A study done by the nonpartisan wealth research firm New World Wealth found that 56.2% of the 13.1 million millionaires in the world were Christians, while 6.5% were Muslims, 3.9% were Hindu, and 1.7% were Jewish; 31.7% were identified as adherents of "other" religions or "not religious".
American Jews made up as many as 30% of the richest 100, and (in 2009) 139 of the Forbes 400. In 2017, just two African Americans made the Forbes 400: media proprietor Oprah Winfrey and tech investor Robert Smith; only five of the Forbes 400 have Latino backgrounds.
1. Christianity: With over two billion adherents worldwide, Christianity has played a crucial role in shaping Western civilization, influencing art, culture, politics, and ethics for over two millennia.
(See graph 10) In addition to giving larger amounts, the religious give more often—making gifts about half again as frequently. These giving levels vary by particular faith. Mormons are the most generous Americans, both by participation level and by size of gifts. Evangelical Christians are next.
Which Religion Has the Richest People in the World? | You'll Be Surprised!
Who is the wealthiest religion?
According to a study from 2015, Christians hold the largest amount of wealth (55% of the total world wealth), followed by Muslims (5.8%), Hindus (3.3%), and Jews (1.1%).
Modern growth. Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world due to the high birth rate of Muslims across the world compared to non-Muslims. In 1990, 1.1 billion people were Muslims, while in 2010, 1.6 billion people were Muslims.
According to the 2020 Pew Research Center report on Jewish Americans the answer is… drumroll, please…that Jews are at least a little richer than average. Half of all Jews surveyed reported a six figure income, in comparison with a third of Americans overall who reported a similar income.
As of 2025, the global billionaire landscape is dominated by a select group of countries, with the United States leading the pack by a significant margin. The United States is the leader in billionaire population with over 900 billionaires and a combined net worth of $6.8 trillion.
In 2010, he was also named Time's Person of the Year. He was raised Jewish, was an atheist, but thinks different about religion nowadays. In a public Facebook post, Zuckerberg launched the Internet.org project in late August 2013.
The word Hindu is an exonym, and while Hinduism has been called the oldest surviving religion in the world, it has also been described by the modern term Sanātana Dharma ( lit. 'eternal dharma'). Vaidika Dharma ( lit. 'Vedic dharma') and Arya dharma are historical endonyms for Hinduism.
Prosperity theology (sometimes referred to as the prosperity gospel, the health and wealth gospel, the gospel of success, seed-faith gospel, Faith movement, or Word of Faith movement) is a belief among some Charismatic Christians that financial blessing and physical well-being are always the will of God for them, and ...
Religious practice is the behavioral variable most consistently associated with generous giving. Charitable effort correlates strongly with the frequency with which a person attends religious services. Evangelical Protestants and Mormons in particular are strong givers.
In the Word of Wisdom, the Lord commands Mormons to abstain from harmful substances. Mormons are taught not to drink any kind of alcohol (see D&C 89:5–7). Mormons are also taught not to drink “hot drinks,” meaning coffee or any tea other than herbal tea (see D&C 89:9), and not to use tobacco (see D&C 89:8).
His estimated net worth is around $16 million, which includes various assets provided to him as the pope. These assets include five cars at his disposal and other benefits linked to his role. Although he does not use the salary he is entitled to, the amount still contributes to his overall net worth.
Elon Musk is the wealthiest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of US$371 billion as of August 2025, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, and $408 billion according to Forbes, primarily from his ownership stakes in Tesla and SpaceX.
Major religions have a lot to say about wealth, and much of it is cautionary. For instance, the Christian Bible says love of money is the root of all evil. The Qu'ran tells Muslims to give regularly to charity. And the Tanakh tells Jews that one who loves money will never be satisfied.
77% of new converts to Islam are from Christianity, whereas 19% were from non-religion. Meanwhile, among American-born Muslims who have left Islam, about 55% now identify with no religion, 22% identify as Christian, and another 21% identify with other faiths.
A major study conducted by missionary David Garrison, highlighted in his 2014 book “A Wind in the House of Islam,” estimates that between 2 and 7 million Muslims have converted to Christianity worldwide in the past two decades. Garrison calls this movement “the greatest turning of Muslims to Christ in history.”
A set of Islamic principles—based on the goal of providing economic justice for all—prohibits Muslims from paying or receiving interest during financial transactions. Some Jewish and Christian groups face a similar prohibition.
