Background
Religions
Term 1. Bahá'í
Bahá'í (pronounced /bəˈhaɪ/) is a monotheistic religion founded by Mirza Husayn-Ali (known as Bahá'u'lláh) in mid nineteenth-century Persia (Iran). According to Baha'i the prophets of all major world religions reflect some element of the truth or the divine, and all the religions are manifestations of God given to specific communities in specific times, and that Baha'u'llah is an additional prophet meant to call all humankind. Followers are urged to consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship. The central tenets of the Baha’i faith include the equality man and women and all races before God. Love and concern for all peoples of the world supercede loyalty to country. Conflict and violence are shunned. Abolishment of war is a major objective. Education especially in science is encouraged. Devotees believe God has ushered in a new age of world unity through Baha’i. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories, with the greatest concentration of believers in South Asia. Bahá'ís are being persecuted in Islamic countries, and especially Iran where it originated, and where several hundreds have been executed in recent decades.
Term 2. Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion or philosophy inspired by the 5th century B.C. teachings of Siddhartha Gautama - commonly known as "The Buddha" (The Enlightened One). Buddhism focuses on the goal of spiritual enlightenment centred on an understanding of Gautama Buddha's Four Noble Truths on the nature of suffering, and on the Eightfold Path of spiritual and moral practice, to break the cycle of birth and rebirth into suffering of which all sentient beings are a part. The exalted state is called Nirvana and can take many lifetimes to reach. Buddhism is mainly centred on India and Sri Lanka, South East Asia and East Asia and Tibet but also with many followers throughout the West – where it may places is one of the fastest growing religions.
Term 3. Christianity
Christianity (from the Greek word Xριστός "Christ") is a monotheistic religion descending from Judaism and centred on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in the New Testament. Christianity's central belief tells of Jesus of Nazareth whom is the Son of God, the incarnation of God and the promised messiah of the Hebrew Scriptures, and that his life, death, and resurrection are the salvation of the world. Central to Jesus’ teachings is peace, forgiveness and love. It is written that on his crucifixion Jesus willingly took the sin of man on himself, ascended into heaven and will on the last day return to judge the living and the dead, granting everlasting life to his followers. Christians call the message of Jesus Christ the Gospel ("good news") and hence label the written accounts of his ministry as gospels. Christianity’s sacred texts include the Old Testament (the Hebrew Bible) and the New Testament (the Christian Gospels). Christianity is largest and fastest growing religion and present on all continents and in all countries, being the largest religion in most European, North & South American, southern African, Australasian and some Asian countries.
Term 4. Islam
Islam (from the Arabic: الإسلام; al-'islām meaning "submission") is a monotheistic religion greatly inspired by Judaism and Christianity and originating with Muhammad - a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. Adherents of Islam, called Muslims (Moslems) maintains that Muhammad was a prophet – and the last prophet – of God’s words through the angel Gabriel. Central to Muhammad’s teaching was the total submission of its adherents. Muhammad’s words are gathered in the Koran. Muhammad, being illiterate, did not himself write down the Koran, which was instead written in the centuries following his death. Also important in Islam is the writings of the Hadiths, or recorded oral traditions of Muhammad and the Sharia – a system of laws founded on laws in existence in 7th century South Arabia, and including stoning, decapitation, amputations and other sentences which are generally considered barbaric in modern society. Central to Islam is the five pillars, or tenets, of Islam; the testimony of faith, the daily prayer, the giving alms, the fasting during Ramadan, and the pilgrimage to Mecca (Saudi Arabia). Islam maintains Jesus as an important prophet, but contends that he was not the Son of God and that he did not die on the cross and further that the Virgin Mary is part of Muhammad’s harem in the afterlife. Islam is the predominant religion in much of the Middle East and northern Africa, as well as in some parts of Asia. The most populous Muslim country is Indonesia.
Term 5. Judaism
Judaism is one of the first monotheistic religions, dating back to between 2000-1500 B.C. and among the oldest religious traditions still being practised today. Judaism is the native faith of the Jewish people, based upon the belief in the covenant of responsibility between God and the patriarch Abraham (ca. 2000 B.C.). Divine revelation of principles and prohibitions in the Hebrew Scriptures form the basis of Jewish law, which is a key component of the faith. In 2007, the world Jewish population was estimated at 13.2 million people, 41% of whom lived in Israel.
Term 6. Shintoism
Shintoism is the native animist polytheistic religion of Japan. Shintoism is based upon the premise that every being and object has its own spirit (called "kami"). Shinto practitioners worship several particular kamis, including the kamis of nature (for example the Sun goddess, or Mount Fuji), and families often have shrines to their ancestors' kamis. Shintoism has no fixed tradition of prayers or prescribed dogma, but is characterized by individual ritual. Respect for the kamis in nature is a key Shinto value. Prior to the end of World War II, Shinto was the state religion of Japan, and bolstered the cult of the Japanese emperor. Shintoism is almost exclusively confined to Japan, and has been in decline since World War II, although it remains an important influence in modern Japanese culture.
