By the Gordon-Conwell count the nonreligious rose from 3.3 million in 1900 to 907 million in 2025
Source. Gordon-Conwell, Status of Global Christianity, 2025 (World Christian Database), 1900–2050.
Method and data
Method. Gordon-Conwell’s nonreligious count adds its agnostics and atheists. It defines Christians as professing Christians plus secret believers (note 10 to its table).
| Group | Year | People |
|---|---|---|
| Christians | 1900 | 558,346,000 |
| Christians | 1970 | 1,216,131,000 |
| Christians | 2000 | 1,987,905,000 |
| Christians | 2020 | 2,519,505,000 |
| Christians | 2025 | 2,645,317,000 |
| Christians | 2050 | 3,312,204,000 |
| Muslims | 1900 | 200,301,000 |
| Muslims | 1970 | 574,379,000 |
| Muslims | 2000 | 1,299,602,000 |
| Muslims | 2020 | 1,897,880,000 |
| Muslims | 2025 | 2,061,718,000 |
| Muslims | 2050 | 2,860,760,000 |
| Hindus | 1900 | 202,976,000 |
| Hindus | 1970 | 467,434,000 |
| Hindus | 2000 | 843,615,000 |
| Hindus | 2020 | 1,090,611,000 |
| Hindus | 2025 | 1,129,155,000 |
| Hindus | 2050 | 1,245,725,000 |
| Buddhists | 1900 | 126,946,000 |
| Buddhists | 1970 | 233,383,000 |
| Buddhists | 2000 | 448,423,000 |
| Buddhists | 2020 | 531,050,000 |
| Buddhists | 2025 | 538,173,000 |
| Buddhists | 2050 | 533,434,000 |
| Chinese folk-religionists | 1900 | 379,974,000 |
| Chinese folk-religionists | 1970 | 238,188,000 |
| Chinese folk-religionists | 2000 | 420,817,000 |
| Chinese folk-religionists | 2020 | 453,250,000 |
| Chinese folk-religionists | 2025 | 448,283,000 |
| Chinese folk-religionists | 2050 | 392,978,000 |
| Ethnoreligionists | 1900 | 117,313,000 |
| Ethnoreligionists | 1970 | 171,476,000 |
| Ethnoreligionists | 2000 | 225,753,000 |
| Ethnoreligionists | 2020 | 288,156,000 |
| Ethnoreligionists | 2025 | 294,801,000 |
| Ethnoreligionists | 2050 | 306,733,000 |
| New religionists | 1900 | 5,986,000 |
| New religionists | 1970 | 39,557,000 |
| New religionists | 2000 | 63,579,000 |
| New religionists | 2020 | 67,463,000 |
| New religionists | 2025 | 67,690,000 |
| New religionists | 2050 | 65,329,000 |
| Sikhs | 1900 | 2,962,000 |
| Sikhs | 1970 | 10,668,000 |
| Sikhs | 2000 | 21,605,000 |
| Sikhs | 2020 | 29,254,000 |
| Sikhs | 2025 | 31,433,000 |
| Sikhs | 2050 | 41,842,000 |
| Jews | 1900 | 11,725,000 |
| Jews | 1970 | 13,959,000 |
| Jews | 2000 | 12,948,000 |
| Jews | 2020 | 14,800,000 |
| Jews | 2025 | 15,357,000 |
| Jews | 2050 | 17,942,000 |
| Nonreligionists | 1900 | 3,255,000 |
| Nonreligionists | 1970 | 708,478,000 |
| Nonreligionists | 2000 | 782,937,000 |
| Nonreligionists | 2020 | 898,183,000 |
| Nonreligionists | 2025 | 906,567,000 |
| Nonreligionists | 2050 | 867,003,000 |
| World population | 1900 | 1,619,625,000 |
| World population | 1970 | 3,695,390,000 |
| World population | 2000 | 6,148,899,000 |
| World population | 2020 | 7,840,953,000 |
| World population | 2025 | 8,191,988,000 |
| World population | 2050 | 9,709,492,000 |
