Index| Group | Where | Number of Adherents |
% of total pop. |
Number of congreg./ churches/ units |
Number of countries |
Year | Source | Quote/ Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bahai Faith | USA | - | - | 440 units |
- | 1969 | Ahlstrom, Sydney E. A Religious History of the American People; Yale University Press: New Haven & London (1973); pg. 1050. | "In 1947 Baha'i membership in the United States was numbered at five thousand; but during the 1960s it has shown marked growth... In 1969 there were 440 local assemblies in the United States and members in 2,570 cities. " |
| Bahai Faith | USA | 138,000 | 0.10% | - | - | 1970 | 1996 Britannica Book of the Year | Table: Non-Christian Religious Adherents in the United States |
| Bahai Faith | USA | 138,000 | - | - | - | 1970 | Ash, Russell. The Top 10 of Everything 1999. New York: DK Publishing (1998); pg. 76. | Table: "Top 10 Fastest-Growing Religious Affiliations in the US "; "Based on increases/decreases between 1970 and 1995 "; Rank: #5; 117.4% growth |
| Bahai Faith | USA | 138,000 | - | - | - | 1970 | Ash, Russell. The Top 10 of Everything, DK Publishing, Inc.: New York (1997); pg. 160-161. | List: "Fastest Growing Religious Affiliations in the US " (Based on increase/decrease in membership between 1970 and 1995). |
| Bahai Faith | USA | - | - | 517 units |
- | 1970 | Petersen, William J. Those Curious New Cults in the 80s. New Canaan, Connecticut: Keats Publishing (1982); pg. 191. | "The number of Bahai Centers (they are also called assemblies, but not churches) was only about 200 in 1960, had increased to 517 by 1970 and is nearing the 1,000 mark today. " |
| Bahai Faith | USA | 100,000 | - | - | - | 1982 | Petersen, William J. Those Curious New Cults in the 80s. New Canaan, Connecticut: Keats Publishing (1982); pg. 191. | "The amazing revival of interest in Bahai has propelled membership from under 10,000 to more than 100,000 in slightly more than ten year. " |
| Bahai Faith | USA | - | - | 1,000 units |
- | 1982 | Petersen, William J. Those Curious New Cults in the 80s. New Canaan, Connecticut: Keats Publishing (1982); pg. 191. | "The number of Bahai Centers (they are also called assemblies, but not churches) was only about 200 in 1960, had increased to 517 by 1970 and is nearing the 1,000 mark today. " |
| Bahai Faith | USA | 100,000 | - | - | - | 1983 | Berger, Gilda. Religion: A Reference First Book. New York: Franklin Watts (1983); pg. 9. | "Today there are about 100,000 Baha'is in the U.S. and 5 million worldwide. " |
| Bahai Faith | USA | 100,000 | - | - | - | 1987 | Bishop, Peter & Michael Darton (editors). The Encyclopedia of World Faiths: An Illustrated Survey of the World's Living Faiths. New York: Facts on File Publications (1987); pg. 175. | "The United States has the largest single western Baha'i community (c. 100,000)... " |
| Bahai Faith | USA | 250,000 | 0.10% | - | - | 1990 | 1996 Britannica Book of the Year | Table: Non-Christian Religious Adherents in the United States |
| Bahai Faith | USA | 600,000 | - | - | - | 1990 | Barrett, David B. World Christian Encyclopedia (2001) | Data transcribed by Simeon Kohlman Rabbani |
| Bahai Faith | USA | 28,000 | - | - | - | 1990 | Kosmin, B. & S. Lachman. One Nation Under God: Religion in Contemporary American Society; Harmony Books: New York (1993); pg. 15-17. | Table 1-2: Self-Described Adherence of U.S. Adult Population 1990. Phone survey w/ 113,000 people; by Graduate School of City U. of New York. |
| Bahai Faith | USA | 28,000 | - | - | - | 1990 | *LINK* web site: Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance; web page: "The Baha'i Faith " (viewed 18 Feb. 1999) | "There are about 2.5 million adherents in India, 130,000 in the US... Some claim that the US figure is grossly inflated, and that the number of active members might be much lower. Barry Kosmin and Seymour Lachman estimated 28,000 adult US Baha'is in their 1993 book One Nation Under God. " [The book's surveys were done in 1990.] |
