Muslim Population in India, Check States with Highest Muslim Population

Minority Affairs Minister Smriti Irani provided a data analysis in the Lok Sabha recently indicating that 19.75 crore Muslims are expected to live in India by 2023. This information is brought up in response to a question posed by TMC MP Mala Roy. She also brought up the 2011 Census, which showed 17.22 crore Muslims (14.2%) are in the country and also underlined that India’s forecasted population for 2023 is 138.82 crore, mentioned by the National Commission on Population July 2020 report from the Technical Group on Population Projections.

Muslim Population in India 2024

India as stated in Article 25 of the Indian Constitution is a secular country that guarantees the freedom of practice of any religion. A significant part of India’s population follows Islam making the Muslim population a dynamic community that has made significant contributions to and embraced the nation’s culture and society. The Muslim Population in India consists of various sects, including Sunni, Shia, Ahmadiyya, and Sufi, each contributing to the religious diversity in the country.

In the multi-religious country, Hinduism is the first most followed religion in India. The second largest religion is Islam in India after Hinduism with over 15% of the Muslim population. As per estimations by the government, the Muslim population in India is expected to be 19.7 crore in 2023.

As per the 2011 census, India is home to the world’s third-largest Muslim population, following Indonesia and Pakistan, with approximately 200 million Muslims. Islam, as the second-largest religion in India, encompasses about 79.8% of the population.

Indian States with Highest Muslim Population

• Lakshadweep, an island union territory of India has the highest percentage of Muslims in India, with 97% of its population professing Islam. In 2023, it is estimated that the Muslim population of Lakshadweep will be 62,268 out of a total population of 64,473.
• Jammu and Kashmir, a union territory of India has a total population estimated to be 12,541,302 in 2023, out of which 8,567,485 are Muslims making them 68.32% of its population.
• Assam being the north-eastern state has the third-highest percentage of Muslims in India, with 34.22% of its population following Islam making it 10,679,345 out of 31,205,576 total population.
• West Bengal has the fourth-highest percentage of Muslims in India, comprising 27.01% of its population.
• Kerala has the fifth-highest percentage of Muslims in India, having a total population of 33,406,061 out of which 8,873,472 are Muslims making them 26.56% of its population.

Highest Muslim Population in India State-Wise List

The list entails the Indian states with the Highest Muslim population in 2024 according to the last census 2011 data along with the percentage of Muslim population in 2023 out of the total population of India.

Lowest Muslim Population in India 2024 State Wise

Nearly 47% of India’s Muslim population is concentrated in the states of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Bihar. Additionally, several other states in India also have a significant density of Muslims. Check the table below for the lowest Muslim population.

Check:- India Sex Ratio 2024

Muslim Population in India 1951-2015

Muslim Population in India Acc. to Census 2011

Among the minority religions practiced in the nation, Sikhs were the most numerous according to the 2011 census. With 97% of the population, Islam is the most common religion in Lakshadweep, an island union territory in India. Jammu & Kashmir is next, with 68.31% of the population. Additionally, regions such as Assam, West Bengal, and Kerala have significant Muslim populations, with percentages that influence regional demographics. The historical and cultural influences in these areas contribute to the religious diversity within India, affecting social dynamics, regional identities, and the cultural fabric of the nation.

Fastest Growing Religion and Population in India

India’s Muslim population is growing rapidly, with Islam being the fastest-expanding religion in the country. The growth rate of the Muslim population has consistently outpaced that of Hindus. Estimates for 2019–21 indicate that Muslims in India had the highest fertility rate at 2.36%. During the 1991–2001 decade, the growth rate of the Muslim population was 29.5%, compared to 19.9% for Hindus. This suggests a significant and ongoing increase in the Muslim population in India, contributing to demographic shifts that have long-term social, cultural, and political implications for the nation, potentially influencing electoral outcomes, policy decisions, and interfaith relations.

Check:- India Population

Top Countries with Highest Muslim Population

India has the third-largest number of Muslims in the world contributing to its population. These Muslims profess Islam in India making it the second-largest religion with 14.2% of the country’s population (approximately 172.2 million people). The majority of India’s Muslims almost 13% are Sunni and Shia in the population.

As estimated in 2019, around 204 million Muslims resided in India making India’s Muslim population the world’s third largest and the world’s largest Muslim-minority population.

The table lists the top 5 countries in the world with the highest number of Muslim population:

India is home to 10.9% of the world’s Muslim population. The Government of India estimated the Muslim population at 19.75 to 20 crore for the 2023 year, out of 138.8 to 140.0 crore total population, thus constituting around (14.22%–14.28%) of the nation’s population respectively.

Stats and Facts about India’s Muslim Population

• Muslims Population in India represent the mass population in Lakshadweep about 96.2% and in Jammu and Kashmir about 68.3%.
• The largest proportion of about 47% of the Muslim Population in India lives in the three states, namely, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Bihar.
• Other states that also have high proportions of Muslim Population are namely, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Gujrat, Assam, Kerala, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Manipur, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan.
• According to the estimations, in almost 110 minority-concentrated districts, at least a fifth of the population is Muslim.
• Indonesia is home to 12.7% of total Muslim population of the world, hihest in any country.
• Kazakhstan is largest country (in terms of land) which holds Muslims as majority.

UPSC Relevance

Muslim Population makes a part of Demographics which makes it a very important topic in General Studies Paper I and General Studies Paper II. Understanding its dynamics is essential for comprehensive analysis in these exams, covering social, cultural, and political aspects that influence both national and global perspectives.

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