4) Buddhism (Followers: 488 Million)

Buddhism is a nontheistic religion that encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices largely based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, who became the Buddha, the awakened one. Buddha lived and taught in the eastern part of India.

3) Hinduism (Followers: 1,100 Million)

Hinduism consists of many diverse traditions. It is the religion of the majority of people in India and Nepal. Unlike other religions, Hinduism has no single founder, no single scripture, and no commonly agreed set of teachings. It is a categorization of distinct intellectual points of view rather than a rigid set of beliefs.

Lord Shiva Statue in Murudeshwar, Karnataka, India.

2) Islam (Followers: 1,600 Million)

Islam is a monotheistic religion articulated by the Quran. People who follow Islam are known as Muslims. They believe Quran to be the verbatim word of God. They consider Muhammad as the last prophet of God. They believe that God is one and incomparable.

1) Christianity (Followers: 2,200 Million)

Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ as presented in the New Testament. It is the largest religion in the world. Followers of Christianity are known as Christians, who believe that Jesus has a unique significance in the world. Christianity played an important role in Western civilization.