| Bahai Faith | USA | 110,000 | - | - | - | 1991 | Russell, Chandler. Racing Toward 2001; Zondervan Publishing House: Grand Rapids, MI (1992). [Orig. source: Baha'i Public Information Service of Los Angeles, 3 Jan. 1991]; pg. 190. | "Baha'i's estimated 110,000 American followers gather in several thousand local houses of worship. " |
| Bahai Faith | USA | 110,000 | - | 1,700 units |
- | 1992 | Bedell, Kenneth (ed.). Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches 1993. Abingdon Press: Nashville, Tenn (1993); pg. 248-255. | Table 2: US Current Stats. (# of adherents from table's "inclusive membership " column, not sometimes smaller "full communicant " col.) Listed in table as "Bahai Faith. " |
| Bahai Faith | USA | 110,000 | - | - | - | 1993 | Kosmin, B. & S. Lachman. One Nation Under God: Religion in Contemporary American Society; Harmony Books: New York (1993); pg. 287. | "... possible that our methodology [over 100,000 phone surveys] tended to undercount groups that live in communal settings... [This] was suggested to us by the Baha'i..., [which] claims 110,000 adherents nationwide... we found only 28,000 " |
| Bahai Faith | USA | 300,000 | 0.10% | - | - | 1995 | 1996 Britannica Book of the Year | Table: Non-Christian Religious Adherents in the United States |
| Bahai Faith | USA | 300,000 | - | - | - | 1995 | Ash, Russell. The Top 10 of Everything 1999. New York: DK Publishing (1998); pg. 76. | Table: "Top 10 Fastest-Growing Religious Affiliations in the US "; "Based on increases/decreases between 1970 and 1995 "; Rank: #5; 117.4% growth |
| Bahai Faith | USA | 300,000 | - | - | - | 1995 | Ash, Russell. The Top 10 of Everything, DK Publishing, Inc.: New York (1997); pg. 160-161. | List: "Fastest Growing Religious Affiliations in the US " (Based on increase/decrease in membership between 1970 and 1995). |
| Bahai Faith | USA | 127,000 | - | - | - | 1995 | *LINK* web site: "New Religious Movements " (University of Virginia); web page: "The Bahai Faith " (viewed 31 Jan. 1999); "Created by Adele Skaff for Sociology 257, Fall, 1998. An earlier version of this page was created by: Elizabeth Williams, Spring Term, 1996. " | "According to J. Gordon Melton, 1995 statistics, there are 127,000 Baha'is living in the United States and there are over 2 million worldwide. (Melton, 1996A:838) " |
| Bahai Faith | USA | 690,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year; pg. 781-783. | Table: "Religion ": Divided by nations, with 2 columns: "Religious affiliation " & "1996 pop. " [of that religion]. Based on best avail. figures, whether census data, membership figures or estimates by analysts, as % of est. 1996 midyear pop. |
| Bahai Faith | USA | 130,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | World Almanac and Book of Facts 1998; K-III Reference Corp.: Macwah, NJ (1997). [Orig. sources: 1997 Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches; World Almanac research]; pg. 651. | Table: "Membership of Religious Groups in U.S. "; Membership figs. generally based on reports from officials by each group. Figs. are inclusive: refer to all "members, " not simply full communicants. |
| Bahai Faith | USA | 683,000 | - | - | - | 1997 | Ash, Russell. The Top 10 of Everything, DK Publishing, Inc.: New York (1997); pg. 160-161. | List: "Top 10 Religious Affiliations in the US "; (Rank: 10) |
| Bahai Faith | USA | 300,000 | - | - | - | 1997 | Breuilly, Elizabeth, Joanne O'Brien and Martin Palmer. Religions of the World: The Illustrated Guide to Origins, Beliefs, Traditions & Festivals. Facts on File Inc.: New York, NY (1997); pg. 10 to 11. | "There are 5 million Baha'is worldwide in more than 175 countries, with the largest concentrations in Africa (about 1 million) and the USA (about 300,000). " |
| Bahai Faith | USA | 133,000 | - | 7,000 units |
- | 1998 | World Almanac and Book of Facts 2000. Mahwah, NJ: PRIMEDIA Reference Inc. (1999). [Orig. sources: 1999 Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches; World Almanac research]; pg. 692. | Table: "Membership of Religious Groups in U.S. "; Based on reports from officials by each group. Figs. inclusive; refer to all "members ". Listed as Baha'i Faith |
