ofZoroastrianism is unknown. A 2004 estimate gives a range of 124,000 to 190,000,[110] roughly half of them inIndia (theParsi andIrani groups).
The largest number of Zoroastrians in Asia can be found inIndia; according to the 2001 census, they amounted 69,000.[111] InIran, there were some 25,000 according to the 2011 census.[112] In 2012, the numbers for Zoroastrians in Asia were; India (61,000), Iran (15,000 / 22,271),Persian Gulf Countries (1,900), andSingapore (372).[113]
According to aPew Research Center survey in 2012religiously unaffiliated (including agnostics and atheists) make up about 21.2% of Asia population.[114] According to the same survey, the religiously unaffiliated are the majority of the population in four Asian countries/territories:North Korea (71%),Japan (57%),Hong Kong (56%), andMainland China (52%).[114]
Other sources say that in thePeople's Republic of China, 59% of the population claim to benon-religious.[115] However, this percentage may be significantly greater (up to 80%) or smaller (down to 30%) in reality, because some Chinese define religion differently. Some Chinese define religion as practicing customs (which may be done for cultural or traditional reasons), while others define it as actually consciously believing their religion will lead to post-mortem salvation or reincarnation. A Dentsu statistic states that 46% of Vietnamese and 51% of Japanese are irreligious.[116]
| Country | Population | Christian | Muslim | Irreligion | Hindu | Buddhist | Folk religion | Other religion | Jewish | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | ||
 China | 1,341,340,000 | 68,408,340 | 5.10 | 24,144,120 | 1.80 | 700,179,480 | 52.20 | 100,000 | 0.01 | 244,123,880 | 18.20 | 293,753,460 | 21.90 | 9,389,380 | 0.70 | 600 - 1,000 | <0.01 |
 Hong Kong | 7,053,947 | 1,048,150 | 14.30 | 126,900 | 1.80 | 3,955,050 | 56.10 | 35,000 | 0.53 | 930,600 | 13.20 | 902,400 | 12.80 | 105,750 | 1.50 | 0 | 0.00 |
 Macau | 540,560 | 38,880 | 7.20 | 1,080 | 0.20 | 83,160 | 15.40 | 200 | 0.04 | 93,420 | 17.30 | 318,060 | 58.90 | 5,400 | 1.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
 Taiwan | 23,220,670 | 1,277,100 | 5.50 | 10,000 | 0.04 | 2,948,940 | 12.70 | 9,000 | 0.01 | 4,945,860 | 21.30 | 10,263,240 | 44.20 | 3,761,640 | 16.20 | 0 | 0.00 |
 Japan | 126,540,000 | 2,024,640 | 1.60 | 233,080 | 0.16 | 72,127,800 | 57.00 | 160,000 | 0.12 | 45,807,480 | 36.20 | 506,160 | 0.40 | 5,947,380 | 4.70 | 0 | 0.00 |
 North Korea | 24,350,000 | 487,000 | 2.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 17,361,550 | 71.30 | 10 | 0.00 | 365,250 | 1.50 | 2,995,050 | 12.30 | 3,141,150 | 12.90 | 0 | 0.00 |
 South Korea | 48,180,000 | 14,164,920 | 29.40 | 103,773 | 0.20 | 22,355,520 | 46.40 | 50,000 | 0.11 | 11,033,220 | 22.90 | 385,440 | 0.80 | 96,360 | 0.20 | 0 | 0.00 |
 Mongolia[117] | 3,296,866 | 42,859 | 1.3 | 105,500 | 3.2 | 1,338,528 | 40.6 | N/A | N/A | 1,704,480 | 51.7 | 82,422 | 2.5 | 23,078 | 0.7 | N/A | N/A |
