Year 2011: Declining Number of Atheists, But More Believers

VATICAN INSIDER
By Marco Tosatti

The Dali Lama

ITALY - According to the annual “Status of Global Missions” study, in this first part of the millennium non-believers will lose two million seven hundred thousand members, whilst declared atheists will lose one million and 370 thousand “faithful”. Religions are flourishing in the twenty-first century, with no exception. Christianity, in all its possible variants, totals two billion three hundred million followers, and is growing more than any other faith: according to the calculations made by the study, more than 83 thousand faithful come under the sign of the Cross. Following close behind, of course, is Islam. Hinduism is in third place. Its believers add up to 952 million, who live primarily in India, but also in neighbouring parts of Asia. Still in Asia, although present in statistically small numbers elsewhere, is Buddhism. [link]