Many religions have core majorities in certain countries

The United States ranks 32nd globally in religious diversity, though it ranks first among the ten most populous nations.

Visualizing the spread of five major religions across the world

Every major religion has a story that started in a specific place before growing to reach millions. This quick video depicts an illustrated map over the last 5,000 years, showing how Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam grew from their humble beginnings.

Data indicates a strong concentration of religious people live in the American South

The Northeast and West Coast tend to be less religious. Mississippi is the most religious state, with 50% of adults classified as highly religious. Vermont is the least religious at 13%.

Charting the countries with large Sikh populations

While the vast majority of contemporary Sikhs live in Punjab, India, millions have moved elsewhere in the world, especially in anglophone countries. This chart shows which countries host the largest communities of the Sikh diaspora in the world.

See the religious breakdown of the US from 2007 to 2024.

View the countries with the most internet users, including 94% of those in high-income nations

As of 2025, the four most populous nations—China, India, the US, and Indonesia—are also the ones with the most internet users, collectively accounting for almost half of the 6.04 billion internet users worldwide. This suggests that population size, rather than adoption rate, is a better predictor of online activity.

Countries with either very low or very high religious diversity tend to be more peaceful

Research found a correlation between a country's relative stability and whether it has either very low or very high levels of religious diversity. Countries in the middle range—with moderate diversity and active competition between groups—show higher levels of conflict.

35% of Americans have moved on from their childhood religion

A new Pew Research analysis finds that most Americans still identify with their childhood religion, but 35% have switched or left entirely—often due to lost belief or drifting away.

Mapping the Middle East showing Sunni and Shia populations by country

France24's interactive visualization shows where each branch of Islam predominates across the region, from Iran's Shia majority to Saudi Arabia's Sunni dominance. The map helps make Middle Eastern politics (and conflicts) more legible.

A map of religious radio stations in the US

A Pew analysis of 440,000 hours of broadcasts found more than 4,000 faith-based AM/FM stations reach 98% of American adults (out of a total of 17,000 licensed stations). Ownership is highly concentrated, with the top 30% of stations belonging to large groups; Educational Media Foundation's K-LOVE and Air1 networks alone hold hundreds of licenses nationwide.

See the religious breakdown of your state and how it compares to the rest of the country.

The Pew Research Center conducted a survey of religion across all 50 states and Washington, DC. This data visualization allows you to select any state to see how religious it is compared to the rest of the country.

Practices and beliefs from Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism influenced yoga

Yoga scholars Mark Singleton and James Mallinson’s study, “Roots of Yoga,” collects over 100 core texts on the subject. They found that many different ethnicities and religions practiced yoga in antiquity; Singleton says that the practice was a “floating technology between various religious systems.”

Approximately 10% of American K-12 students are enrolled in private schools.

Religion dominated many aspects of Colonial life and was enforced by the government

Eight of the 13 British Colonies in America had official, established churches, and laws mandated that everyone attend a house of worship and pay taxes that funded ministers' salaries.

Marriage rates are declining, especially in the richest countries

89% of the world’s population now live in countries with falling rates. Increasing costs of living, the financial burden of starting a family, and the rise of secularism are some of the key factors reducing marriage rates among the less affluent.

See which countries have already reached their peak population, and when others will eventually reach theirs.

Hear experts discuss how religion has shaped American life

Produced by the National Museum of American Religion, this podcast examines how religion has shaped America and how America has influenced religion—covering topics from the Nation of Islam and rock 'n' roll to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, with scholars and everyday citizens as guides.

Anthropologists have found that, across the globe, nearly every culture embraces marriage customs

Despite these commonalities, different cultures have distinct customs, such as the number of people who can be married at one time, the types of marriage partners allowed, and whether elaborate ceremonies are observed. Families can range from the smaller nuclear unit to extensive multi-generation families and households.

Most Americans support the separation of church and state

A 2021 Pew survey found that 55% of Americans strongly or moderately support the separation of church and state, while 14% favor integrating religion more into government.

See how income taxes in the US compare to those of other countries.

The power and meaning behind the Sikh turban

Sikhs, who comprise the fifth-largest religion in the world, are well known for their elaborate turbans. The tightly wrapped headdress is a symbol of each person's royalty, a reflection of the Sikh belief in everyone's participation in the divine...

Federal systems are a minority among the United Nations' 193 members

Of the United Nations' 193 member countries, roughly two dozen use a federal system, dividing power constitutionally between national and subnational governments. This group includes the United States, India, Canada, Germany, and more. The video walks through examples of how these states operate.

Explore the state of religious freedom worldwide with an interactive data visualization.

Mapping Claude's relative usage worldwide, led by Israel, Singapore, and the US

According to Anthropic's AI Usage Index, the US leads in total users, but Israel and Singapore have higher adoption rates among their working populations. Excluding nations with insufficient numbers of conversations for analysis, Tanzania and Angola rank last in the index.

US immigrants shifted from primarily originating in Ireland and Germany to Mexico and India.

