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Philippines 4th largest home to Christians by 2050

Paterno R. Esmaquel II

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Philippines 4th largest home to Christians by 2050
In about 4 decades, in the Philippines, the percentage of Muslims will slightly rise while the percentage of Christians will slightly decline

MANILA, Philippines – While Islam will nearly match Christianity in terms of membership, the Philippines will house the world’s 4th largest Christian population by 2050, a US-based think tank reported. 

In a report on April 2, the Pew Research Center said that by 2050, Filipinos will comprise 4.9%, or 143.55 million, of the world’s Christian population.

Below is its list of 10 countries with the largest Christian populations by 2050: 

  1. United States – 9% of the world’s Christian population 
  2. Brazil – 6.6%
  3. Nigeria – 5.3%
  4. Philippines – 4.9%
  5. Democratic Republic of the Congo – 4.9%
  6. Mexico – 4.5%
  7. Tanzania – 3.2%
  8. Russia – 3%
  9. Ethiopia – 2.9%
  10. Uganda – 2.8%

The Philippines, as of 2010, is home to the world’s 5th biggest Christian population.

Below is the think tank’s list of 10 countries with the largest Christian populations as of 2010:

  1. United States – 11.2% of the world’s Christian population
  2. Brazil – 8%
  3. Mexico – 5%
  4. Russia – 4.8%
  5. Philippines – 4%
  6. Nigeria – 3.6%
  7. China – 3.2%
  8. Democratic Republic of the Congo – 2.9%
  9. Germany – 2.6%
  10. Ethiopia – 2.4%

Bigger percentage of Muslims

Pew Research Center, a decade-old think tank based in Washington DC, released these findings in its report, “The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2010-2050.”

In its report, the think tank’s most important finding was that “if current trends continue, by 2050, the number of Muslims will nearly equal the number of Christians around the world.”

Pew Research Center projected 2.92 billion Christians (31.4%) and 2.76 billion Muslims (29.7%) globally by 2050.

The group estimated 2.17 billion Christians (31.4%) and 1.6 billion Muslims (23.2%) as of 2010.

In the Philippines, Pew Research Center said the percentage of Muslims will slightly rise while the percentage of Christians will slightly decline in 2050.  

The group projected 92% of Filipinos will belong to Christianity and 6% to Islam by 2050.

In 2010, 92.6% of Filipinos belonged to Christianity and 5.5% to Islam. 

The Philippines is already Asia’s most predominantly Christian country. (READ: Social media in PH: Religion more popular than politics)

The Vatican considers the Philippines key to its focus on Asia, the world’s largest continent that Pope Francis considers a “great frontier.” – Rappler.com

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Paterno R. Esmaquel II

Paterno R. Esmaquel II, news editor of Rappler, specializes in covering religion and foreign affairs. He finished MA Journalism in Ateneo and MSc Asian Studies (Religions in Plural Societies) at RSIS, Singapore. For story ideas or feedback, email pat.esmaquel@rappler.com