| Bahai Faith | USA | 130,000 | - | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Raghavan, Sudarsan (Inquirer Staff writer). "A persecuted group braces once again " in The Philadelphia Inquirer (3 November 1998). | "The bad news from Iran has been met with more than dismay in the American Baha'i community, which has 130,000 members, including about 10,000 who fled Iran. " |
| Bahai Faith | USA | 300,000 | - | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* web site: Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance (viewed circa Nov. 1998); "last updated October 1998 " | Table: "'Other Than Christian' Organizations "; "Some of the following data were estimated from North American figures: " |
| Bahai Faith | USA | 130,000 | - | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* web site: Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance; web page: "The Baha'i Faith " (viewed 18 Feb. 1999) | "There are about 2.5 million adherents in India, 130,000 in the US... Some claim that the US figure is grossly inflated, and that the number of active members might be much lower. Barry Kosmin and Seymour Lachman estimated 28,000 adult US Baha'is in their 1993 book One Nation Under God. " [The book's surveys were done in 1990.] |
| Bahai Faith | USA | 130,000 | - | - | - | 1999 | *LINK* Spartos, Carlos. "Practical Piety: A Guide for the Perplexed " in Village Voice (New York), Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 1999; (viewed online, 29 Jan. 1999) | Baha'i Faith: "Membership: U.S.: 100,000 to 130,000. World: 5 to 6 million. " |
| Bahai Faith | USA | 116,000 | - | - | - | 1999 | *LINK* web page "Baha'is of Flemington, New Jersey, U.S.A. " | Under graphic heading: "Unity in Diversity: "Number of Baha'is in the United States: 116,000; Number of localities where Baha'is live in U.S: 7,000 " |
| Bahai Faith | USA | 365,000 | 0.10% | - | - | 2000 | 1996 Britannica Book of the Year | Table: Non-Christian Religious Adherents in the United States. Year 2000 projection done in 1995. |
| Bahai Faith | USA | 753,423 | 0.27% | - | - | 2000 | Barrett, David B. World Christian Encyclopedia (2001) | Data transcribed by Simeon Kohlman Rabbani. Percent: Bahai pop./country pop. from PRB (http://www.prb.org): 275,600,000 |
| Bahai Faith | USA | 133,000 | - | - | - | 2000 | *LINK* Stack, Peggy Fletcher. "Baha'is Prayerfully To Choose National Convention Delegate " in Salt Lake Tribune (14 Oct 2000) | "The Baha'i religion... has a membership of 133,000 in the United States... " |
| Bahai Faith | USA | 130,000 | - | - | - | 2001 | *LINK* Keyser, Jason (AP). "In a Land of War, a Garden of Peace " in Salt Lake Tribune, 21 Apr 2001. | "The world's 5 million Baha'i are scattered throughout the globe, with an estimated 130,000 living in the United States. " |
| Bahai Faith | Utah | 300 | - | - | - | 2000 | *LINK* Stack, Peggy Fletcher. "Baha'is Prayerfully To Choose National Convention Delegate " in Salt Lake Tribune (14 Oct 2000) | More than 150 members of Salt Lake City's Baha'i community, along with some from southern Wyoming, western Colorado and parts of Idaho, are meeting today at the University of Utah to select a delegate to the national Baha'i convention that will, in turn, elect members of the faith's governing council in the United States... The Baha'i religion... has a membership of... about 300 in Utah. |
| Bahai Faith | Uzbekistan | 500 | - | - | - | 1990 | Barrett, David B. World Christian Encyclopedia (2001) | Data transcribed by Simeon Kohlman Rabbani |
| Bahai Faith | Uzbekistan | 708 | 0.00% | - | - | 2000 | Barrett, David B. World Christian Encyclopedia (2001) | Data transcribed by Simeon Kohlman Rabbani. Percent: Bahai pop./country pop. from PRB (http://www.prb.org): 24,760,000 |
| Bahai Faith | Vanuatu | 3,600 | - | - | - | 1990 | Barrett, David B. World Christian Encyclopedia (2001) | Data transcribed by Simeon Kohlman Rabbani |
