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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
India exhibits diverse demographics, with varying religious compositions. Lakshadweep stands out as having the highest proportion of Muslims, comprising 97% of its population. Jammu and Kashmir follow closely, with 68.31% of its residents practicing Islam. Assam, West Bengal, and Kerala also have significant Muslim populations, contributing to the religious tapestry of these regions.
- 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.
| Muslim Population in India State-Wise | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State/UT | Total Population | Muslim Population | Muslim % | Significance |
| Lakshadweep | 64,473 | 62,268 | 96.58% | Majority |
| Jammu and Kashmir | 12,541,302 | 8,567,485 | 68.31% | Majority |
| Assam | 31,205,576 | 10,679,345 | 34.22% | Significant |
| West Bengal | 91,276,115 | 24,654,825 | 27.01% | Significant |
| Kerala | 33,406,061 | 8,873,472 | 26.56% | Significant |
| Uttar Pradesh | 199,812,341 | 38,483,967 | 19.26% | Significant |
| Bihar | 104,099,452 | 17,557,809 | 16.87% | Significant |
| Jharkhand | 32,988,134 | 4,793,994 | 14.53% | Minority |
| Uttarakhand | 10,086,292 | 1,406,825 | 13.95% | Minority |
| Karnataka | 61,095,297 | 7,893,065 | 12.92% | Minority |
| Delhi | 16,787,941 | 2,158,684 | 12.86% | Minority |
| Maharashtra | 112,374,333 | 12,971,152 | 11.54% | Minority |
| Gujarat | 60,439,692 | 5,846,761 | 9.67% | Minority |
| Andhra Pradesh | 84,580,777 | 8,082,412 | 9.56% | Minority |
| Rajasthan | 68,548,437 | 6,215,377 | 9.07% | Minority |
| Tripura | 3,673,917 | 316,042 | 8.60% | Minority |
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 380,581 | 32,413 | 8.52% | Minority |
| Manipur | 2,855,794 | 239,836 | 8.40% | Minority |
| Goa | 1,458,545 | 121,564 | 8.33% | Minority |
| Daman and Diu | 243,247 | 19,277 | 7.92% | Minority |
| Haryana | 25,351,462 | 1,781,342 | 7.03% | Minority |
| Madhya Pradesh | 72,626,809 | 4,774,695 | 6.57% | Minority |
| Puducherry | 1,247,953 | 75,556 | 6.05% | Minority |
| Tamil Nadu | 72,147,030 | 4,229,479 | 5.86% | Minority |
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.
| Lowest Muslim Population In India | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State/UT | Total Population | Muslim Population | Muslim % | Significance |
| Mizoram | 1,097,206 | 14,832 | 1.35% | Negligible |
| Sikkim | 610,577 | 9,867 | 1.62% | Negligible |
| Punjab | 27,743,338 | 535,489 | 1.93% | Negligible |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 1,383,727 | 27,045 | 1.95% | Negligible |
| Chhattisgarh | 25,545,198 | 514,998 | 2.02% | Negligible |
| Orissa | 41,974,218 | 911,670 | 2.17% | Negligible |
| Himachal Pradesh | 6,864,602 | 149,881 | 2.18% | Negligible |
| Nagaland | 1,978,502 | 48,963 | 2.47% | Negligible |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli | 343,709 | 12,922 | 3.76% | Negligible |
| Meghalaya | 2,966,889 | 130,399 | 4.40% | Negligible |
| Chandigarh | 1,055,450 | 51,447 | 4.87% | Negligible |
Check out the linked article on the India Sex Ratio 2024 Here!
Muslim Population in India 1951-2015
The Muslim population in India experienced a decline from 42 million in the 1941 census to 35 million in the 1951 census, primarily attributable to the partition of India. The table provides a historical overview of the Muslim population in India based on census data.
| Muslim population in India (Census-Wise) | ||
| Year | Muslim Population | % of Total Population |
| 1951 | 35 million (3.5 crore) | 9.8% |
| 1961 | 47 million (4.7 crore) | 10.7% |
| 1971 | 62 million (6.2 crore) | 11.2% |
| 1981 | 83 million (8.3 crore) | 11.7% |
| 1991 | 101 million (10.1 crore) | 12.6% |
| 2001 | 138 million (13.8 crore) | 13.4% |
| 2011 | 172 million (17.2 crore) | 14.2% |
| 2015 | Over 19 crore | 14.09% |
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.
Fastest Growing Religion and Population in India
India’s Muslim population: Islam is the religion that is expanding the fastest in India. Muslims’ growth rate has been consistently higher than Hindus’, suggesting that the Muslim population in India is growing. According to estimates for 2019–21, Muslims in India had the highest fertility rate in the country—2.36%. In contrast, during the 1991–2001 decade, Muslims’ growth rate was 29.5%, while Hindus’ was 19.9%.
Check out the linked article on the India Population Here!
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:
| Country | Muslim
Population |
Muslim Population Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | 229.6 | 82.07% |
| Pakistan | 200.5 | 81.76% |
| India | 204.4 | 14.2% |
| Bangladesh | 153 | 87.58% |
| Nigeria | 104.7 | 45.67% |
| Egypt | 90.4 | 78.98% |
| Iran | 80.9 | 90.06% |
| Turkey | 79.1 | 91.69% |
| Iraq | 41.4 | 89.05% |
| Afghanistan | 40.6 | 93.63% |
| Algeria | 39.4 | 85.2% |
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.
UPSC Relevance
Muslim Population makes a part of Demographics whiczh makes it a very important topic in General Studies Paper I and General Studies Paper II. For more information regarding which topic comes under which Paper, Check out the following link.
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