| has gloss | eng: Statistical estimates of the worldwide Baháí population are difficult to judge. The religion is almost entirely contained in a single, organized, hierarchical community, but the Baháí population is spread out into almost every country and ethnicity in the world, being recognized as the second-most geographically widespread religion after Christianity. The World Christian Database (WCD), and its predecessor the World Christian Encyclopedia, has reviewed religious populations around the world and released results of their investigations at various times. The Baháí Faith has consistently placed high in the statistics of growth over these various releases of data - 1970 to 1985 , 1990 to 2000, and most recently from 2000 to 2005. A review examining the reliability and bias of the WCD found it "highly correlated with other sources of data" but "consistently gave a higher estimate for percent Christian." In conclusion they found that "on the whole we find that the WCD is reliable." In countries where Baháís endure some degree of persecution, membership and organizational data is not made public. |