| Total | 1,573,980,000 | 87,472,510 | 5.56 | 24,719,860 | 1.57 | 820,002,340 | 52.10 | 260,000 | 0.01 | 308,820,470 | 19.62 | 309,220,410 | 19.65 | 22,447,060 | 1.43 | 600 - 1,000 | <0.01 |
| Country | Population | Christian | Muslim | Irreligion | Hindu | Buddhist | Folk religion | Other religion | Jewish | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | ||
 Brunei | 408,540 | 37,600 | 9.40 | 300,400 | 75.10 | 1,600 | 0.40 | 2,000 | 0.50 | 34,400 | 8.60 | 24,800 | 6.20 | 400 | 0.10 | 0 | 0.00 |
 Cambodia | 14,143,680 | 56,560 | 0.40 | 282,800 | 2.00 | 28,280 | 0.20 | 10,000 | 0.10 | 13,701,660 | 96.90 | 84,840 | 0.60 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
 Indonesia | 280,725,428 | 29,403,015 | 10.41 | 231,069,932 | 83.91 | 8,385,396 | 3.04 | 4,677,535 | 1.69 | 2,023,719 | 0.73 | 122,043 | 0.04 | 73,911 | 0.02 | 500 | 0.00 |
 Laos | 6,200,000 | 93,000 | 1.50 | 0 | 0.00 | 55,800 | 0.90 | 1,000 | 0.01 | 4,092,000 | 66.00 | 1,903,400 | 30.70 | 43,400 | 0.70 | 0 | 0.00 |
 Malaysia[118] | 33,200,000 | 3,021,200 | 9.10 | 21,082,000 | 63.50 | 597,600 | 1.80 | 2,025,200 | 6.10 | 6,208,400 | 18.70 | 0 | 0.00 | 298,800 | 0.90 | 0 | 0.00 |
 Myanmar[119] | 51,483,949 | 3,192,005 | 6.20 | 2,213,810 | 4.30 | 51,483 | 0.10 | 257,419 | 0.50 | 45,254,391 | 87.90 | 411,872 | 0.80 | 102,967 | 0.20 | 0 | 0.00 |
 Philippines[120] | 108,667,043 | 92,746,021 | 85.34 | 6,981,710 | 6.42 | 1,095,000 | 1.00 | 30,634 | 0.02 | 2,173,400 | 2.00 | 259,000 | 0.23 | 5,352,805 | 4.92 | 28,473 | 0.02 |
 Singapore[121] | 5,700,000 | 1,077,300 | 18.90 | 889,200 | 15.60 | 1,140,000 | 20.00 | 285,000 | 5.00 | 1,772,700 | 31.10 | 0 | 0.00 | 535,800 | 9.40 | 10,456 | 0.04 |
 Thailand | 69,120,000 | 622,080 | 0.90 | 3,801,600 | 5.50 | 207,360 | 0.30 | 100,120 | 0.20 | 64,419,840 | 93.20 | 60,000 | 0.09 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
 Timor-Leste[122] | 1,343,875 | 1,338,500 | 99.60 | 2,690 | 0.20 | 0 | 0.00 | 271 | 0.02 | 0 | 0.00 | 1,120 | 0.08 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
 Vietnam | 94,700,000 | 7,765,400 | 8.20 | 175,700 | 0.20 | 28,031,200 | 29.60 | 201,200 | 0.21 | 15,530,800 | 16.40 | 42,899,100 | 45.30 | 351,400 | 0.40 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Total | 660,328,354 | 138,958,397 | 21.04 | 266,477,182 | 40.35 | 39,593,719 | 6.00 | 9,312,430 | 1.40 | 155,211,310 | 23.50 | 45,766,175 | 6.90 | 6,759,483 | 1.00 | 28,493 | 0.00 |
| Country | Population | Christian | Muslim | Irreligion | Hindu | Buddhist | Folk religion | Other religion | Sikh | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | ||
 Afghanistan | 31,415,280 | 30,000 | 0.01 | 31,315,770 | 99.7 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 20,000 | 0.06 | 0 | 0.00 |
 Bangladesh[123] | 165,158,620 | 450,000 | 0.3 | 150,360,405 | 91.04 | 0 | 0 | 13,130,110 | 7.95 | 1,107,466 | 0.61 | 594,760 | 0.40 | 198,190 | 0.12 | 0 | 0.00 |
