The World’s Most (and Least) Religiously Diverse Countries
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Key Takeaways
- Singapore ranks #1 globally, with the most even mix of religions.
- Several Middle Eastern countries rank among the least diverse, with near-zero scores.
- North America saw some of the biggest increases in religious diversity since 2010.
Religious diversity ranges from highly mixed societies to countries where a single faith dominates almost entirely.
This map by Iswardi Ishak shows the Religious Diversity Index (RDI) across 201 countries, based on data from the Pew Research Center. The index measures how evenly populations are distributed across religions, with higher scores indicating a more balanced mix.
Singapore ranks #1 globally, with no single religious group forming a majority. At the other extreme, countries like Yemen and Afghanistan have near-zero diversity, highlighting how uneven religious distribution can be worldwide.
Ranking: Countries by Religious Diversity
Here’s a look at the full dataset on religious diversity by country:
| Rank | Country | RDI score | Diversity level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Singapore | 9.25 | Very high |
| 2 | Suriname | 7.54 | Very high |
| 3 | Taiwan | 7.46 | Very high |
| 4 | South Korea | 7.33 | Very high |
| 5 | Mauritius | 7.33 | Very high |
| 6 | Guinea-Bissau | 7.17 | Very high |
| 7 | Togo | 7.09 | Very high |
| 8 | Benin | 7.05 | Very high |
| 9 | Australia | 6.99 | High |
| 10 | France | 6.93 | High |
| 11 | Canada | 6.91 | High |
| 12 | United Kingdom | 6.88 | High |
| 13 | Belgium | 6.80 | High |
| 14 | Ivory Coast | 6.76 | High |
| 15 | Netherlands | 6.76 | High |
| 16 | New Zealand | 6.67 | High |
| 17 | Mongolia | 6.64 | High |
| 18 | Mozambique | 6.57 | High |
| 19 | Cuba | 6.48 | High |
| 20 | Germany | 6.40 | High |
| 21 | Malaysia | 6.31 | High |
| 22 | Sweden | 6.30 | High |
| 23 | Estonia | 6.21 | High |
| 24 | Japan | 6.18 | High |
| 25 | Chad | 6.18 | High |
| 26 | Uruguay | 6.14 | High |
| 27 | Switzerland | 6.09 | High |
| 28 | South Sudan | 6.09 | High |
| 29 | Eritrea | 6.01 | High |
| 30 | Bosnia-Herzegovina | 5.98 | High |
| 31 | Guyana | 5.90 | High |
| 32 | United States | 5.85 | High |
| 33 | Luxembourg | 5.81 | High |
| 34 | Nigeria | 5.81 | High |
| 35 | Macao | 5.76 | High |
| 36 | Tanzania | 5.72 | High |
| 37 | Ethiopia | 5.71 | High |
| 38 | Vietnam | 5.62 | High |
| 39 | Sri Lanka | 5.61 | High |
| 40 | Austria | 5.58 | High |
| 41 | Cyprus | 5.57 | High |
| 42 | Laos | 5.49 | Moderate |
| 43 | Slovenia | 5.46 | Moderate |
| 44 | Jamaica | 5.45 | Moderate |
| 45 | Burkina Faso | 5.43 | Moderate |
| 46 | Trinidad and Tobago | 5.41 | Moderate |
| 47 | Russia | 5.41 | Moderate |
| 48 | North Macedonia | 5.38 | Moderate |
| 49 | Lebanon | 5.38 | Moderate |
| 50 | Fiji | 5.31 | Moderate |
