Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life just released a new report, Faith on the Move, that examines the religious affiliation of international migrants, who are defined as someone who has been living for one year or longer in a country other than the one in which he or she was born. Pew’s analysis focuses on seven major religious traditions: Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, adherents of other religions, and the religiously unaffiliated. Below is a list of some of the more interesting findings:
- 49% of the world’s international migrants are Christian, 27% Muslim, 9% religiously unaffiliated, 5% Hindu, 3% Buddhist, and 2% Jewish.
- The origin of most Christian migrants has been Mexico (more than 12 million), other sources include Russia (more than 8 million), and Ukraine (about 5 million).
- Most Muslim immigrants are coming from Palestine (more than 5 million), other sources include Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India (more than 3 million each).
- A majority of Hindu migrants come from India, Buddhist migrants from Vietnam, Jewish migrants from Russia, and the religiously unaffiliated migrants from China.
- The United States is the top destination for Christian, Buddhist, and the religiously unaffiliated migrants. Also, it is the second-leading destination for Hindu and Jewish.
Be sure to check out the full report, the interactive map, and the quiz!