| Bahai Faith | Vanuatu | 5,418 | 2.78% | - | - | 2000 | Barrett, David B. World Christian Encyclopedia (2001) | Data transcribed by Simeon Kohlman Rabbani. Percent: Bahai pop./country pop. from PRB (http://www.prb.org): 195,000 |
| Bahai Faith | Vatican City | 0 | 0.00% | - | - | 1990 | Barrett, David B. World Christian Encyclopedia (2001) | Data transcribed by Simeon Kohlman Rabbani |
| Bahai Faith | Vatican City | 0 | 0.00% | - | - | 2000 | Barrett, David B. World Christian Encyclopedia (2001) | Data transcribed by Simeon Kohlman Rabbani. Percent: Bahai pop./country pop. from PRB (http://www.prb.org): 1,000 |
| Bahai Faith | Venezuela | 95,000 | - | - | - | 1990 | Barrett, David B. World Christian Encyclopedia (2001) | Data transcribed by Simeon Kohlman Rabbani |
| Bahai Faith | Venezuela | 141,072 | 0.58% | - | - | 2000 | Barrett, David B. World Christian Encyclopedia (2001) | Data transcribed by Simeon Kohlman Rabbani. Percent: Bahai pop./country pop. from PRB (http://www.prb.org): 24,170,000 |
| Bahai Faith | Vietnam | 275,000 | - | - | - | 1990 | Barrett, David B. World Christian Encyclopedia (2001) | Data transcribed by Simeon Kohlman Rabbani |
| Bahai Faith | Vietnam | 356,133 | 0.45% | - | - | 2000 | Barrett, David B. World Christian Encyclopedia (2001) | Data transcribed by Simeon Kohlman Rabbani. Percent: Bahai pop./country pop. from PRB (http://www.prb.org): 78,697,000 |
| Bahai Faith | Virgin Islands (British) | 150 | - | - | - | 1990 | Barrett, David B. World Christian Encyclopedia (2001) | Data transcribed by Simeon Kohlman Rabbani |
| Bahai Faith | Virgin Islands (British) | 192 | 0.91% | - | - | 2000 | Barrett, David B. World Christian Encyclopedia (2001) | Data transcribed by Simeon Kohlman Rabbani. Percent: Bahai pop./country pop. from PRB (http://www.prb.org): 21,000 |
| Bahai Faith | Virgin Islands (U.S.) | 500 | - | - | - | 1990 | Barrett, David B. World Christian Encyclopedia (2001) | Data transcribed by Simeon Kohlman Rabbani |
| Bahai Faith | Virgin Islands (U.S.) | - | 1.00% | - | - | 1992 | Goring, Rosemary (ed). Larousse Dictionary of Beliefs & Religions (Larousse: 1994); pg. 581-584. | Table: "Population Distribution of Major Beliefs "; "Figures have been compiled from the most accurate recent available information and are in most cases correct to the nearest 1% " |
| Bahai Faith | Virgin Islands (U.S.) | - | 0.50% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Nazarene web site: Nazarene World Mission Society; (major source: Johnstone's Operation World) | Table "Religions " |
| Bahai Faith | Virgin Islands (U.S.) | 577 | 0.48% | - | - | 2000 | Barrett, David B. World Christian Encyclopedia (2001) | Data transcribed by Simeon Kohlman Rabbani. Percent: Bahai pop./country pop. from PRB (http://www.prb.org): 121,000 |
| Bahai Faith | Wallis and Futuna Islands | 100 | - | - | - | 1990 | Barrett, David B. World Christian Encyclopedia (2001) | Data transcribed by Simeon Kohlman Rabbani |
| Bahai Faith | Wallis and Futuna Islands | 116 | 0.79% | - | - | 2000 | Barrett, David B. World Christian Encyclopedia (2001) | Data transcribed by Simeon Kohlman Rabbani. Percent: Bahai pop./country pop. from PRB (http://www.prb.org): 14,600 |
| Bahai Faith | Western Hemisphere | - | - | 4,515 units |
- | 1994 | The Baha'is. Leicestershire, United Kingdom: Baha'i Publishing Trust of the U.K. (1994; 1st ed. 1992); pg. 7. | Table: Statistics of the Baha'i world community "; Figures taken from column: "Local Spiritual Assemblies "; Five locations listed: Africa, Americas, Australiasia [Oceania], Asia, Europe |
| Bahai Faith | Western Sahara | 100 | - | - | - | 1990 | Barrett, David B. World Christian Encyclopedia (2001) | Data transcribed by Simeon Kohlman Rabbani [Country listed as 'Sahara'] |
| Bahai Faith | Western Sahara | 121 | 0.05% | - | - | 2000 | Barrett, David B. World Christian Encyclopedia (2001) | Data transcribed by Simeon Kohlman Rabbani. Percent: Bahai pop./country pop. from PRB (http://www.prb.org): 250,000 [Country listed as 'Sahara'] |
