Determining which religion has the "most illiterate people" is a complex question with no single, straightforward answer. Here's a breakdown of the key factors and data from various studies:
* Pew Research Center Studies: A 2016 study by the Pew Research Center on religion and education around the world provides some of the most comprehensive data on this topic. The study found that:
* Hindus and Muslims tend to have the lowest levels of formal schooling among the major religious groups.
* 41% of Hindus and 36% of Muslims worldwide had no formal schooling as of the study's data.
* In contrast, other major religious groups had lower shares of people without formal schooling, such as 10% of Buddhists and 1% of Jews.
* Gender Disparities: The same Pew study highlighted significant gender gaps in education within some religious groups.
* Among Hindus, a larger share of women (53%) had no formal schooling compared to men (29%).
* Similarly, among Muslims, 43% of women had no formal schooling, compared to 30% of men.
* Making Progress: It is important to note that the study also found that the religious groups with the lowest levels of education, including Muslims and Hindus, have made the biggest gains in educational attainment in recent decades.
* Defining "Illiteracy": The concept of "illiteracy" itself can be complex. The data from the Pew study focuses on "formal schooling" as a proxy for literacy. However, some researchers also discuss "religious illiteracy," which refers to a lack of knowledge about one's own religion or other faiths. This is a separate issue from the ability to read and write.
In summary, based on global studies of formal schooling, Hindus and Muslims are the two major religious groups with the highest percentage of people who have not received any formal education. However, these same groups have also made significant progress in educational attainment in recent generations.