The world is full of people following different religions and beliefs. According to an estimate, there are 21 formal religions, their followers, living in the different countries around the globe. Based on the Pew Research Institute and other international demographic databases, here is the countdown of most followed religions and, subsequently, the most influential in our world. Number 10 Judaism with 14.5 million of followers Judaism has a long and rich history, and its history dates back to the 8th century BC. This monotheistic religion originated in the Middle East and has three major branches. These include Orthodox Judaism, conservative Judaism, and reformed Judaism from the most traditional to the less conservative. Although each of them is rooted in a common belief system, they differ in terms of scriptural interpretation and specific practices. Synagogue serve as centers of Jewish worship and religious service, presided over by each rabbi. They are also used as a form of community centers. There, followers can meet regularly to socialize and celebrate dictates of faith. Number 9 Sikhism with more than 30 million followers Sikhism is a relatively new faith. It originated in India and relied on the teachings of Guru Nanak and his 10 successors. It came into existence 500 years before by the Guru Nanak. This religion combined the beliefs from Islam and Hinduism. Historically, the Sikhs played a major role in regional policy and in the 1947 partition of India. At the heart of the Sikh faith are the basic principles of service and simran, which are respectively related to community service and the memory of God. Vodhan, meaning spirit, is a religion practiced by the Aya, you, and fun peoples of Benin, Tobo, Pana, and Nigeria. Elements of the West African religions survive slavery and evolved into the current forms of religions with similar names that are found in the New World among the African diaspora in the United States and Latin America. Vodhan cosmology centers around the Vodhan spirits and other elements of divine essence that govern the earth. A hierarchy that ranges in power from major deities governing the forces of nature in human society to the spirits of individual streams, trees, and rocks, as well as dozens of ethnic Vodhan, defenders of a certain clan, tribe, or nation. Patterns of Vodhan worship follow various dialects, spirits, practices, sawns, and rituals. Number 7, Tioism with more than 80 million followers. Tioism was born in China about 2000 years ago. This religion is associated with a belief in occultism and metaphysics. Most of the Taoist supporters live in Asian countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam. Laosie is regarded as the first philosopher of religion, and he is said to have written the day-oedzing the central text of faith. Number 6, Shintoism with more than 100 million followers. Shintoism is based in Japan, and its beginning state back to the 8th century. Followers of the faith believe that there are many gods, and the word Shinto translates to the way of the gods. It is estimated that 80% of Japanese citizens belong to Shintoism, and the country is home to 80,000 Shinto shrines. A unique feature of faith is that believers do not have to declare their allegiance to religion. The notions of impurity and purification play a major role in Shintoism and its practices known as hair. These are regularly practiced for the purpose of purifying the believer from sin, guilt, sickness, and misfortune. Number 5, Folk Religion with 400 million followers. According to the Oxford Dictionary of World Religions, John Bocher characterized folk religion as either religion which occurs in small, local communities which does not adhere to the norms of large systems or the appropriation of religious beliefs and practices at a popular level. Folk or traditional religions are faiths closely associated with a particular group of people, ethnicity, or tribe. They often have no formal creeds or sacred texts. Examples of folk religions include African traditional religions, Chinese folk religions, Native American religions and Australian Aboriginal religions. In addition, the boundaries between folk religions and other religions are blurry in some contexts. For example, anthropologists Tixang Liu observes that for ordinary people in Hong Kong and Macau, there is no clear boundary between Buddhism, Taoism and local folk religious practice. In Sub-Saharan Africa, many of those who identify with Christianity or Islam also incorporate elements of African traditional religions into their lives. Moreover, folk and traditional religions are not always offered as response categories in large-scale demographic and health surveys in the region. Number 4, Buddhism with 500 million followers. Buddhism was founded in India 2,500 years ago and is based on the teachings of the Buddha, also known as Gautama Buddha or Siddhartha Gautama. There are two main branches of Buddhism religion. They are Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism. In Tibet, adherents subscribe to a form of Buddhism known as Vajrayana, Zen Buddhism is the most practiced in Japan. The basic principles of the Buddhist belief system include nonviolence, as well as moral purity and moral conduct. Meditation, ritual and nonviolence play an important role in the daily life of Buddhists. The most recognizable figure in the Buddhist world is undoubtedly the Tenzin Gyaetzō, the 14th and current Dalai Lama. Number 3, Hinduism with 1.2 billion followers. It is considered the world's oldest religion. The Gita, Agamas and Vedas are the major scriptures of Hindus. Most Hindus live in South Asian countries such as India, Nepal and Indonesia. In India alone, it is estimated that 80% of the population is Hindu. Although very little is known about the foundation of Hinduism, it is generally believed that the faith developed over 4,000 years. Due to its status as an ancient belief system, Hinduism is deeply rooted in Indian society. In recent years, many forms of Hinduism have become popular in the West as well. Examples of this include participation in yoga and chakra. Number 2, Islam with 1.9 billion followers. Hinduism is one of the fastest growing religions and was founded about 1,400 years before in Arabia. Indonesia, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are the countries having the largest Muslim population. Islam began in Mecca in the 7th century. Followers of religion believe that there is only one god, Allah, written and shaped in the holy book of the Quran, which always acts as the central spiritual book in the faith. The Prophet Muhammad lived from 570 to 632. Islamic religious law establishes the five pillars of Islam and imposes rules and regulations on almost every aspect of the disciples' life. There are two main groups of Muslims, the Sunnis, the largest in the world, including 80% of the Muslims and the Shia, 15% of the Muslims, among them a few minor names such as a body, a body and many others. Number 1, Christianity with 2.4 billion followers. Christianity is divided into three major branches named Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Protestant. Christianity began 2000 years ago and is a faith based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. From its humble beginnings as a small subgroup of Judaism, Christianity has become the most popular religion in the world, with followers worldwide. Christians believe in the existence of the One God, who sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to save them from their evil and hell. Believers believe that the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross, His death and His resurrection were all intended to provide eternal life and forgiveness to all who accept Christ as their personal savior. Even in our modern society, Christianity plays an important and powerful role, not only in terms of religious practices, but also on a larger scale. To some extent, this is also the case with the formulation of the social and political policies of Christian countries.