Muslims

{{pp|small=yes}}

{{pp|small=yes}}

{{pp-move}}

{{pp-move}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2025}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2025}}

{{Use Oxford spelling|date=June 2025}}

{{Use Oxford spelling|date=June 2025}}

{{infobox religious group

{{infobox religious group

| group = Muslims

| group = Muslims

| population = {{circa}} '''2 billion''' <br /> (25.6% of the global population){{increase}}<br /> (Worldwide, 2020 est.) <ref>{{Cite web |last=Fahmy |first=Conrad Hackett, Marcin Stonawski, Yunping Tong, Stephanie Kramer, Anne Shi and Dalia |date=2025-06-09 |title=How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020 |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2025/06/09/how-the-global-religious-landscape-changed-from-2010-to-2020/ |access-date=2025-06-10 |website=Pew Research Center |language=en-US}}</ref>

| population = {{circa}} '''2 billion''' <br /> (25.6% of the global population){{increase}}<br /> (Worldwide, 2020 est.) <ref>{{Cite web |last=Fahmy |first=Conrad Hackett, Marcin Stonawski, Yunping Tong, Stephanie Kramer, Anne Shi and Dalia |date=9 June 2025 |title=How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020 |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2025/06/09/how-the-global-religious-landscape-changed-from-2010-to-2020/ |access-date=10 June 2025 |website=Pew Research Center |language=en-US}}</ref>

| image = Prayer in Cairo 1865.jpg

| image = Prayer in Cairo 1865.jpg

| caption = ''Prayer in [[Cairo]]'' (1865) by [[Jean-Léon Gérôme]]

| caption = ''Prayer in [[Cairo]]'' (1865) by [[Jean-Léon Gérôme]]

{{See also|Islam by country}}

{{See also|Islam by country}}

[[File:Islam percent population in each nation World Map Muslim data by Pew Research.svg|thumb|300px|World Muslim population by percentage (2012)]]

[[File:Islam percent population in each nation World Map Muslim data by Pew Research.svg|thumb|300px|World Muslim population by percentage (2012)]]

According to Pew estimates, as of 2020, Muslims made up about 25.6% of the global population, or roughly 2 billion people. The growth is mainly due to Muslims having a younger average age and higher birth rates—two key drivers of natural population increase.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fahmy |first=Conrad Hackett, Marcin Stonawski, Yunping Tong, Stephanie Kramer, Anne Shi and Dalia |date=2025-06-09 |title=How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020 |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/06/PR_2025.06.09_global-religious-change_report.pdf|access-date=2025-06-10 |website=Pew Research Center |language=en-US|page=9|quote=Increases in the global Muslim population are largely due to Muslims having a relatively young age structure and high fertility rate, two characteristics that result in natural population growth.}}</ref> The most populous Muslim-majority country is Indonesia, home to 12.7% of the world's Muslims,<ref name=Distrib>{{cite web|title=Mapping the Global Muslim Population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Muslim Population|url=http://www.pewforum.org/files/2009/10/Muslimpopulation.pdf|date=October 2009|publisher=Pew Research Center|access-date=22 February 2017|quote=Of the total Muslim population, 30%-40% are Shia Muslims and 60-70% are Sunni Muslims.|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205171040/http://www.pewforum.org/files/2009/10/Muslimpopulation.pdf|archive-date=5 February 2017}}</ref> followed by Pakistan (11.0%), Bangladesh (9.2%), Nigeria (5.3%) and Egypt (4.9%).<ref name="Islam_by_country" /> About 20% of the world's Muslims live in the Middle East and North Africa. Non-majority India contains 10.9% of the world's Muslims.<ref name="Distrib" /><ref>{{cite book

