A comprehensive demographic 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.
While Muslims are found on all five inhabited continents, more than 60% of the global Muslim population is in Asia and about 20% is in the Middle East and North Africa. However, the Middle East-North Africa region has the highest percentage of Muslim-majority countries. Indeed, more than half of the 20 countries and territories in that region have populations that are approximately 95% Muslim or greater.
More than 300 million Muslims, or one-fifth of the world’s Muslim population, live in countries where Islam is not the majority religion. These minority Muslim populations are often quite large.
China has almost the same number of Muslims as Saudi Arabia.
Russia has more Muslims than Jordan and Libya combined.
Germany has more Muslims than Lebanon.
India has one of the world’s largest concentrations of Muslims.
Of countries with Muslim populations, the U.S. has one of the smallest.
Of the total Muslim population, 10-13% are Shia Muslims and 87-90% are Sunni Muslims. Most Shias (between 68% and 80%) live in just four countries: Iran, Pakistan, India and Iraq.
These are some of the key findings of Mapping the Global Muslim Population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World’s Muslim Population, a new study by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life. The report offers the most up-to-date and fully sourced estimates of the size and distribution of the worldwide Muslim population, including sectarian identity.
Previously published estimates of the size of the global Muslim population have ranged widely, from 1 billion to 1.8 billion.
The Pew Forum report is based on the best available data for 232 countries and territories. Pew Forum researchers, in consultation with nearly 50 demographers and social scientists at universities and research centres around the world, acquired and analysed about 1,500 sources, including census reports, demographic studies and general population surveys, to arrive at these figures – the largest project of its kind to date.
Pew’s next phase is to project population growth among Muslims 10 and 20 years from now. Those numbers will be released next year.
Pew is also mapping the Christian population, its projected growth country-by-country, and Christians’ beliefs and practices. Then it will move onto the other major world religions.
Pew also recently completed face-to-face interviews with 19,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa (where the vast majority of people are either Christian or Muslim), where they were questioned about religious beliefs, practices, pocketbook issues, the degree of overlap between the majority religions, traditional religious beliefs and attitudes of Muslims and Christians towards each other.
World Muslim Population by Region and Country
Asia-Pacific 972,537,000 24.1% 61.9%
Afghanistan 28,072,000 99.7 1.8
American Samoa — <0.1 —
Armenia 1,000 <0.1 <0.1
Australia 365,000 1.7 <0.1
Azerbaijan ,765,000 99.2 0.6
