Fertility rates across many countries have converged, despite starting from very different levels. (This Data Insight was written by @hannahritchie.bsky.social.) In the thirty years since I was born, fertility rates in my country, the United Kingdom, have not changed much.

The fabulous folks at @ourworldindata.org have created an simulation model where you can plug in different fertility, mortality, and migration rates to see how population size and composition will change in the future at different levels. ourworldindata.org/population-s...

New report from @pewresearch.org today on how Americans feel about religion's influence in government and public life. There are sharp partisan divides on whether religion’s influence is good or bad and how far that influence should go Link to full report ➡️ www.pewresearch.org?p=303844

How Americans Feel About Religion’s Influence in Government and Public Life

A growing share of U.S. adults say religion is gaining influence, but most still want churches to stay out of politics, a 2026 survey finds.

pewresearch.org

Buddhism is the only major religion whose global population shrank from 2010 to 2020. 🔎Key reasons: aging populations, low fertility, and religious switching - especially in East Asia, where many Buddhists live. More on the why Buddhism is declining worldwide: www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...

Why is Buddhism shrinking worldwide? | Pew Research Center

The global population of Buddhists shrank by roughly 5% between 2010 and 2020, the sole major religious group to decline.

pewresearch.org

Buddhism’s global population declined between 2010 and 2020. However, in the United States, the number of Buddhists grew by 22%, outpacing the overall population growth. As of 2020, there were approximately 4.4 million Buddhists in the U.S. www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...

Buddhism is the only major religion with a falling number of adherents, and the decline is especially pronounced in East Asia. To understand how and why, Pew Research Center conducted interviews in 🇯🇵Tokyo and 🇰🇷Seoul with Japanese and Korean adults who grew up in Buddhist families.

Buddhism's Recent Decline in East Asia

Buddhism is the only major religion whose global population shrank between 2010 and 2020. Learn why it declined in East Asia, particularly in Japan and South Korea.

pewresearch.org

In Japan, there are approximately two deaths for every birth— Forty years ago in Japan, two babies were born for every person who died. Twenty years ago, these numbers were equal. And today, the ratio has reversed: one baby is born for every two people who die.

NEW: Number of national public, nonworking holidays in 2026 30 Myanmar 29 Bangladesh 25 Sri Lanka 11 US 5 Uruguay 4 Bosnia & Herzegovina 1 Switzerland (each Swiss canton has more) Learn more: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/02/12/which-countries-have-the-most-and-fewest-public-holidays/

📊How religiously diverse is your country? 🇸🇬Singapore is the most religiously diverse country in the world, according to a new Pew Research Center study on religious diversity in 201 countries and territories. This study measures how evenly a country’s population is distributed among seven groups.

What is the most common religious affiliation in each country? Three-quarters of people worldwide say they are religious. But rates of religious identity can vary a lot across countries, and so do the particular religions people follow.

NEW @pewresearch.org report I led with my team on religion in Latin America! The study focuses on Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, a group of countries that together make up roughly 75% of the region’s population. pewrsr.ch/3NofOy9 A few key takeaways in the:thread:below: 1/

Catholicism Has Declined in Latin America Over the Past Decade

Growing numbers of Latin Americans are religiously unaffiliated, but belief in God remains high across the region.

pewrsr.ch

Please share: Pew Research Center will provide $3,000 each for 19 new papers using our recent global datasets. We encourage reuse of our Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures data! https://www.pewresearch.org/2026/01/16/seeking-research-using-recent-pew-templeton-global-religious-futures-datasets/

Good morning Minneapolis! The #SSSR_RRA2025 Annual Meeting begins today with a full weekend of plenary sessions, receptions, networking events and papers exploring this year’s theme “Religion Matters.” Full program. ⬇️ #Research #SocialScience #Religion sssreligion.org/annual-meeti...

Americans’ views about religion in public life are shifting: - Growing shares say religion is gaining influence. - Growing shares have a positive view of religion's role in society. - Growing shares feel conflict btw their religious beliefs and the mainstream. New Pew report: pewrsr.ch/3J3oE2s

Growing Share of U.S. Adults Say Religion Is Gaining Influence in American Life

Americans' views of religion's role in society have grown more positive in recent years. But many feel their religious beliefs conflict with the mainstream.

pewrsr.ch

SECULAR TRANSITION: The graphic below shows the Participation-Importance-Belonging sequence of religious decline emerging between younger & older generations in @pewresearch.org surveys. Adapted from our “Three Stages of Religious Decline Around the World” article🧪 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Conrad Hackett@conradhackett.bsky.social · 11mo ago

Below is my new post about our Three Stages of Religious Decline paper (www.nature.com/articles/s41...). We argue that a similar process of decline affects countries on every populated continent, including countries in which Christianity, Islam, Buddhism or Hinduism is the largest religion. A🧵

How common is religious switching around the world? A new Pew Research Center post provides insights based on surveys conducted in 117 countries and territories. Some key findings: - Globally, 1 in 10 adults under 55 have switched religions since childhood. More here: pewrsr.ch/46dKGbF