According to Pew estimates, as of 2020, Muslims made up about 25.6% of the global population, or roughly 2 billion people. The growth is mainly due to Muslims having a younger average age and higher birth rates—two key drivers of natural population increase.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fahmy |first=Conrad Hackett, Marcin Stonawski, Yunping Tong, Stephanie Kramer, Anne Shi and Dalia |date=9 June 2025 |title=How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020 |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/06/PR_2025.06.09_global-religious-change_report.pdf|access-date=10 June 2025 |website=Pew Research Center |language=en-US|page=9|quote=Increases in the global Muslim population are largely due to Muslims having a relatively young age structure and high fertility rate, two characteristics that result in natural population growth.}}</ref> The most populous Muslim-majority country is Indonesia, home to 12.7% of the world's Muslims,<ref name=Distrib>{{cite web|title=Mapping the Global Muslim Population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Muslim Population|url=http://www.pewforum.org/files/2009/10/Muslimpopulation.pdf|date=October 2009|publisher=Pew Research Center|access-date=22 February 2017|quote=Of the total Muslim population, 30%-40% are Shia Muslims and 60-70% are Sunni Muslims.|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205171040/http://www.pewforum.org/files/2009/10/Muslimpopulation.pdf|archive-date=5 February 2017}}</ref> followed by Pakistan (11.0%), Bangladesh (9.2%), Nigeria (5.3%) and Egypt (4.9%).<ref name="Islam_by_country" /> About 20% of the world's Muslims live in the Middle East and North Africa. Non-majority India contains 10.9% of the world's Muslims.<ref name="Distrib" /><ref>{{cite book

| publisher = Oxford University Press

| publisher = Oxford University Press

| isbn = 978-0-19-515713-0

| isbn = 978-0-19-515713-0

Over 87–90% of Muslims are [[Sunni]].<ref name=Sunni /><ref name="Sunni Islam" /> The second largest sect, [[Shia]], make up 10–13%,<ref name="Shia" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name="Pew_2009" /> whereas other movements such as the [[Ahmadiyya]], [[Quranism]], [[Ibadism]], collectively count for 1% per cent.<ref name="ahmadi" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mawji |first=Omar |date=11 March 2016 |title=Oman: A Beacon of Tolerance in the MENA Region |url=https://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/oman-a-beacon-of-tolerance-in-the-mena-region/ |access-date=28 May 2025 |website=Geopolitical Monitor |language=en}}</ref> While the majority of the population in the [[Middle East]] identify as either Sunni or Shia, a significant number of Muslims identify as [[non-denominational Muslims|non-denominational]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bujyDwAAQBAJ&dq=non+denominationaL+islam&pg=PT14 | title=Cultural and Heritage Tourism in the Middle East and North Africa: Complexities, Management and Practices | isbn=9781000177169 | last1=Seyfi | first1=Siamak | last2=Michael Hall | first2=C. | date=28 September 2020 | publisher=Routledge }}</ref>

Over 87–90% of Muslims are [[Sunni]].<ref name=Sunni /><ref name="Sunni Islam" /> The second largest sect, [[Shia]], make up 10–13%,<ref name="Shia" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name="Pew_2009" /> whereas other movements such as the [[Ahmadiyya]], [[Quranism]], [[Ibadism]], collectively count for 1% per cent.<ref name="ahmadi" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mawji |first=Omar |date=11 March 2016 |title=Oman: A Beacon of Tolerance in the MENA Region |url=https://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/oman-a-beacon-of-tolerance-in-the-mena-region/ |access-date=28 May 2025 |website=Geopolitical Monitor |language=en}}</ref> While the majority of the population in the [[Middle East]] identify as either Sunni or Shia, a significant number of Muslims identify as [[non-denominational Muslims|non-denominational]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bujyDwAAQBAJ&dq=non+denominationaL+islam&pg=PT14 | title=Cultural and Heritage Tourism in the Middle East and North Africa: Complexities, Management and Practices | isbn=9781000177169 | last1=Seyfi | first1=Siamak | last2=Michael Hall | first2=C. | date=28 September 2020 | publisher=Routledge }}</ref>

With about 1.8 billion followers (2015), almost a quarter of [[world population|earth's population]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pewforum.org/2017/04/05/the-changing-global-religious-landscape/|website=Pew Research Center|date=5 April 2017|title=The Changing Global Religious Landscape|access-date=20 October 2018|archive-date=6 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170406033738/http://www.pewforum.org/2017/04/05/the-changing-global-religious-landscape/|url-status=live}}</ref> Islam is the [[major religious groups|second-largest]] and the [[Growth of religion|fastest-growing religion in the world]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/02/living/pew-study-religion/index.html|title=The fastest growing religion in the world is ...|last=Burke|first=Daniel|publisher=CNN|access-date=6 May 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160511135834/http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/02/living/pew-study-religion/index.html|archive-date=11 May 2016}}</ref> primarily due to the young age and high [[fertility rate]] of Muslims,<ref name="pew"/> with Muslims having a rate of 3.1 compared to the world average of 2.5. According to the same study, [[Religious conversion|religious switching]] has no impact on Muslim population, since the number of people who [[Convert to Islam|embrace Islam]] and those who [[Apostasy in Islam|leave Islam]] are roughly equal.<ref name="Global Islam" /><ref name="pew">{{cite report|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2009/10/Muslimpopulation-1.pdf|title=The Future of the Global Muslim Population|publisher=Pew Research Center|date=27 January 2011}}</ref> According to a 2020 Pew study, about 1% of adults raised Muslim leave the faith, while a similar share convert to Islam, resulting in low levels of religious switching both into and out of Islam.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fahmy |first=Conrad Hackett, Marcin Stonawski, Yunping Tong, Stephanie Kramer, Anne Shi and Dalia |date=2025-06-09 |title=How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020 |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/06/PR_2025.06.09_global-religious-change_report.pdf|access-date=2025-06-10 |website=Pew Research Center |language=en-US|page=39|quote=Muslims and Hindus have been the least likely to gain or lose adherents from religious switching. About one in every 100 adults raised Muslim (or Hindu) has left their childhood religion, and a similar number from a different religious category have switched into Islam (or Hinduism).}}</ref>