Term 7. Sikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded by the Guru Nanak (born 1469) and nine subsequent gurus. In Sikhism, devotion to God is seen as a means of escaping the cycle of rebirth. Sikhism emphasizes equality of humankind and disavows caste, class, or gender discrimination. There are about 23 million Sikhs world wide, but mostly concentrated in the Indian Punjab. Prior to India’s partition, millions of Sikhs lived in what is now Pakistani Punjab, but were driven out by the Muslim majority.
Term 8. Taoism
Taoism (also spelled Daoism) is a set of philosophical and religious traditions and concepts based upon Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching. Taoism centers on belief in the Tao- the way - as the flow of the universe and the nature of things. Taoism encourages a principle of non-force (wu-wei) as the means to live harmoniously with the Tao. Taoists believe the esoteric world is made up of a perfect harmonious balance and nature, while in the manifest world - particularly in the body - balance is distorted. The Three Jewels of the Tao - compassion, simplicity, and humility - serve as the basis for Taoist ethics. Reverence for ancestor spirits and immortality are also common in popular Taoism. Geographically, Taoism is centred in regions populated by Chinese people: mainland China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, and various Chinese diaspora communities.
Term 9. Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism is a monotheistic religion based on the teachings of the prophet Zoroaster in about the 9th or 10th century B.C., Zoroastrianism may be the oldest continuing creedal religion. Its key beliefs centre on a transcendent creator God, Ahura Mazda, and the concept of free will. The key ethical tenets of Zoroastrianism expressed in its scripture, the Avesta, are based on a dualistic worldview of Good and Evil, where one may prevent chaos if one chooses to serve God and exercises good thoughts, good words, and good deeds. Zoroastrianism is generally a closed religion and members are almost always born to Zoroastrian parents. Zoroastrianism was once the dominant religion of the Persian Empire (Greater Iran), and was a formative influence on that region's history and traditions. But the religion was marginalized and its adherents persecuted following the Islamic conquests of the mid-7th century. Today, though a minority, Zoroastrians remain primarily in Iran, India, and Pakistan.
Term 10. Abrahamic religions
The Abrahamic religions are monotheistic faiths which recognize a spiritual tradition identified with Abraham. The term is mostly used to refer collectively to the three religions Judaism, Christianity and Islam – though sometimes the term s used more broadly to include also such as the Samaritans, the Druze, the Mandaeans, the Rastafarians and the Bahá'í. Abrahamic religions account for more than half of the world's total population. Today, there are around 3.8 billion followers of various Abrahamic religions.
Term 11. The Twelve world religions
There are twelve classical world religions—those religions most often included in history of world religion surveys and studied in world religions classes: Baha'i, Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Shinto, Sikhism, Taoism, and Zoroastrianism.
Term 12. Christian nations
The following 168 nations are considered Christian majority or predominant Christian nations (percentage of population Christian in parentheses. Notably the Christian populations of China and Egypt are not included, since even if both constituted a large absolute number, they only make up a smaller percentage of the respective countries. Official numbers give min. 130 million Christians in China and another 10 million in Egypt.) American Samoa (100%) Andorra (100%) Angola (53%) Anguilla (91%) Antigua and Barbuda (93%) Argentina (94%) Armenia (98.7%; 1992-) Aruba (89.8%) Australia (70%) Austria (78.3%) The Bahamas (96.3%) Barbados (74.6%) Belarus (95%; 1992-) Belgium (90%) Belize (63.6%) Benin (42.8%) Bermuda (70%) Bolivia (100%) Bosnia and Herzegovina (46%; 1992-) Botswana (71.6%) Brazil (89%) British Virgin Islands (96%) Bulgaria (83.8%) Burundi (67%) Cameroon (40%) Canada (70.3%) Cape Verde (100%) Cayman Islands (85.2%) Central African Republic (50%) Chile (87.2%) Colombia (100%) The Democratic Republic of Congo (70%; Zaire) The