The Continued Rise of Islam
Dr. James Emery White
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By Dr. James Emery White, Crosswalk.com
Sometimes very important stories get overlooked. Or more likely, overshadowed. For example, as great as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is, what is arguably the world’s greatest humanitarian crisis, unfolding in Sudan, receives almost no coverage at all.
Similarly, with news of the rise of the “nones,” or the potential of revival among young adults, a religion that has now become the fastest growing in the world is receiving almost no attention for reaching that status.
According to a new Pew Research Center study, Islam is now the fastest-growing religion in the world. Christians still make up the world’s largest religion, but in terms of overall growth, have actually declined percentagewise between 2010 and 2020. One of the main reasons is the number of people leaving the Christian faith and becoming religiously unaffiliated—making the “nones” the second fastest-growing religious group.
Muslims, on the other hand, increased by 347 million during that same period—more than all the other religions combined.
The reason?
Natural demographic growth.
Translation?
They are having babies. A lot of babies.
“Muslims are having children at a greater number than Muslims are dying,” Conrad Hackett, a senior demographer at Pew, told the Religion News Service. “Very little of the change in Muslim population size is a result of people becoming Muslim as adults or leaving Islam as adults.”
So....
Christians are in decline because people are leaving the faith as adults AND having fewer babies.
Muslims are growing because adults are NOT leaving their faith, AND they are having more babies.
Muslims may not be growing because adults are converting due to evangelism,
... but it sure seems to be time for Christians to think about it.
James Emery White
Sources
“Nearly 400,000 People Are Starving in Sudan, a New Report Finds,” NPR, November 3, 2025, read online.
Conrad Hackett et al., “How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020,” Pew Research Center, June 9, 2025, read online.
Angie Orellana Hernandez, “Islam Grows, Christianity Slips as Share of World Population, Survey Finds,” The Washington Post, June 9, 2025, read online.
Fiona André, “Islam Is the Fastest Growing Religion in the World, New Study Shows,” Religion News Service, June 9, 2025, read online.
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Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Kriangkrai Thitimakorn
The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of CrosswalkHeadlines.
James Emery White is the founding and senior pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, NC, and a former professor of theology and culture at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he also served as their fourth president. His latest book, Hybrid Church: Rethinking the Church for a Post-Christian Digital Age, is now available on Amazon or from your favorite bookseller. To enjoy a free subscription to the Church & Culture blog, visit churchandculture.org where you can view past blogs in our archive, read the latest church and culture news from around the world, and listen to the Church & Culture Podcast. Follow Dr. White on X, Facebook and Instagram at @JamesEmeryWhite.
