Religion & community impact

🇨🇳 China — how its religious make-up changed

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Demographic shift

Share of the population by faith

0.1% → 5.2% Christian · 1945–2020 ▲ +5.1%
5% → 2% Muslim · 1945–2020 ▼ -3.0%
0% → 1% Jewish · 1945–2020 ▲ +1.0%
5.4% → 51.8% Unaffiliated · 1945–2020 ▲ +46.4%
89.6% → 42.2% Other · 1945–2020 ▼ -47.4%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 1945 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2020
  • Christian
  • Muslim
  • Jewish
  • Unaffiliated
  • Other
Year Christian Muslim Jewish Unaffiliated Other
1945 0.1% 5% 0% 5.4% 89.6%
1950 0.2% 1.8% 0% 10.9% 87.1%
1955 0.6% 1.8% 0% 23% 74.6%
1960 0.6% 1.7% 0% 38% 59.7%
1965 0.5% 1.6% 0% 36.9% 60.9%
1970 0.1% 1.5% 0% 42.8% 55.6%
1975 1.5% 1.5% 0% 46.2% 50.9%
1980 2.6% 1.5% 0% 43.5% 52.4%
1985 3.6% 1.5% 0% 40.7% 54.3%
1990 4.4% 1.5% 0% 38.5% 55.6%
1995 5.2% 1.5% 0% 36.1% 57.2%
2000 5.6% 1.6% 0% 38% 54.8%
2005 5.8% 2.5% 0% 32.5% 59.2%
2010 5.1% 1.8% 1% 52.2% 42.1%
2020 5.2% 2% 1% 51.8% 42.2%

Figures are real national estimates from the Correlates of War World Religion Project. Green up arrows mark a rising share, red down arrows a falling share. The page shows recorded self-identification, not attendance.