With about 1.8 billion followers (2015), almost a quarter of [[world population|earth's population]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pewforum.org/2017/04/05/the-changing-global-religious-landscape/|website=Pew Research Center|date=5 April 2017|title=The Changing Global Religious Landscape|access-date=20 October 2018|archive-date=6 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170406033738/http://www.pewforum.org/2017/04/05/the-changing-global-religious-landscape/|url-status=live}}</ref> Islam is the [[major religious groups|second-largest]] and the [[Growth of religion|fastest-growing religion in the world]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/02/living/pew-study-religion/index.html|title=The fastest growing religion in the world is ...|last=Burke|first=Daniel|publisher=CNN|access-date=6 May 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160511135834/http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/02/living/pew-study-religion/index.html|archive-date=11 May 2016}}</ref> primarily due to the young age and high [[fertility rate]] of Muslims,<ref name="pew"/> with Muslims having a rate of 3.1 compared to the world average of 2.5. According to the same study, [[Religious conversion|religious switching]] has no impact on Muslim population, since the number of people who [[Convert to Islam|embrace Islam]] and those who [[Apostasy in Islam|leave Islam]] are roughly equal.<ref name="Global Islam" /><ref name="pew">{{cite report|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2009/10/Muslimpopulation-1.pdf|title=The Future of the Global Muslim Population|publisher=Pew Research Center|date=27 January 2011}}</ref> According to a 2020 Pew study, about 1% of adults raised Muslim leave the faith, while a similar share convert to Islam, resulting in low levels of religious switching both into and out of Islam.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fahmy |first=Conrad Hackett, Marcin Stonawski, Yunping Tong, Stephanie Kramer, Anne Shi and Dalia |date=9 June 2025 |title=How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020 |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/06/PR_2025.06.09_global-religious-change_report.pdf|access-date=10 June 2025 |website=Pew Research Center |language=en-US|page=39|quote=Muslims and Hindus have been the least likely to gain or lose adherents from religious switching. About one in every 100 adults raised Muslim (or Hindu) has left their childhood religion, and a similar number from a different religious category have switched into Islam (or Hinduism).}}</ref>

As of 2010, 49 countries in the world had Muslim majorities, in which Muslims comprised more than 50% of the population.<ref name="Global Islam" /> In 2010, 74.1% of the world's Muslim population lived in countries where Muslims are in the majority, while 25.9% of the world's Muslim population lived in countries where Muslims are in the minority.<ref name="Global Islam">{{cite report|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2011/01/FutureGlobalMuslimPopulation-WebPDF-Feb10.pdf|title=The Future of the Global Muslim Population|publisher=Pew Research Center|date=27 January 2011}}</ref> A Pew Center study in 2010 found that 3% of the world's Muslim population lives in non-Muslim-majority [[developed countries]].<ref name="Global Islam" /> [[Islam in India|India's Muslim population]] is the world's largest Muslim-minority population in the world (11% of the world's Muslim population).<ref name="Global Islam" /> Followed by Ethiopia (28 million), China (22 million), Russia (16 million) and Tanzania (13 million).<ref name="pew" /> Sizable minorities are also found in [[Islam in the Americas|the Americas]] (5.2 million or 0.6%), [[Islam in Australia|Australia]] (714,000 or 1.9%) and parts of [[Islam in Europe|Europe]] (44 million or 6%).<ref name="Global Islam" /> According to a 2020 Pew study, 79% of the world’s Muslim population live in Muslim-majority countries, while 21% reside in countries where Muslims are a minority.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fahmy |first=Conrad Hackett, Marcin Stonawski, Yunping Tong, Stephanie Kramer, Anne Shi and Dalia |date=2025-06-09 |title=How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020 |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/06/PR_2025.06.09_global-religious-change_report.pdf|access-date=2025-06-10 |website=Pew Research Center |language=en-US}}</ref>

