Muslim children flash the 'peace' sign after Friday prayers outside the Golden mosque in Manila. (Photo by AFP/Ted Aljibe)
Youthfulness and fertility are two factors that will help Islam come close to becoming the world's dominant religion in just a few short decades.
That prediction is the heart of a new study by the Pew Research Center on Religion and Public Life.
"Between 2010 and 2050, the world’s total population is expected to rise to 9.3 billion, a 35 percent increase," the study says.
"Over that same period, Muslims — a comparatively youthful population with high fertility rates — are projected to increase by 73 percent.
The number of Christians also is projected to rise, but more slowly, at about the same rate (35 percent) as the global population overall."
That means that by mid-century, there may be 2.92 billion Christians on the planet Earth, as opposed to the 2.17 billion there are now, and 2.76 billion Muslims, over a billion more than there are now.
The closing gap between the two religions is more dramatic when considered according to the percentage of the world's population.
While the percentage of Earth's inhabitants who follow Christ is expected to remain fairly constant, at the 31.4 percent it is now, the percentage of Muslims will shoot up from its current 23.2 percent to 29.7 percent.
Muslims and Christians are the two leading groups in fertility, the report says: "Globally, Muslims have the highest fertility rate, an average of 3.1 children per woman — well above replacement level (2.1), the minimum typically needed to maintain a stable population. Christians are second, at 2.7 children per woman."
The fact that 34 percent of Muslims in the world are under the age of 15 also helps ensure that Islam will grow faster than other religions. The share of Christians under that age is about the same as the world average, 27 percent.
The Pew study also projects that religious conversion will benefit Islam over the next three and a half decades, while Christianity will suffer a net loss due to religious switching.
Acknowledging that "conversion patters are complex and varied," Pew predicts a net gain of 3.2 million Muslims and a loss of 66 million Christians. Some of the other conclusions of the Pew study include:
Used with permission of Aleteia.
Original Story: Islam's Growth Rate Outpacing Christianity's, Pew Study Indicates
Source: Aleteia