| Bahai Faith | world | 100,000 | - | - | - | 1921 | Breuilly, Elizabeth, et al. Religions of the World: The Illustrated Guide to Origins, Beliefs, Traditions & Festivals. Facts on File Inc.: New York, NY (1997); pg. 150. | "At the time of Abdul Baha's death [1921] there were perhaps 100,000 Baha'is in Persia, with small groups scattered around the world. Today there are about 5 million. " |
| Bahai Faith | world | 100,000 | - | - | - | 1921 | Hatcher, William S. & J. Douglas Martin. The Baha'i Faith: The Emerging Global Religion. San Francisco, CA: Harper & Row (1984); pg. 60-61. | "...1921... At this point in its history, the Baha'i community included perhaps 100,000 believers living more or less on sufferance in Persia, together with small groups in a few other countries. Apart from Persia, the primary areas of the world in which communities of Baha'is were to be found were India and North America. " |
| Bahai Faith | world | - | - | - | 35 countries |
1921 | MacEoin, Denis. "Baha'ism " in Hinnells, John R. (ed). A Handbook of Living Religions, Penguin Books: New York (1991 reprint; 1st pub. 1984). [Orig. source: Hampson, A. "The Growth and Spread of the Baha'i Faith "]; pg. 492. | "Table 13.1: Statistics on Baha'ism " [Figure used for congregations figure is "Total local assemblies "] |
| Bahai Faith | world | - | - | 611 units |
128 countries |
1953 | MacEoin, Denis. "Baha'ism " in Hinnells, John R. (ed). A Handbook of Living Religions, Penguin Books: New York (1991 reprint; 1st pub. 1984). [Orig. source: Hampson, A. "The Growth and Spread of the Baha'i Faith "]; pg. 492. | "Table 13.1: Statistics on Baha'ism " [Figure used for congregations figure is "Total local assemblies "] |
| Bahai Faith | world | 400,000 | - | - | - | 1963 | The Baha'is. Leicestershire, United Kingdom: Baha'i Publishing Trust of the U.K. (1994; 1st ed. 1992); pg. 14. | "Over the last three decades, the number of Baha'is in the world has grown dramatically. It is estimated that there were about 400,000 Baha'is in the world in 1963, the year of the First Baha'I World Congress. " |
| Bahai Faith | world | 400,000 | - | - | - | 1963 | *LINK* official web site (viewed 1998); web page: How Many Baha'is Are There? "; "Excerpted from The Baha'is, a publication of the Baha'i International Community. Pg. 14 " | "Over the last three decades, the number of Baha'is in the world has grown dramatically. It is estimated that there were about 400,000 Baha'is in the world in 1963, the year of the First Baha'i World Congress. By 1985, it was estimated that there were about 3,500,000 Baha'is in the world. In other words, the Baha'i Faith has grown by an estimated 1,500,000 believers over the last 6 years, an increase of roughly 43%. " |
| Bahai Faith | world | 400,000 | - | - | - | 1963 | *LINK* web site: "News From Bree "; web page: "Fastest Growing Religion? " (viewed 9 Jan. 1999); "Last Update on 29th November 1998 " | "The Baha'i Faith: Though less statistically minded, they estimate a membership of 400,000 in 1963, 3.5 million in 1985, 5 million in 1994. Source: Sects, Cults and Alternative Religions, David V Barrett. " |
| Bahai Faith | world | 5,000,000 | - | - | - | 1963 | *LINK* web site: "News From Bree "; web page: "Fastest Growing Religion? " (viewed 9 Jan. 1999); "Last Update on 29th November 1998 " | "The Baha'i Faith: Though less statistically minded, they estimate a membership of 400,000 in 1963, 3.5 million in 1985, 5 million in 1994. Source: Sects, Cults and Alternative Religions, David V Barrett. " |
| Bahai Faith | world | - | - | 4,566 units |
240 countries |
1964 | MacEoin, Denis. "Baha'ism " in Hinnells, John R. (ed). A Handbook of Living Religions, Penguin Books: New York (1991 reprint; 1st pub. 1984). [Orig. source: Hampson, A. "The Growth and Spread of the Baha'i Faith "]; pg. 492. | "Table 13.1: Statistics on Baha'ism " [Figure used for congregations figure is "Total local assemblies "] |