| 51 | Hong Kong | 5.23 | Moderate |
| 52 | Cameroon | 5.22 | Moderate |
| 53 | Spain | 5.21 | Moderate |
| 54 | Ghana | 5.21 | Moderate |
| 55 | Chile | 5.15 | Moderate |
| 56 | Norway | 5.11 | Moderate |
| 57 | United Arab Emirates | 5.06 | Moderate |
| 58 | Bahrain | 4.91 | Moderate |
| 59 | Finland | 4.84 | Moderate |
| 60 | Belize | 4.83 | Moderate |
| 61 | Albania | 4.75 | Moderate |
| 62 | North Korea | 4.73 | Moderate |
| 63 | Hungary | 4.71 | Moderate |
| 64 | Czech Republic | 4.67 | Moderate |
| 65 | Madagascar | 4.66 | Moderate |
| 66 | Iceland | 4.65 | Moderate |
| 67 | Qatar | 4.63 | Moderate |
| 68 | Slovakia | 4.57 | Moderate |
| 69 | Bhutan | 4.55 | Moderate |
| 70 | Israel | 4.46 | Moderate |
| 71 | Denmark | 4.42 | Moderate |
| 72 | Montenegro | 4.39 | Moderate |
| 73 | Latvia | 4.34 | Moderate |
| 74 | Barbados | 4.21 | Moderate |
| 75 | Dominican Republic | 4.18 | Moderate |
| 76 | Kazakhstan | 4.14 | Moderate |
| 77 | Bulgaria | 4.05 | Moderate |
| 78 | India | 4.03 | Moderate |
| 79 | Cape Verde | 4.02 | Moderate |
| 80 | Kuwait | 3.94 | Moderate |
| 81 | Italy | 3.88 | Moderate |
| 82 | Nepal | 3.85 | Moderate |
| 83 | Brazil | 3.83 | Moderate |
| 84 | Aruba | 3.75 | Moderate |
| 85 | Sierra Leone | 3.71 | Moderate |
| 86 | Ireland | 3.68 | Moderate |
| 87 | Oman | 3.68 | Moderate |
| 88 | Brunei | 3.68 | Moderate |
| 89 | Botswana | 3.51 | Moderate |
| 90 | Gabon | 3.36 | Moderate |
| 91 | French Guiana | 3.28 | Moderate |
| 92 | Ukraine | 3.28 | Moderate |
| 93 | Vanuatu | 3.26 | Moderate |
| 94 | Sao Tome and Principe | 3.20 | Moderate |
| 95 | South Africa | 3.08 | Moderate |
| 96 | New Caledonia | 3.08 | Moderate |
| 97 | Nicaragua | 3.07 | Moderate |
| 98 | Liberia | 3.01 | Moderate |
| 99 | Portugal | 3.00 | Moderate |
| 100 | Belarus | 2.99 | Moderate |
| 101 | Channel Islands | 2.96 | Moderate |
| 102 | Kenya | 2.96 | Moderate |
| 103 | St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 2.87 | Moderate |
| 104 | Colombia | 2.86 | Moderate |
| 105 | Indonesia | 2.72 | Moderate |
| 106 | Guinea | 2.71 | Moderate |
| 107 | Reunion | 2.68 | Moderate |
| 108 | Zimbabwe | 2.66 | Moderate |
| 109 | Grenada | 2.66 | Moderate |
| 110 | El Salvador | 2.65 | Moderate |
| 111 | Malawi | 2.61 | Moderate |
| 112 | Costa Rica | 2.54 | Moderate |
| 113 | Uganda | 2.53 | Moderate |
| 114 | Venezuela | 2.49 | Moderate |
| 115 | Georgia | 2.47 | Moderate |
| 116 | Malta | 2.46 | Moderate |
| 117 | Equatorial Guinea | 2.44 | Moderate |
| 118 | Argentina | 2.44 | Moderate |
| 119 | Ecuador | 2.43 | Moderate |
| 120 | Honduras | 2.42 | Moderate |
| 121 | Haiti | 2.38 | Moderate |
| 122 | Myanmar | 2.36 | Moderate |
| 123 | Puerto Rico | 2.33 | Moderate |
| 124 | Bolivia | 2.33 | Moderate |
| 125 | Greece | 2.27 | Moderate |
| 126 | China | 2.26 | Moderate |
| 127 | Mexico | 2.26 | Moderate |
