Hinduism: A Global Perspective

Hinduism is considered to be the world's oldest religion, with roots and customs dating back up to 4,000 years.

There are roughly 1.2 billion Hindus globally. They account for approximately 15% of the world population.

84% of all Hindus, a total of 966 million people, live in India.

It is estimated that, by 2050, India will be home to 1.3 billion Hindus.

Hinduism is the dominant religion in only three countries: India (78.9%), Nepal (80.6%) and Mauritius (48.4%).

Nearly two-thirds of Indian Hindus (64%) say it is very important to be Hindu in order to be truly Indian.

Many Indian Hindus regularly perform puja – a worship practice that often involves prayer and giving offerings to deities. Most Hindus in India (55%) perform puja at home daily.

The oldest Hindu texts are the Vedas (“Knowledge”). Hindus regard the Vedas as having been directly revealed to or “heard” by gifted and inspired seers (rishis) who memorized them in Sanskrit.

Within Hinduism, there are many traditions or denominations. The four main traditions are Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism and Smartism.