According to Cambridge dictionary, the term "religion" is the belief in and worship of a god or gods, or any such system of belief and worship. Religion is also defined as the service and worship of God or the supernatural, and also as a commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance . It is not surprising to note that all around the world, social sciences estimate that humans have created about 10,000 religions, so it is difficult to agree on a single definition. The Aeterna Funeral Complex offers you a brief overview of the main religions in the world.

The five major religions

Our planet has approximately 7 billion people who all have certain beliefs or various practices. Of these 7 billion, 5 billion are followers of the five major religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism and Islam.  

For some communities, the term religion refers only to organized religions, with membership in a church, a practice governed by specific doctrines and with a religious hierarchy. For others, it is more a question of the feeling of community belonging of individuals according to their beliefs and their environment.    

Ranking of religions by number of members  

According to our research, here is the ranking of the main religions by popularity in 2021*. It is important to note that the statistics are only estimates, as it is nearly impossible to provide exact data.

Christianity: 2.4 billion followers
Includes several sub-branches of Christianity, including Catholicism, Protestantism, Orthodox Christianity, Eastern Orthodox Christianity, etc.     

Islam: 2 billion
Comprising 4 major movements: Sunnism, Shiism, Ahmadism and Ibadism  

Hinduism: 1.16 billion
One of the oldest religions in the world, mainly practised in India, Africa, Indonesia and the West Indies

Irreligion (no specific religion): 1.1 billion people 
There are 3 main sub-branches: agnosticism, atheism and deism, but there are several others as well. Atheism is the best known of the three.  

Buddhism: 507 million
Religion and philosophy originating in India, where the objective is spiritual awakening through freedom of choice and action

Animism: 430 million
Comprising various sub-branches: traditional Chinese religion, Asian shamanism and tribal religions, traditional African, Native American and African-American religions, etc. Animism—a tradition transmitted mainly orally— is the belief in a spirit, a vital force that animates living beings, objects and natural elements.  

Sikhism: 27.7 million
One of the four major religions in India

Judaism: 14.7 million
A form of religious life whose essential characteristic is the belief in the Supreme Being

In short, whether it is a question of worship, oral traditions, various beliefs or official religions, Man has always needed to believe in something. Whatever your beliefs, customs and traditions, the Aeterna Funeral Complex can do everything possible to ensure that your celebration of life lives up to your expectations. Our specialist advisors are accustomed to various ceremonies and rites in order to respond to our diverse clientele, always in 15 different languages.   

*Source:   

https://atlasocio.com/classements/religions/adherents/classement-religions-croyances-par-nombre-adherents-monde.php