Singapore currently stands as the most religiously diverse country in the world according to a new comprehensive global analysis. This study measures how evenly seven major religious groups are represented within the borders of each country or territory.
Furthermore, the findings from PEW Research Centre reveal that Singapore maintains substantial shares of Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, and religiously unaffiliated citizens. While a single group forms a majority in almost every other nation, Singapore represents a unique global demographic exception. This report highlights how different cultures and faiths coexist within diverse modern societies across every single inhabited continent.
Singapore and Suriname: Global Models for Diversity
Buddhists represent the largest religious group in Singapore, accounting for approximately thirty-one percent of the total island population today. Additionally, the nation includes significant populations of religiously unaffiliated people, Christians, Muslims, and a smaller percentage of Hindu adherents.
Suriname currently ranks second in global religious diversity and is the only Latin American country in the top ten. About half of Suriname’s residents identify as Christians, while the remaining population consists of Hindus, Muslims, and unaffiliated individuals. These two nations serve as primary examples of how multiple faiths can share a single national identity effectively.
High Religious Diversity in Large Nations
The United States does not appear among the ten most religiously diverse countries, ranking thirty-second in the overall global list. However, when looking only at the ten most populous nations, the United States emerges as the most diverse country. Christians make up sixty-four percent of the American population, while religiously unaffiliated people account for about thirty percent.
Nigeria ranks as the second-most diverse among large nations, with a population nearly evenly divided between Muslims and Christians. These large societies prove that diverse religious perspectives can exist even within countries housing hundreds of millions of people.
Regional Trends and Global Highlights
Most countries in the top ten for religious diversity are located in the Asia-Pacific region or sub-Saharan Africa. Countries like Taiwan, South Korea, and Australia show high levels of representation across multiple religious and non-religious categories. France is notably the only European nation to reach the top ten list for religious diversity in this analysis.
The French population is largely divided between Christians and religiously unaffiliated people, with a sizable and active Muslim minority. These regional trends suggest that religious pluralism is becoming a more common feature of modern life in various nations.
The Least Diverse Places in the World
At the opposite end of the spectrum, some countries show almost no religious diversity within their current national borders. Yemen, Afghanistan, and Somalia are the least diverse places, with Muslims representing over ninety-nine percent of their populations. Overall, Muslims make up at least ninety-nine percent of the population in eight of the ten least diverse countries. Similarly, nations like Timor-Leste and Moldova have populations that are almost entirely Christian with very few other religious groups. Pakistan ranks as the least diverse among the world’s most populous countries, as ninety-seven percent of residents are Muslim.
The Champions of Religious Pluralism
Only forty-nine countries currently possess three or more religious categories that each make up at least five percent of people. This exclusive list represents the global hubs of religious pluralism and cultural integration in our modern and connected world.
Seven specific places, including Singapore, Malaysia, and Taiwan, possess at least four religious categories representing five percent of citizens. These nations demonstrate how diverse faiths can thrive together within a single national framework without one group dominating others. Consequently, these locations serve as unique laboratories for observing the dynamics of multi-faith societies and international religious cooperation.
Seven Nations with No Religious Majority
Interestingly, there are only seven countries in the world where no single religious group makes up a clear majority. These nations include the United Kingdom, Mauritius, South Korea, Australia, France, Ivory Coast, and Singapore according to recent data.
In these societies, power and influence are often distributed across several different religious and non-religious groups and communities. For instance, France is divided primarily between Christians and religiously unaffiliated people, while Singapore hosts several nearly equal groups. This lack of a majority often encourages more inclusive policies and a democratic approach to different religious practices.
Asia-Pacific: The World’s Most Diverse Region
The Asia-Pacific region is officially the most religiously diverse area in the world, with a very high RDI score. No single religious category constitutes a majority in this region, which houses millions of Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians. The largest single group in the Asia-Pacific region is actually the religiously unaffiliated, making up about one-third of residents. Furthermore, North America and Europe also maintain high levels of diversity even though Christians still form the overall majority. In these western regions, the religiously unaffiliated group now represents a quarter or more of the total national populations.
The Least Diverse Regions and National Borders
In contrast, the Middle East-North Africa region is currently the least diverse area studied by global researchers today. Approximately ninety-four percent of the population in this region is Muslim, resulting in a very low regional RDI score. This area includes five of the world’s ten least religiously diverse countries, such as Yemen, Iraq, and Tunisia. Similarly, the Latin America-Caribbean region falls into the moderate diversity category because it maintains a very large Christian majority. These regional differences highlight how geography and history continue to shape the religious landscape of our global modern civilization.
Q&A: Exploring Global Religious Trends
Q: Which religious group is the largest in Singapore?
A: Buddhists are the largest group in Singapore, making up thirty-one percent of the country’s diverse and multi-faith population.
Q: How does the United States compare to other large countries in terms of diversity?
A: The United States ranks first in religious diversity among the ten most populous nations, followed closely by Nigeria.
Q: Are there any Latin American countries with high religious diversity?
A: Suriname is the only Latin American country in the top ten, featuring a mix of Christians, Hindus, and Muslims.
FAQ
What are the seven categories used to measure religious diversity?
The analysis uses Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, unaffiliated people, and adherents of all other religions for its rankings.
Why does Singapore rank so high on the diversity index?
Singapore ranks high because it has significant and relatively even representation from multiple major religious and non-religious groups.
Which countries are the least religiously diverse?
Yemen, Afghanistan, and Somalia are the least diverse, as their populations are almost entirely composed of one religious group.
How is religious diversity measured in this specific study?
Researchers use the Religious Diversity Index (RDI) to measure how evenly different groups are represented within a specific country.
Is France the most diverse country in Europe?
According to this specific analysis, France is the only European nation to rank in the global top ten list.





