Bangladesh 145,312,000 89.6 9.3
Bhutan 7,000 1.0 <0.1
Brunei 269,000 67.2 <0.1
Burma (Myanmar) 1,889,000 3.8 0.1
Cambodia 236,000 1.6 <0.1
China 21,667,000 1.6 1.4
Cook Islands — <0.1 —
Cyprus 198,000 22.7 <0.1
Federated States — <0.1 —
of Micronesia
Fiji 53,000 6.3 <0.1
French Polynesia — <0.1 —
Guam — <0.1 —
Hong Kong 7,000 <1 <1
India 160,945,000 13.4 10.3
Indonesia 202,867,000 88.2 12.9
Iran 73,777,000 99.4 4.7
Japan 183,000 0.1 <0.1
Kazakhstan ,822,000 56.4 0.6
Kiribati — <0.1 —
Kyrgyzstan ,734,000 86.3 0.3
Laos 2,000 <0.1 <0.1
Macau — <0.1 —
Malaysia 16,581,000 60.4 1.1
Maldives 304,000 98.4 <0.1
Marshall Islands — <0.1 —
Mongolia 133,000 5.0 <0.1
Nauru — <0.1 —
Nepal 1,231,000 4.2 0.1
New Caledonia 7,000 2.8 <0.1
New Zealand 37,000 0.9 <0.1
Niue — <0.1 —
North Korea 2,000 <0.1 <0.1
Northern Mariana Islands 1,000 0.7 <0.1
Pakistan 174,082,000 96.3 11.1
Palau — <0.1 —
Papua New Guinea 2,000 <0.1 <0.1
Philippines 4,654,000 5.1 0.3
Pitcairn Islands — <0.1 —
Samoa — <0.1 —
Singapore 706,000 14.9 <0.1
Solomon Islands — <0.1 —
South Korea 71,000 0.1 <0.1
Sri Lanka 1,711,000 8.5 0.1
Taiwan 23,000 <1 <1
Tajikistan 5,848,000 84.1 0.4
Thailand 3,930,000 5.8 0.3
Timor-Leste 43,000 3.8 <0.1
Tokelau — <0.1 —
Tonga — <0.1 —
Turkey 73,619,000 ~98 4.7
Turkmenistan 4,757,000 93.1 0.3
Tuvalu — 0.1 <0.1
Uzbekistan 6,469,000 96.3 1.7
Vanuatu — <0.1 —
Vietnam 157,000 0.2 <0.1
Wallis and Futuna — <0.1 —
Middle East-North Africa 315,322,000 91.2% 20.1%
Algeria 34,199,000 98.0 2.2
Bahrain 642,000 81.2 <0.1
Egypt 78,513,000 94.6 5.0
Iraq 30,428,000 ~99 ~2
Israel 1,194,000 16.7 0.1
Jordan 6,202,000 98.2 0.4
Kuwait 2,824,000 ~95 <1
Lebanon 2,504,000 59.3 0.2
Libya 6,203,000 96.6 0.4
Morocco 31,993,000 ~99 ~2
Oman 2,494,000 87.7 0.2
Palestinian Territories 4,173,000 ~98 <1
Qatar 1,092,000 77.5 0.1
Saudi Arabia 24,949,000 ~97 ~2
Sudan 30,121,000 71.3 1.9
Syria 20,196,000 92.2 1.3
Tunisia 10,216,000 99.5 0.7
UAE 3,504,000 76.2 0.2
Western Sahara 510,000 99.4 <0.1
Yemen 23,363,000 99.1 1.5
Sub-Saharan Africa 240,632,000 30.1% 15.3%
Angola 190,000 ~1 <1
Benin 2,182,000 24.4 0.1
Botswana 8,000 0.4 <0.1
Burkina Faso 9,292,000 59.0 0.6
Burundi 180,000 ~2 <1
Cameroon 3,498,000 17.9 0.2
Cape Verde 1,000 <1 <1
Central African Republic 95,000 8.9 <0.1
Chad 6,257,000 55.8 0.4
Comoros 664,000 98.3 <0.1
Congo 943,000 1.4 0.1
Djibouti 838,000 96.9 0.1
Equatorial Guinea 27,000 4.0 <0.1
Eritrea 1,854,000 36.5 0.1
Ethiopia 28,063,000 33.9 1.8
Gabon 140,000 9.5 0.1
Gambia 1,625,000 ~95 <1
Ghana 3,787,000 15.9 0.2
Guinea 8,502,000 84.4 0.5
Guinea Bissau 680,000 42.2 <0.1
Ivory Coast 7,745,000 36.7 0.5
Kenya 2,793,000 7.0 0.2
Lesotho 1,000 <0.1 <0.1
Liberia 483,000 12.2 <0.1
Madagascar 215,000 1.1 <0.1
Malawi 1,955,000 12.8 0.1
Mali 12,040,000 92.5 0.8
Mauritania 3,261,000 99.1 0.2
Mauritius 214,000 16.6 <0.1
Mayotte 191,000 98.4 <0.1
Mozambique 5,224,000 22.8 0.3
Namibia 8,000 0.4 <0.1
Niger 15,075,000 98.6 1.0
Nigeria 78,056,000 50.4 5.0
Republic of Congo 59,000 1.6 <0.1
Reunion 34,000 4.2 <0.1
Rwanda 182,000 1.8 <0.1
Sao Tome and Principe — <0.1 —