 Bhutan | 730,440 | 0 | 0 | 7,000 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.00 | 170,980 | 25.00 | 545,310 | 74.70 | 13,870 | 1.90 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
 India[124] | 1,210,854,977 | 27,819,588 | 2.30 | 172,245,158 | 14.23 | 2,867,303 | 0.24 | 966,257,353 | 79.80 | 8,442,972 | 0.70 | 0 | 0 | 12,389,437 | 1.04 | 20,833,116 | 1.72 |
 Maldives | 320,000 | 0 | 0 | 320,000 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
 Nepal | 28,760,000 | 140,000 | 0.45 | 1,370,000 | 4.6 | 0 | 0 | 24,170,000 | 84 | 3,080,000 | 10 | 1,108,520 | 3.70 | 20,000 | 0.07 | 0 | 0.00 |
 Pakistan[125] | 207,684,000 | 2,637,586 | 1.27 | 200,560,446 | 96.47 | 0 | 0 | 4,444,437 | 2.14 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 20,767 | 0.01 | 20,768 | 0.01 |
 Sri Lanka[126] | 20,860,000 | 1,552,161 | 7.62 | 1,967,523 | 9.66 | 0 | 0.00 | 2,561,299 | 12.8 | 14,272,056 | 70.30 | 0 | 0.00 | 6,400 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Total | 1,665,783,317 | 31,077,174 | 1.87 | 556,171,779 | 33.39 | 2,867,303 | 0.17 | 1,011,009,840 | 60.69 | 32,631,728 | 1.96 | 1,717,150 | 0.10 | 12,648,394 | 0.76 | 20,853,884 | 1.25 |
| Country | Population | Christian | Muslim | Irreligion | Hindu | Buddhist | Folk religion | Other religion | Jewish | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | ||
 Kazakhstan | 16,030,460 | 3,975,440 | 24.8 | 11,285,120 | 70.4 | 673,260 | 4.2 | 5,000 | 0.01 | 32,060 | 0.2 | 48,090 | 0.3 | 16,030 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.00 |
 Kyrgyzstan | 5,333,440 | 607,620 | 11.40 | 4,690,400 | 88.0 | 21,320 | 0.40 | 1,000 | 0.01 | 0 | 0.00 | 5,330 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
 Tajikistan | 6,880,000 | 110,080 | 1.6 | 6,652,960 | 96.7 | 103,200 | 1.5 | 9,000 | 0.01 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
 Turkmenistan | 5,040,000 | 322,560 | 6.4 | 4,687,200 | 93.0 | 25,200 | 0.5 | 6,000 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
 Uzbekistan | 27,440,000 | 631,120 | 2.3 | 26,534,480 | 96.7 | 219,520 | 0.8 | 16,000 | 0.01 | 1,000 | < 0.01 | 1,000 | < 0.01 | 0 | 0.00 | 1,000 | < 0.01 |
| Total | 60,720,000 | 5,646,820 | 9.30 | 53,850,160 | 88.69 | 1,042,500 | 1.72 | 55000 | 0.01 | 33,060 | < 0.05 | 54,420 | 0.10 | 16,030 | < 0.05 | 1,000 | < 0.01 |
| Country | Population | Christian | Muslim | Irreligion | Hindu | Buddhist | Folk religion | Other religion | Jewish | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | ||
 Armenia | 3,091,245 | 3,043,650 | 98.50 | <1,000 | 0.10 | 40,170 | 1.30 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 3,090 | 0.10 | 0 | 0.00 |
 Azerbaijan | 9,191,720 | 275,700 | 3.00 | 8,905,110 | 96.90 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
 Bahrain | 1,260,000 | 182,700 | 14.50 | 885,780 | 70.30 | 23,940 | 1.90 | 123,480 | 9.80 | 31,500 | 2.50 | 0 | 0.00 | 2,520 | 0.20 | 7,560 | 0.60 |
 Cyprus | 1,100,000 | 805,200 | 73.20 | 278,300 | 25.30 | 13,200 | 1.20 | 0 | 0.00 | 2,200 | 0.20 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