| 128 | Namibia | 2.05 | Moderate |
| 129 | Curacao | 2.04 | Moderate |
| 130 | Central African Republic | 2.02 | Moderate |
| 131 | Croatia | 1.98 | Low |
| 132 | Panama | 1.92 | Low |
| 133 | Bangladesh | 1.92 | Low |
| 134 | Poland | 1.88 | Low |
| 135 | Philippines | 1.85 | Low |
| 136 | Serbia | 1.85 | Low |
| 137 | Kyrgyzstan | 1.81 | Low |
| 138 | St. Lucia | 1.80 | Low |
| 139 | Guatemala | 1.76 | Low |
| 140 | Republic of the Congo | 1.71 | Low |
| 141 | Lithuania | 1.70 | Low |
| 142 | Saudi Arabia | 1.61 | Low |
| 143 | Angola | 1.52 | Low |
| 144 | Eswatini | 1.48 | Low |
| 145 | French Polynesia | 1.45 | Low |
| 146 | Paraguay | 1.43 | Low |
| 147 | Seychelles | 1.36 | Low |
| 148 | Guam | 1.34 | Low |
| 149 | Maldives | 1.33 | Low |
| 150 | Mali | 1.31 | Low |
| 151 | Syria | 1.30 | Low |
| 152 | Kosovo | 1.26 | Low |
| 153 | Turkmenistan | 1.26 | Low |
| 154 | Thailand | 1.25 | Low |
| 155 | U.S. Virgin Islands | 1.23 | Low |
| 156 | Peru | 1.22 | Low |
| 157 | Azerbaijan | 1.17 | Low |
| 158 | Burundi | 1.13 | Low |
| 159 | Solomon Islands | 1.11 | Low |
| 160 | Egypt | 1.07 | Low |
| 161 | Uzbekistan | 0.99 | Very low |
| 162 | Guadeloupe | 0.94 | Very low |
| 163 | Martinique | 0.90 | Very low |
| 164 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 0.85 | Very low |
| 165 | Pakistan | 0.79 | Very low |
| 166 | Gambia | 0.68 | Very low |
| 167 | Rwanda | 0.68 | Very low |
| 168 | Cambodia | 0.66 | Very low |
| 169 | Jordan | 0.66 | Very low |
| 170 | Turkey | 0.66 | Very low |
| 171 | Armenia | 0.62 | Very low |
| 172 | Lesotho | 0.61 | Very low |
| 173 | Senegal | 0.56 | Very low |
| 174 | Kiribati | 0.55 | Very low |
| 175 | Bahamas | 0.55 | Very low |
| 176 | Samoa | 0.54 | Very low |
| 177 | Djibouti | 0.53 | Very low |
| 178 | Tonga | 0.51 | Very low |
| 179 | Niger | 0.43 | Very low |
| 180 | Zambia | 0.40 | Very low |
| 181 | Comoros | 0.39 | Very low |
| 182 | Algeria | 0.37 | Very low |
| 183 | Romania | 0.34 | Very low |
| 184 | Federated States of Micronesia | 0.28 | Very low |
| 185 | Mayotte | 0.27 | Very low |
| 186 | Sudan | 0.26 | Very low |
| 187 | Tajikistan | 0.25 | Very low |
| 188 | Palestinian territories | 0.24 | Very low |
| 189 | Libya | 0.23 | Very low |
| 190 | Papua New Guinea | 0.21 | Very low |
| 191 | Mauritania | 0.19 | Very low |
| 192 | Tunisia | 0.16 | Very low |
| 193 | Iraq | 0.12 | Very low |
| 194 | Moldova | 0.11 | Very low |
| 195 | Timor-Leste | 0.11 | Very low |
| 196 | Western Sahara | 0.10 | Very low |
| 197 | Morocco | 0.08 | Very low |
| 198 | Iran | 0.05 | Very low |
| 199 | Somalia | 0.04 | Very low |
| 200 | Afghanistan | 0.03 | Very low |
| 201 | Yemen | 0.03 | Very low |
Singapore leads the ranking with a score of 9.25, while several countries at the bottom have near-zero diversity, underscoring how wide the global gap is.
