Baha’i - the world’s second fastest growing religion?

by Barney

Well, according to Foreign Policy’s article The List: The World’s Fastest Growing Religions, the Baha’i Faith is the second fastest growing religion after Islam.

From Muslims in Europe to evangelical Christians in Africa, it is religious believers who are shaping the early 21st Century. Charismatic movements are sweeping throughout the Southern Hemisphere, while high birth rates among immigrants are provoking soul-seeking in the historically Christian West. For this week’s List, FP looks at the fast-growing faiths that are upending the old world order.

Bahaism

Growth rate: 1.70 percent

Adherents: 7.7 million

Behind the trend: High birthrates in India

Areas to watch: Bahais are spread throughout the world, but a good chunk

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8 comments

1 Steve Cooney { 05.21.07 at 08:51 }: The figure is based on the World Christian Encyclopaedia numbers. The methodology is apparently statistically sophisticated it includes, as I understand, people who will identify themselves as Baha’i but who won’t necessarily have enrolled with the Baha’i communities. see
http://www.bible.ca/global-religion-statistics-world-christian-encyclopedia.htm. According to the 2004-2005 Baha’i World the figure is 5.5 million Baha’is, although 2005-2006 Baha’i world reports more than 5 million.
2 Barney { 05.21.07 at 10:31 }: Steve, many thanks for your helpful comment. It’s interesting that the World Christian Encyclopaedia counts in those who haven’t enrolled but who identify themselves as Bahai’s. I fully expected that to happen in the 2001 Census in the UK, but it didn’t. There were 30,000 “Jedi Knights”, but no extra Baha’is. The 2011 Census may produce different results, since the training institute process and the whole change of cultured that is being nurtured by the Universal House of Justice will have been in place for many years by then.
3 Don Calkins { 05.21.07 at 14:23 }: It’s more than just who considers themselves a Baha’i. The Encyclopedia allows for multiple “memberships”, and includes those who fairly regularly attend specifically Baha’i activities (e.g. family members) even if they have no intention of ever becoming Baha’is. For detail info, contact Rob Stockman who has discussed this issue at length with the editor.

Don C
4 Barney { 05.21.07 at 17:35 }: Don, many thanks for shedding light on the Encyclopedia’s way of counting religious memberships. That might help explain the fact that they count higher numbers of Baha’is than the World Centre does.
5 Steven { 05.24.07 at 17:59 }: keep in mind _The Baha’is_ magazine used numbers from this same source, World Christian Encyclopaedia, for their graph of the rate of growth. On the other hand if you are looking for such numbers there’s not really any alternative…..
6 Steven { 05.24.07 at 18:00 }: check under http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion#Trends_in_adherence for more info
7 Toby Doncaster { 06.25.07 at 07:56 }: Sorry Barney, I’ve tried to trackback from this, as I’ve posted something related, but no joy I’m afraid. What am I doing wrong?
8 Barney { 06.25.07 at 17:08 }: I’m afraid I don’t know, Toby. Perhaps an ordinary link would do the trick?