 Iran | 92,417,681 | 112,100 | 0.12 | 91,955,593 | 99.5 | 110,500 | 0.11 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 149,400 | 0.16 | <10,000 | 0.01 |
 Iraq | 31,670,000 | 253,360 | 0.80 | 31,353,300 | 99.00 | 31,670 | 0.10 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 20,000 | 0.06 | 0 | 0.00 |
 Israel | 7,420,000 | 148,400 | 2.00 | 1,380,120 | 18.60 | 230,020 | 3.10 | 0 | 0.00 | 22,260 | 0.30 | 14,840 | 0.20 | 7,420 | 0.10 | 5,609,520 | 75.60 |
 Jordan | 6,190,000 | 136,180 | 2.20 | 6,016,680 | 97.20 | 0 | 0.00 | 6,190 | 0.10 | 24,760 | 0.40 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
 Kuwait | 2,740,000 | 391,820 | 14.30 | 2,030,340 | 74.10 | 0 | 0.00 | 232,900 | 8.50 | 76,720 | 2.80 | 0 | 0.00 | 8,220 | 0.30 | 0 | 0.00 |
 Lebanon | 4,230,000 | 2,170,090 | 47.30 | 2,592,990 | 55.30 | 12,690 | 0.30 | 0 | 0.00 | 8,460 | 0.20 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
 Oman | 2,780,000 | 180,700 | 6.50 | 2,388,020 | 85.90 | 5,560 | 0.20 | 152,900 | 5.50 | 22,240 | 0.80 | 0 | 0.00 | 27,800 | 1.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
 Palestine | 4,040,000 | 96,960 | 2.40 | 3,943,040 | 97.60 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
 Qatar | 1,760,000 | 242,880 | 14.2 | 1,152,800 | 65.5 | 15,840 | 0.90 | 242,880 | 15.1 | 54,560 | 3.10 | 0 | 0.00 | 12,320 | 0.70 | 0 | 0.00 |
 Saudi Arabia | 27,450,000 | 1,207,800 | 4.40 | 25,528,500 | 93.00 | 192,150 | 0.70 | 301,950 | 1.10 | 82,350 | 0.30 | 82,350 | 0.30 | 82,350 | 0.30 | 0 | 0.00 |
 Syria | 20,410,000 | 2,122,640 | 10 | 18,940,480 | 92.80 | 408,200 | 2.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
 Turkey | 86,100,000 | 117,100 | 0.14 | 83,600,000 | 97.09 | 2,200,000 | 2.55 | 37,100 | 0.04 | 45,500 | 0.05 | 0 | 0.00 | 88,500 | 0.10 | 25,200 | 0.03 |
 UAE | 7,510,000 | 946,260 | 14.00 | 5,775,190 | 70.00 | 82,610 | 1.10 | 495,660 | 10.00 | 150,200 | 2.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 60,080 | 0.80 | 0 | 0.00 |
 Yemen | 24,050,000 | 48,100 | 0.20 | 23,833,550 | 99.10 | 24,050 | 0.10 | 144,300 | 0.60 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Total | 310,787,248 | 12,759,354 | 3.87 | 290,758,294 | 92.59 | 4,238,495 | 1.16 | 1,562,736 | 0.28 | 514,257 | 0.10 | 172,635 | 0.10 | 712,838 | 0.30 | 5,821,928 | 2.02 |
.svg)
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)A government census published earlier this year indicated there were a mere 8,756 Jews left in IranSeePersian Jews#Iran
Religion: Approximately 1.6 percent of the population is Hindu, 1.6 percent is Christian, and 0.3 percent belongs to other religions, such as Bahaism and Sikhism.
Theologically, one would have to conclude that the Druze are not Muslims. They do not accept the five pillars of Islam. In place of these principles the Druze have instituted the seven precepts noted above..
The worldwide population of Druze is put at up to one million, with most living in mountainous regions in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel.