Republic of Congo (50%) Cook Islands (90.2%) Costa Rica (92%) Croatia (92.6%; 1992-) Cuba (90%) Cyprus (82%) Czechoslovakia (99%; -1991) Czech Republic (50%; 1992-) Denmark (98%) Dominica (90.9%) Dominican Republic (95%) Ecuador (95%) El Salvador (80.9%) Equatorial Guinea (100%) Estonia (100%; 1992-) Ethiopia (60.6%) Falkland Islands (100%; Islas Malvinas) Faroe Islands (100%) Fiji (53%) Finland (95%) France (90%) French Guiana (100%) French Polynesia (84%) Gabon (75%) Georgia (95%; 1992-) German Democratic Republic (95%; -1990) Federal Republic of Germany (90%; -1990) Germany (90%; 1991-) Ghana (68.8%) Gibraltar (88.3%) Greece (98%) Greenland (100%) Grenada (100%) Guadeloupe (95%) Guam (90%) Guatemala (100%) Guernsey (100%) Guyana (54.7%) Haiti (96%) Holy See (100%; The Vatican) Honduras (100%) Hungary (75%) Iceland (95%) Ireland (95%) Isle of Man (100%) Italy (95%) Jamaica (90%) Jersey (100%) Kazakhstan (46%; 1992-) Kenya (78%) Kiribati (95%) Latvia (95%; 1992-) Lesotho (80%) Liberia (40%) Liechtenstein (95%) Lithuania (95%; 1992-) Luxembourg (95%) Macedonia (65%; 1992-) Madagascar (41%) Malawi (80%) Malta (98%) Marshall Islands (97.5%) Martinique (95%) Mexico (82.8%) The Federated States of Micronesia (97%) Moldova (99%; 1992-) Monaco (95%) Montenegro (78%; 1994-) Montserrat (100%) Mozambique (50%) Namibia (90%) Nauru (70%) Netherlands (90%) Netherlands Antilles (92.3%) New Caledonia (90%) New Zealand (95%) Nicaragua (84.3%) Nigeria (40%) Niue (85%) Norfolk Island (80%) Northern Mariana Islands (100%) Norway (90.1%) Palau (71.7%) Panama (100%) Papua New Guinea (96.4%) Paraguay (97%) Peru (85%) Philippines (92.5%) Pitcairn Islands (100%) Poland (91.4%) Portugal (86.7%) Puerto Rico (100%) Reunion (94%) Romania (99%) Russia (80%; 1992-) Rwanda (93.6%) Saint Barthelemy (100%) Saint Helena (100%) Saint Kitts and Nevis (100%) Saint Lucia (90.8%) Saint Martin (90%) Saint Pierre and Miquelon (99%) Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (94%) (Western) Samoa (98%) San Marino (100%) Sao Tome and Principe (85%) Serbia (91.6%; 1992-; Serbia & Montenegro/Yugoslavia) Seychelles (92.3%) Slovakia (83%; 1993-) Slovenia (65%; 1992-) Solomon Islands (97.1%) South Africa (80%) Spain (95%) Suriname (48%) Svalbard (100%) Swaziland (70%) Sweden (92%) Switzerland (80%) Timor-Leste (99%; 2002-; also East Timor) Tokelau (98%) Tonga (100%) Trinidad and Tobago (60%) Turks and Caicos Islands (86%) Tuvalu (98.4%) Uganda (84%) Ukraine (98%; 1992-) United Kingdom (80%) United States (80%) Uruguay (85%) Vanuatu (82.5%) Venezuela (98%) Virgin Islands (95%) Wallis and Futuna (99%) Yugoslavia (81%; -1991) Zambia (70%) Zimbabwe (75%)
Term 13. Muslim nations
The 49 following nations are considered Muslim majority or predominant Muslim countries (percentage of population Muslims in parentheses. Notably the Muslim population of India is not included, since even if a large number it is only a smaller percentage of the whole Indian population. The countries for which there is no data on the percentage of the population which is Muslim, the percentage is set to 100%): Afghanistan (99%), Albania (70%), Algeria (99%), Azerbaijan (93.4%; from 1992), Bahrain (81.2%), Bangladesh (83%), Brunei (67%), Burkina Faso (50%), Chad (53.1%), Comoros (98%), Djibouti (94%), Egypt (90%), Eritrea (100%; from 1995), Guinea (85%), Indonesia (86.1%), Iran (98%), Iraq (97%), Jordan (92%), Kazakhstan (47%; from 1992), Kosovo (100%; from 2008), Kuwait (85%), Kyrgyzstan (75%; from 1992), Lebanon (59.7%), Libya (97%), Malaysia (60.4%), Maldives (100%), Mali (90%), Mauritania (100%), Morocco (98.7%), Niger (80%), Nigeria (50%), Oman (100%), Pakistan (95%), Qatar (77.5%), Saudi Arabia (100%), Somalia (100%), Sudan (70%), Syria (90%), Tajikistan (90%; from 1992), The Gambia (90%), Tunisia (98%), Turkey (99.8%), Turkmenistan (89%; from 1992), UAE (96%), Uzbekistan (88%; from 1992), Yemen (99%), Gaza (99.3%), West Bank (75%), Western Sahara (100%)
Demography
Term 14. Total fertility rate
The total fertility rate (TFR) is a figure for the average number of children that would be born per woman if all women lived to the end of their childbearing years and they bears children according to a given fertility rate at each age. The TFR in combination with the replacement level and immigration/emigration gives an indication of the population change in a country over a longer stretch of time.
