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The hidden distribution of Muslims around the world: Which countries have the most believers?
As of 2020, according to the Pew Research Center, there are approximately 1.9 billion Muslims worldwide, making Islam the second largest religion after Christianity. It is growing at an alarming rate, with the number of Muslims expected to reach 300 million by 2060. Of these believers, the vast majority belong to two main branches: Sunnis make up about 87% to 90% (about 1.7 billion people), and Shias make up about 10% to 13% (about 180 million to 230 million people). .
Muslims are widely distributed around the world, especially in Asia and Africa.
In today's world, Islam is the main religion in many regions including Central Asia, West Asia, North Africa and West Africa. The Asia-Pacific region, which includes Türkiye and Indonesia, accounts for about 62% of the world's Muslim population and has more than one billion Muslims. According to the data, Indonesia has the largest number of Muslims in the world, accounting for 12.7% of the world's Muslims; followed by Pakistan (11.1%), India (10.9%) and Bangladesh (9.2%). Of course, Nigeria and Egypt are the countries with the largest number of Muslims in Africa, accounting for 5.3% and 4.9% respectively.
In the Middle East, Muslims in Iran and Türkiye make up about 4.6% of their respective countries. It is said that only about 20% of the world's Muslims live in Arab countries, which reflects that the actual influence of Islam is not limited to these countries.
South Asia has the largest Muslim population in the world, with about one-third of Muslims coming from South Asia.
In South Asia, the countries with the largest Muslim populations include the Maldives, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. India is the country with the largest number of Muslims except for Muslim-dominated countries, with about 200 million Muslims. The Middle East-North Africa (MENA) region is also home to 23% of the world’s Muslims, and every country in the region, except Israel, considers Islam the primary religion.
Among Southeast Asian countries, Indonesia has the largest number of Muslims, accounting for 13% of the world's Muslim population. Muslims are the absolute majority in Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia on the Malay Peninsula.
The diversity of the Muslim community is reflected in the differences between its sects. 80% to 68% of Shiites are mainly concentrated in four countries: Iran, Azerbaijan, Bahrain and Iraq.
Among the global Muslim population, Sunnis make up 87-90% and Shias make up about 10-13%. Most Shiites live in countries primarily Iran, with sizable communities also in Bahrain, Iraq, Lebanon, Russia and China. It is worth noting that many people no longer clearly classify themselves as Sunni or Shia, which is also an important trend in the current Muslim community.
This trend is reflected globally, with a 2012 study showing that many Muslims in 22 Muslim-dominated countries, about one-fifth, identify as "independent Muslims". This proportion is even higher in Southern Europe, Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
According to forecasts, the number of Muslims will grow rapidly in the coming decades and could account for 26.3% of the world's total population by 2030.
According to a report by the Pew Research Center, future data shows that the Muslim population will grow twice as fast as the global population, and this growth is mainly due to family fertility and the lower median age of the Muslim community. . In addition, improved medical conditions will further increase life expectancy and reduce infant mortality, allowing the Muslim share of the population to increase further.
However, the pace of growth may slow in some regions, such as parts of Asia and Africa, where growth is expected to slow due to falling birth rates. However, with populations growing rapidly in many parts of the world, especially in the Middle East and Africa, the proportion of Muslims will continue to rise.
Looking ahead, Pakistan is expected to become the country with the largest Muslim population in the world by 2030, and in Europe, Muslims may account for 8% of the total population. Most of these changes will be related to immigration, and projections show that the Muslim population in the United States and Canada will also grow.
We can't help but ask, will such growth and distribution affect the future global religious and cultural landscape?
