A new study of more than 200 countries finds that there are 1.57 billion Muslims of all ages living in the world today, representing 23% of an estimated 2009 world population of 6.8 billion. Read the report, which includes the most up-to-date and fully sourced estimates of the size and distribution of the worldwide Muslim population, including sectarian identity, and explore the interactive maps and tables.

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Interactive Map: Distribution of Muslim Population by Country and Territory

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on Oct. 7 in a case that has the potential to determine the fate of a cross on display in the Mojave National Preserve in San Bernardino County, Calif., as well as similar displays across the country. The court's decision might also determine who may bring Establishment Clause lawsuits in federal court in the future.

A new poll by the Pew Forum and the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press finds that fewer Americans express support for legal abortion than in previous years. The poll reveals that Americans are now evenly divided on the question and finds less support for legal abortion among most demographic and political groups.

Data files from the Pew Forum's 2007 U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, which included interviews with a representative sample of more than 35,000 U.S. adults, are now available to scholars and researchers. The large sample makes it possible to analyze small groups – such as agnostics, Mormons, Jews and Jehovah’s Witnesses – and to perform state-level analyses.

A common perception about individuals who switch religions is that they are very fervent about their new faith. A new Pew Forum analysis finds that people who have switched faiths (or joined a faith after being raised unaffiliated with a religion) are indeed slightly more religious than those who have remained in their childhood faith.

A new poll report finds that a clear majority of Americans favor allowing civil unions for gay and lesbian couples. Over the past year, support for civil unions has grown significantly among those who oppose same-sex marriage while remaining stable among those who favor same-sex marriage. At the same time, opponents of same-sex marriage continue to outnumber supporters overall.

As the political battles over health care reform intensify, religious organizations are forcefully adding their voices to the debate. A new Pew Forum report provides information on two prominent coalitions of faith-based groups that have engaged their supporters to speak out on the proposals currently before the U.S. Congress.