Major Branches of Major World Religions

Ordered by Number of Adherents

The following table presents all the major branches (of major world religions) listed above in a single table, ordered by size. Remember that the meaning of a division between branches of a religion differs between religions, and between each branch. Also, remember that some of these estimates may be inaccurate. Be advised against reading too much meaning into this particular table.

Remember, this is not a table of all branches of all religions, just a summary of major branches of the classical major world religions. Reprinted with permission from:  © 2000 by Adherents.com. Created February 1999. Last updated 4 March 2001.

 

Branch Religion Number of Adherents
Catholic Christianity 1,030,000,000
Sunni Islam 940,000,000
Vaishnavites Hinduism 580,000,000
Orthodox/Eastern Christian Christianity 240,000,000
Shaivites Hinduism 220,000,000
Conservative Protestant Christianity 200,000,000
Mahayana Buddhism 185,000,000
Liberal Protestant Christianity 150,000,000
Theravada Buddhism 124,000,000
Shiite Islam 120,000,000
African indigenous sects (AICs) Christianity 110,000,000
Pentecostal Christianity 105,000,000
Anglican Christianity 68,000,000
Sikhism Sikhism 23,000,000
neo-Hindus
and reform Hindus		 Hinduism 22,000,000
Lamaism
(Vajrayana/Tibetan, etc.)		 Buddhism 20,000,000
Jehovah's Witnesses Christianity 14,800,000
Latter Day Saints Christianity 11,200,000
Ahmadiyya Islam 10,000,000
Veerashaivas (Lingayats) Hinduism 10,000,000
Baha'i World Faith Baha'i Faiths 6,000,000
Conservative Judaism 4,500,000
Unaffiliated and Secular Judaism 4,500,000
Svetambara Jainism 4,000,000
Reform Judaism 3,750,000
Seicho-No-Ie New Japanese 3,200,000
Shinto all branches Shinto 3,000,000
Tenrikyo New Japanese 2,800,000
PL Kyodan New Japanese 2,600,000
Orthodox Judaism 2,000,000
New Thought
(Unity, Christian Science, etc.)		 Christianity 1,500,000
Sekai Kyuseikyo New Japanese 800,000
Sthanakavasis Jainism 750,000
Zenrinkai New Japanese 600,000
Druze Islam 450,000
Tensho Kotai Jingukyo New Japanese 400,000
Friends (Quakers) Christianity 300,000
Ennokyo New Japanese 300,000
Digambaras Jainism 155,000
Reconstructionist Judaism 150,000
Parsis Zoroastrianism 110,000
Gabars Zoroastrianism 20,000

 

 

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