See America's loneliness and disconnection—charted.

The world's top agriculture-producing countries

Agriculture is one of the most important industries in the global economy, and while every country produces some of its own food, some countries dominate the markets. The US, Brazil, and the Netherlands are the world's top three agriculture exporters. See more charts and statistics on the topic with this Investopedia article.

As of 2022, scientists estimate that 117 billion people have been born on Earth

Although no demographic data exist for more than 99% of the time humans have existed, this value can be estimated by tracking approximate population sizes over different periods and the birth rates within those periods. In 2022, about 6.8% of humans that have ever been born were alive.

See the most common master's degrees around the world.

What is Sikhism? A 101 guide

Sikhism is a religion founded in the 15th century by Guru Nanak in the northern regions of India. It is the fifth-largest religion in the world, with nearly 30 million adherents. Get to know the basic tenets of this lesser-known religion with this...

Earth's easily accessible surface water in rivers and lakes accounts for about 0.01% of all the water on Earth, but 70% of this surface water is used for agriculture.

See a breakdown of how each country contributes to the world's $126T economy.

Every single American state constitution references God or the divine, though the federal Constitution does not.

The wealthiest Americans own the vast majority of the stock market

Recent data from the Federal Reserve shows that the richest people in America own 93% of all the country's stock—the highest level ever recorded. Meanwhile, the bottom 50% of Americans held just 1% of all stocks.

Monaco has the world's oldest population, with more than 36% of residents aged 65 or older, according to World Bank data.

Countries that celebrate Easter

Easter is observed as a national holiday in more than 95 countries, with traditions varying wildly—from water fights in Hungary to crime novel reading in Norway—reflecting how thoroughly Christian practice has mixed with local culture.

Measuring which nation has the most baseball fans

It's known as America's pastime, but just how devoted are Americans to baseball? FiveThirtyEight outlines several metrics indicating Puerto Rico may have the most devoted fanbase. See how they used an adjusted metric to rank the world's biggest...

About 76% of global coral species are found in the Coral Triangle—a region spanning the waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste.

Eight demographic trends to watch

This list highlights eight demographic trends expected to shape the world in the coming decades. The world’s population is projected to hit 9 billion in 2037. In that time, India will overtake China in population, and the Democratic Republic of...

Nearly 70% of Muslim Americans always donate to charity during Ramadan

Zakat, one of the core pillars of Islam, directs Muslims to redistribute their wealth and give to the poor. This pillar is commonly honored during Ramadan and likely motivated by the practice of fasting, which encourages gratitude and compassion for those who are less fortunate. Other spikes in charitable giving are seen during the holiday of Eid al-Adha and at the end of the financial year.

Explore a map of data centers worldwide, numbering over 12,250 as of August 2026, with over 4,500 in the US.

The US produces far more waste and recycles far less of it than other developed countries

The US represents just 4% of the world’s population, but it produces 12% of global municipal solid waste. In comparison, China and India make up more than 36% of the world’s population and generate 27% of that waste.

Many early colonists came to America to escape religious persecution in Europe

Fleeing state-sponsored religious oppression in England and Europe, many early colonists sought freedom of conscience in the New World. Many—especially in New England—established their own religiously exclusive communities: They persecuted dissenters, expelled nonconformists, and enforced orthodoxy.

Americans are divided over Christian prayer in public schools

A 2024 Pew survey found that over half (52%) of US adults favor allowing teachers in the public school system to lead their classes in prayers that mention Jesus, though results vary widely by state.

Roughly 10% of the world's population is older than 65 (2023 data)

With recent advances in medicine, sanitation, and nutrition, expected lifespans have rapidly risen around the globe—resulting in a rapidly aging global population. The worldwide distribution has seen a nearly 600% jump in the population of people aged 65 and older.

Explore which sectors produce the most greenhouse gas emissions by country

As of 2023, the energy sector, including electricity and heating, accounts for the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions. The 10 largest greenhouse gas-emitting nations account for two-thirds of global emissions, with the world's top three—China, the US, and India—contributing 15 times more than the bottom 100.

Hanukkah is one of 8 major Jewish holidays

This calendar, maintained by the Reform Judaism organization, not only shows when each holiday is to be celebrated in the current year, but also includes short histories and common rituals.

Roughly half of the world's nations are (relatively young) electoral democracies

Classifying countries by governance type involves leaning into technical systems like the Regimes of the World classification. In this data dive, see a map of the world's oldest and youngest electoral democracies, as well as liberal democracies (which are measured by the protection of minorities and checks on executive power from the legislature).

Visual Capitalist shows the top 50 countries by central bank reserves

As of 2024, China, Japan, and the United States held the top three spots in terms of the value of their respective central bank reserves.

The share of the immigrant population in the US peaked at nearly 16% in January 2025

In January 2025, the US reached a historic high of 53.3 million immigrants—nearly 16% of the population. By June of that year, the number had fallen by more than a million, ending 50 years of continuous growth in the immigrant population.