As of 2010, 49 countries in the world had Muslim majorities, in which Muslims comprised more than 50% of the population.<ref name="Global Islam" /> In 2010, 74.1% of the world's Muslim population lived in countries where Muslims are in the majority, while 25.9% of the world's Muslim population lived in countries where Muslims are in the minority.<ref name="Global Islam">{{cite report|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2011/01/FutureGlobalMuslimPopulation-WebPDF-Feb10.pdf|title=The Future of the Global Muslim Population|publisher=Pew Research Center|date=27 January 2011}}</ref> A Pew Center study in 2010 found that 3% of the world's Muslim population lives in non-Muslim-majority [[developed countries]].<ref name="Global Islam" /> [[Islam in India|India's Muslim population]] is the world's largest Muslim-minority population in the world (11% of the world's Muslim population).<ref name="Global Islam" /> Followed by Ethiopia (28 million), China (22 million), Russia (16 million) and Tanzania (13 million).<ref name="pew" /> Sizable minorities are also found in [[Islam in the Americas|the Americas]] (5.2 million or 0.6%), [[Islam in Australia|Australia]] (714,000 or 1.9%) and parts of [[Islam in Europe|Europe]] (44 million or 6%).<ref name="Global Islam" /> According to a 2020 Pew study, 79% of the world’s Muslim population live in Muslim-majority countries, while 21% reside in countries where Muslims are a minority.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fahmy |first=Conrad Hackett, Marcin Stonawski, Yunping Tong, Stephanie Kramer, Anne Shi and Dalia |date=9 June 2025 |title=How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020 |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/06/PR_2025.06.09_global-religious-change_report.pdf|access-date=10 June 2025 |website=Pew Research Center |language=en-US}}</ref>

A Pew Center study in 2016 found that Muslims have the highest number of adherents under the age of 15 (34% of the total Muslim population) of any major religion, while only 7% are aged 60+ (the smallest percentage of any major religion). According to the same study, Muslims have the highest [[fertility rate]]s (3.1) of any major religious group.<ref name="Pew2016">{{cite web |access-date=19 December 2016 |title=Religion and Education Around the World |url=http://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2016/12/21094148/Religion-Education-ONLINE-FINAL.pdf |publisher=Pew Research Center |date=13 December 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222152619/http://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2016/12/21094148/Religion-Education-ONLINE-FINAL.pdf |archive-date=22 December 2016 }}</ref> The study also found that Muslims (tied with [[Hindus]]) have the lowest average levels of [[education]] with an average of 5.6 years of schooling, though both groups have made the largest gains in educational attainment in recent decades among major religions.<ref name="Pew2016"/> About 36% of all Muslims have no formal schooling,<ref name="Pew2016"/> and Muslims have the lowest average levels of [[higher education]] of any major religious group, with only 8% having [[Academic degree|graduate]] and [[post-graduate]] degrees.<ref name="Pew2016"/>

A Pew Center study in 2016 found that Muslims have the highest number of adherents under the age of 15 (34% of the total Muslim population) of any major religion, while only 7% are aged 60+ (the smallest percentage of any major religion). According to the same study, Muslims have the highest [[fertility rate]]s (3.1) of any major religious group.<ref name="Pew2016">{{cite web |access-date=19 December 2016 |title=Religion and Education Around the World |url=http://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2016/12/21094148/Religion-Education-ONLINE-FINAL.pdf |publisher=Pew Research Center |date=13 December 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222152619/http://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2016/12/21094148/Religion-Education-ONLINE-FINAL.pdf |archive-date=22 December 2016 }}</ref> The study also found that Muslims (tied with [[Hindus]]) have the lowest average levels of [[education]] with an average of 5.6 years of schooling, though both groups have made the largest gains in educational attainment in recent decades among major religions.<ref name="Pew2016"/> About 36% of all Muslims have no formal schooling,<ref name="Pew2016"/> and Muslims have the lowest average levels of [[higher education]] of any major religious group, with only 8% having [[Academic degree|graduate]] and [[post-graduate]] degrees.<ref name="Pew2016"/>