26 C The Times of India
Elections 2026Europe / The Times of India
Nearly one in four people worldwide now identify with no religion, according to a sweeping global study covering 201 countries. The religiously unaffiliated grew by 270 million between 2010 and 2020, reaching 1.9 billion, driven largely by disaffiliation from Christianity. While Christians remain the largest group, only Muslims and the unaffiliated increased their global population share.
Singapore ranks as the worlds most religiously diverse nation in a 2026 study by Pew Research Center, scoring 9.3 on its Religious Diversity Index. Covering 201 countries and drawing on 2,700 censuses, the report tracks global shifts: Christians remain largest, Muslims grow fastest, the unaffiliated reach 24.2%, and Asia-Pacific emerges most diverse regionally.
Across cultures, fear of unlucky dates reflects shared anxieties shaped by local beliefs. Western traditions link Friday the 13th to Christian and Norse lore, while Spain fears Tuesday the 13th, Italy Friday the 17th, and parts of East Asia avoid the number four. In India, the number 13 is sometimes associated with Rahu, symbolising cosmic disruption.
An Indian vegetarian's complaint about limited options at a Dutch McDonald's sparked debate on food norms and consumer expectations. While India boasts extensive vegetarian menus, abroad, options can be scarce, leading to frustration for the country's large vegetarian population. This highlights a cultural clash between India's vegetarian-centric infrastructure and meat-dominant Western markets.