Frequently Asked Questions

On this page you will find answers to frequently asked questions and more indepth information about the World Religion Database.

Methodology

Detailed explanation of WRD sources and methodology.

Field definitions

Definitions for data fields in the database.

Glossary

Glossary of terms used in the database.

Religions

Religions related to the WRD.

Traditions

Traditions related to the WRD.

Search examples

1. World religions in the WRD

Check out the top-level religion information in the World Religion Database, including how to drill down by continent and United Nations region.

2. Second-level religious traditions

Find out how to drill down to second-level traditions in the WRD taxonomy, such as Sunni/Shia for Muslims, and Catholics/Protestants for Christians.

3. Change over time

Learn how to access historical data and future projections in the WRD, see animated visualizations, and download data for personal use.

4. Exploring indicators

The WRD contains numerous indicators on socioeconomics, health, gender, and other variables to explore alongside religious and non-religious trends.

5. Peoples and languages

Discover how to see detailed information on the world’s peoples and languages by religious and non-religious affiliation. What is the largest language of Muslims worldwide? Of Christians?

6. Religion by province

Explore how to download religion and non-religion data by province and see detailed maps of religious and non-religious affiliation by province, country, region, and continent.

7. Religion by city

What is the religious affiliation of the world’s largest cities? Use the filters to drill down to different regions and countries to see the diversity of the world’s cities.

8. Religious diversity

Learn how to access data on religious diversity, including different ways of measuring diversity and change over time.

Religions

All major world religions, available by geographic region and people groups.

Geography

Comprehensive country religious makeup, demographics, and trends.

Religious diversity

Religious Diversity Index (RDI) and counts of religions over 10%, over 5%, and over 0.5%.

Contextual data

Population data by country, plus socio-economic, health, environment, and gender indicators.

Censuses

Historical and current census data on religion by country.

Archive

A repository of historical data, including surveys.