Where Religious Diversity Is Highest
Singapore stands apart globally, with no single religion accounting for more than a third of its population. This balance across Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and unaffiliated groups gives it the highest diversity score in the dataset, well ahead of most countries.
Other highly diverse countries include Suriname and Taiwan, where multiple religions coexist relatively evenly. These countries often share histories shaped by migration, trade, or colonial influence, which help sustain a more diverse mix of religious identities.
Where Diversity Is Lowest
At the other end of the spectrum, several countries in the Middle East and North Africa have diversity scores close to zero. In places like Yemen and Afghanistan, a single religion accounts for nearly the entire population, leaving little variation in religious identity.
In addition, relatively low immigration levels mean fewer new religious communities are introduced over time. Countries like Yemen and Afghanistan also tend to have more ethnically and culturally homogeneous populations, which historically align with a single dominant faith.
By contrast, highly diverse countries typically combine open migration patterns, legal protections for religious freedom, and urban, trade-driven histories that bring multiple belief systems into close contact.
How Diversity Changed Between 2010 and 2020
Globally, religious diversity is rising, but unevenly. Between 2010 and 2020, more countries moved into moderate and high diversity categories, driven largely by migration and shifting religious affiliation. North America saw some of the fastest increases, with both the U.S. and Canada becoming more religiously mixed.
The number of countries classified as having “very low” diversity fell from 48 to 41, while those in the “moderate” category rose from 81 to 89.
Here are the top 10 countries with the biggest increases in religious diversity from 2010 to 2020:
| Country | RDI Score 2010 | RDI Score 2020 | RDI Score Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chile | 2.8 | 5.1 | +2.3 |
| Ireland | 1.8 | 3.7 | +1.9 |
| Malta | 0.7 | 2.5 | +1.8 |
| Austria | 3.9 | 5.6 | +1.7 |
| Oman | 2.1 | 3.7 | +1.6 |
| Belarus | 1.4 | 3 | +1.6 |
| United States | 4.2 | 5.8 | +1.6 |
| Brazil | 2.3 | 3.8 | +1.5 |
| Ecuador | 1 | 2.4 | +1.4 |
| Italy | 2.5 | 3.9 | +1.4 |
North America experienced the most significant shift, with an average RDI increase of 1.40. Both the U.S. and Canada moved further into the “high” diversity category, driven by immigration and changing religious affiliation patterns.
While less pronounced than the increases, a few countries did experience declines in religious diversity. Here are the top 10 decreases:
| Country | RDI Score 2010 | RDI Score 2020 | RDI Score Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kazakhstan | 5.1 | 4.1 | -1.0 |
| Syria | 2.2 | 1.3 | -0.9 |
| Vietnam | 6.2 | 5.6 | -0.6 |
| Madagascar | 5.3 | 4.7 | -0.6 |
| Fiji | 5.8 | 5.3 | -0.5 |
| Ivory Coast | 7.3 | 6.8 | -0.5 |
| Bahrain | 5.4 | 4.9 | -0.5 |
| Albania | 5.3 | 4.8 | -0.5 |
| Mozambique | 7.1 | 6.6 | -0.5 |
| Zimbabwe | 3.2 | 2.7 | -0.5 |
Overall, the data shows a gradual shift toward greater religious mixing worldwide, though the divide between highly diverse and highly uniform countries remains stark.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
To explore how religions are distributed globally, check out The World’s Three Largest Religions Have a Combined 5 Billion Followers on the Voronoi app.