The Vatican, world headquarters for the Catholic sect, has published figures naming Islam the most widespread religious denomination in the world. According to official Vatican figures for 2006, Islamic adherents now outnumber Catholics, with 1.3 billion Muslims comprising 19.2 percent of the global population;  Catholics represent 17.4 percent, with over 1.1 billion followers. Some 6.5 billion people worldwide – about one-third of the world's population – claim some kind of Christian affiliation.

The figures, which appear in the Vatican's latest yearbook, were reported in weekend editions of the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano.