Asia 1900-2025:
the rise & fall of world religions
by Justin D. Long
| Religion | AD1900 | AD1925 | AD1950 | AD1975 | AD2000 | AD2025 |
| Muslim | 16.32% | 16.95% | 17.61% | 18.29% | 23.06% | 26.70% |
| Hindu | 21.17% | 21.43% | 21.69% | 21.96% | 21.10% | 21.47% |
| Nonreligious | 0.01% | 0.13% | 1.60% | 20.32% | 16.44% | 14.63% |
| Folk religions | 39.75% | 25.66% | 16.56% | 10.69% | 10.28% | 9.29% |
| Buddhist | 13.23% | 12.38% | 11.58% | 10.84% | 9.63% | 8.57% |
| Christian | 2.29% | 2.89% | 3.64% | 4.58% | 8.31% | 9.72% |
| Other | 7.23% | 8.86% | 10.87% | 13.32% | 11.18% | 9.62% |
In this issue, we continue our series of regional religious diagrams by looking at Asia's religious adherents from 1900 to 2025. This century has seen remarkable reversals for two major blocs, steady increases for two others, and a semblance of stability for all the rest.
Asia, according to the UN definition, includes lands from Pakistan to Indonesia, including Azerbaijan, Armenia, and other regions which some refer to as "Central Asia." This area comprises the bulk (60%) of the world's population, including the two most populous countries--China and India. Events and trends here will, due to this tremendous population, shape much of the world's future, and in particular the future of Christianity. 87% of the world's unevangelized individuals live here, making it the biggest target for frontier missions.
RAPID DECLINE, RAPID REVERSAL
Chinese folk-religions are the first of two faiths that have seen dramatic losses. Although folk religions laid claim to over 40% of Asia at the turn of the century, they suffered a marked decline during the 75 years. No other religion lost so many adherents in this region. Total adherents appears to have stabilized at about 10%, and is likely to remain at that level for the next generation, with only a small annual loss. On the other end, the nonreligious began at a miniscule level, but had most of its gains from those leaving folk religions as a result of Communist takeovers in eastern Asia. However, in a remarkable turn, the growth of the nonreligious peaked above 20% in 1975, and it has begun suffering losses to Islam and Christianity. By 2025, it is likely the nonreligious will have fallen to about 15% of the population.
SLOW AND STABLE
Hinduism has held steady at about 22% of the region for the whole of this century, and will likely continue at the same rate for the foreseeable future, demonstrating the abject failure of other religions to make an impact on this bloc. Buddhism's decline is steady, but slow, and it will take until after the year 2000 to fall to less than 10%. Even then, it will be more a matter of a demographic change: non-Buddhist nations will have more residents than countries where Buddhism is more common. Other religions likewise peaked around 1975, and now are suffering declines.
CERTAIN GROWTH TOWARD AN EPIC STRUGGLE
Christianity began the century at about 2% of Asia, and had a century of slow growth. In the late 1970s its growth began to accelerate, particularly due to widespread evangelism in China. This growth will likely taper off a little, but will nonetheless continue well into the next century. Islam's growth, on the other hand, shows no signs of tapering off. Though it, like Christianity, got off to a slow start, it has now claimed more than 25% of Asia, and could well broach 30% by 2050. The contest between Islam and Christianity now faced in Africa will shortly be seen in Asia as well, as Islam grows as a majority in many Asian nations, and a substantial minority in others (including China).
