Religion and Spirituality in East Asian Societies
Few are religiously affiliated, but many in the region hold religious or spiritual beliefs and engage in traditional rituals.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Religious Demographics
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Key findings about religious restrictions around the world in 2021
The most common kinds of government restrictions on religion in 2021 included harassment of religious groups and interference in worship.
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Globally, Government Restrictions on Religion Reached Peak Levels in 2021, While Social Hostilities Went Down
In 2021, government restrictions on religion – laws, policies and actions by state officials that limit religious beliefs and practices – reached a new peak globally. Harassment of religious groups and interference in worship were two of the most common forms of government restrictions worldwide that year.
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8 facts about atheists
Around six-in-ten U.S. atheists are men (64%). And seven-in-ten are ages 49 or younger, compared with about half of U.S. adults overall (52%).
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Has the rise of religious ‘nones’ come to an end in the U.S.?
Although it’s possible that the “nones” have leveled off, it’s also possible that their growth has continued, but at a gradual pace that is difficult to see in the data.
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In Singapore, religious diversity and tolerance go hand in hand
Overall, 56% of Singaporean adults say that having people of different religions, ethnic groups and cultures makes the country a better place to live.
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Buddhism, Islam and Religious Pluralism in South and Southeast Asia
In Thailand, Cambodia and Sri Lanka, more than 90% of Buddhists see strong links between their religion and country. In the neighboring countries of Malaysia and Indonesia, nearly all Muslims say being Muslim is important to being truly part of their nation.
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Measuring Religion in China
Only one-in-ten Chinese adults formally identify with a religion, but surveys indicate that religion plays a much bigger role in China when the definition is widened to include questions on spirituality, customs and traditional beliefs.
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Among U.S. Latinos, Catholicism Continues to Decline but Is Still the Largest Faith
Catholics remain the largest religious group among Latinos in the United States, even as their share among Latino adults has steadily declined over the past decade. The share of Latinos who are religiously unaffiliated is now on par with U.S. adults overall.
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Key Findings From the Global Religious Futures Project
The Global Religious Futures (GRF) project is jointly funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and The John Templeton Foundation. Here are some big-picture findings from the GRF, together with context from other Pew Research Center studies.