Senegal 12,028,000 96.0 0.8
Seychelles 1,000 1.1 <0.1
Sierra Leone 4,059,000 71.3 0.3
Somalia 8,995,000 98.5 0.6
South Africa 31,000 1.5 <0.1
St. Helena — <0.1 —
Swaziland 2,000 0.2 <0.1
Tanzania 13,218,000 30.2 0.8
Togo 809,000 12.2 0.1
Uganda 3,958,000 12.1 0.3
Zambia 58,000 0.4 <0.1
Zimbabwe 109,000 0.9 <0.1
Europe 38,112,000 5.2% 2.4%
Albania 2,522,000 79.9 0.2
Andorra 1,000 ~1 <1
Austria 353,000 4.2 <0.1
Belarus 19,000 <1 <1
Belgium 281,000 ~3 <1
Bosnia-Herzegovina 1,522,000 ~40 <1
Bulgaria 920,000 12.2 0.1
Channel Islands — 0.1 <0.1
Croatia 18,000 <1 <1
Czech Republic 1,000 <0.1 <0.1
Denmark 88,000 ~2 <1
Estonia 2,000 0.1 <0.1
Faeroe Islands — <0.1 —
Finland 24,000 0.5 <0.1
France 3,554,000 ~6 <1
Georgia 423,000 9.9 <0.1
Germany 4,026,000 ~5 <1
Gibraltar 1,000 4.0 <0.1
Greece 310,000 ~3 <1
Hungary 24,000 0.2 <0.1
Iceland — 0.1 <0.1
Ireland 22,000 0.5 <0.1
Isle of Man — 0.2 <0.1
Italy 36,000 <1 <1
Kosovo 1,999,000 89.6 0.1
Latvia 2,000 <1 <1
Liechtenstein 2,000 4.8 <0.1
Lithuania 3,000 0.1 <0.1
Luxembourg 13,000 ~3 <1
Malta 1,000 0.2 <0.1
Moldova 17,000 0.5 <0.1
Monaco — 0.4 <0.1
Montenegro 111,000 17.7 <0.1
Netherlands 946,000 5.7 0.1
Norway 65,000 ~1 <1
Poland 48,000 <1 <1
Portugal 15,000 0.1 <0.1
Republic of Macedonia 80,000 33.3 <0.1
Romania 66,000 0.3 <0.1
Russia 16,482,000 11.7 1.0
San Marino — <0.1 —
Serbia 244,000 3.2 <0.1
Slovakia — <0.1 <0.1
Slovenia 49,000 2.4 <0.1
Spain 650,000 ~1 <1
Sweden 149,000 ~2 <1
Switzerland 23,000 4.3 <0.1
Ukraine 456,000 1.0 <0.1
United Kingdom 1,647,000 2.7 0.1
Vatican City — <0.1 —
Americas 4,596,000 0.5% 0.3%
Anguilla — 0.3 <0.1
Antigua and Barbuda — 0.6 <0.1
Argentina 784,000 1.9 0.1
Aruba — 0.2 <0.1
Bahamas — 0.1 <0.1
Barbados 2,000 0.8 <0.1
Belize — 0.1 <0.1
Bermuda 1,000 0.8 <0.1
Bolivia 2,000 <0.1 <0.1
Brazil 191,000 0.1 <0.1
British Virgin Islands — 1.2 <0.1
Canada 657,000 2.0 <0.1
Cayman Islands — 0.2 <0.1
Chile 4,000 <0.1 <0.1
Colombia 14,000 <1 <1
Costa Rica — <1 <1
Cuba 9,000 0.1 <0.1
Dominica — 0.1 <0.1
Dominican Republic 2,000 <0.1 <0.1
Ecuador 2,000 <0.1 <0.1
El Salvador 2,000 <0.1 <0.1
Falkland Islands (Malvinas) — <0.1 —
French Guiana 2,000 0.9 <0.1
Greenland — <0.1 —
Grenada — 0.3 <0.1
Guadeloupe 2,000 0.4 <0.1
Guatemala 1,000 <0.1 <0.1
Guyana 55,000 7.2 <0.1
Haiti 2,000 <0.1 <0.1
Honduras 11,000 0.1 <0.1
Jamaica 1,000 <0.1 <0.1
Martinique 1,000 0.2 <0.1
Mexico 110,000 <1 <1
Montserrat — 0.1 <0.1
Netherlands Antilles — 0.2 <0.1
Nicaragua 1,000 <0.1 <0.1
Panama 24,000 0.7 <0.1
Paraguay 1,000 <0.1 <0.1
Peru 1,000 <0.1 <0.1
Puerto Rico 1,000 <0.1 <0.1
St. Kitts and Nevis — 0.1 <0.1
St. Lucia — 0.1 <0.1
St. Pierre and Miquelon — 0.2 <0.1
St. Vincent and the Grenadines 2,000 1.5 <0.1
Suriname 83,000 15.9 <0.1
Trinidad and Tobago 78,000 5.8 <0.1
Turks and Caicos Islands — <0.1 —
U.S. Virgin Islands — 0.1 <0.1
United States 2,454,000 0.8 0.2
Uruguay 1,000 <0.1 <0.1
Venezuela 4,000 0.3 <0.1
World Total 1,571,198,000 22.9% 100.0%
Source: Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life • Mapping the Global Muslim Population, October 2009