The TFR is synthetic rate obtained by summing the single-year age-specific rates at a given time, thereby giving a current estimate. It is explicitly not obtained by averaging the number of children born per women whom have passed their childbearing years, which would show a larger lag effect of changing birth rates.
The TFR is a reasonable summary of current fertility levels, however it does not necessarily predict how many children young women now entering their childbearing age will eventually have, as their fertility rates in years to come may change from those of older women now.
Alternative measurements of birth rates are:
• Crude birth rate (CBR). The crude birth rate is defined as the annual number of births per thousand population. TFR gives a more precise measurement that the CBR, since it refers to births per woman and take into account the age structure of the population.
• Net reproduction rate (NRR), which is like the TFR but only measures the number of daughters born. NRR can be a more accurate measurement, in particular in populations where the number of male babies is relatively high (due to for instance female infanticide and gender selected abortions). Unfortunately NRR numbers are not widely available.
Term 15. Child-bearing years
A woman’s child-bearing year bracket in a woman’s life where she is considered fertile and able to bear children. Conventional international statistical usage sets this at ages 15-44 or 15-49.
Term 16. Replacement fertility
The replacement fertility is a figure giving the average number of children each women must bear through her childbearing age for the whole population to remain stable over time. Neither growing, nor shrinking. Under normal circumstances a population will give birth to a slightly larger number of boys than girls (to make up for a larger male death rate). Approximately 1.05-1.07 boy for every girl. If all mortality was abolished and all newborn baby-girls lived to the end of their childbearing age, the replacement fertility level would be approximately 2.05-2.07 children per women. Two children to replace the mother and father and a little bit extra to account for the slight increase of male babies. Of course mortality has not been abolished and replacement level must take this into account. In most developed countries the mortality is conventionally set so, that the replacement fertility level is taken to be 2.1. An average 2.1 children per woman is needed for the population to remain stable over time. Developing countries with a higher mortality rate, will likewise have a higher replacement fertility rate, ranging from 2.5 to 3.3 or even some places as high as 3.5 children per women needed for a stable population. The global average replacement fertility level is around 2.33.
If the total fertility rate is below the replacement level – at a sub-replacement fertility level, the population will over time (and not accounting for immigration) inevitability contract. If the TFR is at half the replacement level, the population will halve each generation.
If the total fertility rate is above the replacement fertility level the population will over time (and not accounting for emigration) expand. If at double the replacement level, the population will double each generation.
Term 17. Demographic momentum (also population-lag effect)
A demographic momentum is a term used to describe the tendency of population to expand for a number of years after the TFR has dipped below the replacement fertility level. This is caused by an above level replacement level fertility of previous years, giving a relative large portion of the population moving through its childbearing age and a general aging of the population.
Term 18. Demographic transition
The Demographic transition model (DTM) is a model used to represent the process of shift from high birth rates and high death rates to low birth rates and low death rates as part of the economic development of a country from a pre-industrial to an industrialized economy. The greatest population increase happens during the transition, while the death rate has been reduced but the birth rate still remains high.
Sources
(see also the Further reading section)
Term 19. The World Christian Encyclopedia
The to date most reliable and scholarly accepted source of statistically information on religious trends is the World Christian Encyclopedia (WCE), which is an comprehensive statistically reference work by Dr. David B. Barrett first published in 1982 and revised and updated in 2001 (2nd edition by Barrett, George Thomas Kurian, and Todd M. Johnson). The data incorporated into the World Christian Encyclopedia and combined with other source have been made available online at the World Christian Database (WCD). WCE has been criticized as being slightly overestimating Christian, and especially protestant Christian, populations, but nevertheless being on the whole dependable and reliable (see: Estimating the religious composition of all nations: An empirical assessment of the World Christian Database, Becky Hsu, Amy Reynolds, Conrad Hackett, James Gibbon, Princeton University, 2008).
The WCD contains information specific to religious adherence and resources, including the percentage and count of adherents belonging to major and minor religious groups in 238 countries. Major religions represented are (alphabetically): Bahais, Buddhists, Chinese Universists, Christians, Confucianists, Ethnoreligionists, Hindus, Jains, Jews, Muslims, Shintoists, Sikhs, Spiritists, Taoists, Zoroastrians as well as Other Religionists, Neoreligionists, Nonreligious and Atheists.
Term 20. The CIA World Factbook
The CIA World Factbook (ISSN 1553-8133; also known simply as the World Factbook) is a reference resource produced by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States with almanac-style information about the countries of the world. It provides a two- to three-page summary of the demographics and religious statistics as well as many other important statistics for U.S.-recognized countries, dependencies, and other areas in the world.