Year 2050: Top 10 Countries With The Largest Hindu Populations

Hinduism is one of the world’s major religions with a global following of over 1.032 billion people. The religion that originated in India is said to be the world’s oldest. The majority of Hindus dwell in Asia, with the largest Hindu populations outside of Asia being in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. The Pew Research Centre, a think tank, published a study in 2015 that predicted which countries will have the largest Hindu populations in 2050.

India

India is one of three countries where Hinduism is practiced by the majority of the population, with over 80% of Indians identifying as Hindus. With about 973.75 million Hindus, India accounted for 94.3% of the world’s Hindu population in 2010. Hindustan, the country’s alternative name, loosely translates to “Land of the Hindus.” By 2050, India’s Hindu population is predicted to expand by 25%, reaching 1.297 billion followers, accounting for 93.8% of the global Hindu population. Muslim population is expected to grow 76% faster than Hindu population. According to the Pew Research Center, Hindus will account for 80% of the overall Indian population by 2050. The Manipur area is an excellent case study in this regard, with the Hindu population declining by 5% between 1991 and 2001 as a result of inhabitants embracing the native Sanamahi faith.

Nepal

With an estimated 24.17 million Hindus (2010 estimates), Nepal has the world’s second largest Hindu population, accounting for 2.3% of the global Hindu population. More than 81% of Nepalese people practice Hinduism. Nepal’s mostly Hindu population is expected to grow in the future, with the PEW Research Centre estimating a Hindu population of 38.12 million in 2050, a 36.6% increase. In 2050, Nepal’s Hindu population is predicted to account for 2.8% of the global Hindu population. The current demographic data, which reveals that children under the age of 14 account for 36.2% of Nepal’s Hindu population, will be used to explain the population rise. Hindus in Nepal have the second lowest median age of 21 years.

Bangladesh

Hinduism is Bangladesh’s second-largest religion after Islam, with over 12 million inhabitants, or 8.5% of the entire national population, identifying as Hindu. During the last century, Hinduism has fallen drastically in Bangladesh. In 1901, Hindus made approximately 33% of the country’s population. Following the Bangladesh Liberation War, in which an estimated 20 million Hindus were slain or fled from the country, the proportion plummeted by half in the mid-twentieth century. Hindus’ percentage of the total population is expected to decline more in the future. However, projections indicate that by 2050, the Hindu population will have grown to around 14.47 million people.

Indonesia

With 4.05 million Hindus living in the country, Indonesia has the world’s fourth-largest Hindu population. According to the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs, the country has around 10 million Hindus. Hindus constitute 0.4% of the Indonesian population, making Hinduism a minor religion in the country. Bali has the greatest proportion of Hindus in the country, with 83.5% of the population being Hindu. By 2050, the relative percentage of Hindus will be quickly dropping, and while the Hindu population will have risen to 4.15 million people, the country will have dropped from the fourth largest in 2010 to the sixth biggest in 2050.

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Pakistan

3.33 million Hindus live in Pakistan, accounting for 0.3% of the worldwide Hindu population. It is Pakistan’s second most popular religion, behind Islam. The bulk of Pakistan’s Hindu population lives in Sindh province. Persecution, on the other hand, has resulted in a progressive decline in the faith over the previous 50 years, with an estimated 4.7 million Hindus leaving to India in the mid-twentieth century. The Hindu population will reach 5.63 million by 2050, according to the Pew Research Center.

Sri Lanka

In 2010, Sri Lanka has the world’s sixth largest Hindu population, with 2.83 million Hindus constituting 0.3% of all Hindus. Hinduism is a tiny religion in Sri Lanka, with about 12.6% of the population practicing it, with the vast majority residing in the country’s northern and central regions. Millions of Hindus fled the country in the mid-twentieth century, signaling the demise of the faith. By 2050, the total Hindu population is predicted to reach 3.43 million.

United States

With a total Hindu population of 1.79 million in 2010, the United States has the world’s sixth largest Hindu population, accounting for only 0.2% of the global Hindu population. Hindus in the United States make up around 1% of the population, making Hinduism a minority religion. According to the Pew Research Center, the American Hindu population will reach 4.78 million by 2050 as more Americans convert to Hinduism.

Malaysia

Hinduism is a minority religion in Malaysia, with around 6.3% of the population (approximately 1.78 million people) identifying as Hindus. Malaysia’s Hindu population is anticipated to grow by 24% by 2050, reaching roughly 2.27 million people. Malaysia’s predicted growth in Hindu population is due to the high conception rate among Hindu women.

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom has the second-largest Hindu population outside of Asia, behind the United States, with 890,000 Hindus. The Hindu faith is the fourth biggest in the country, accounting for 1.5% of the total population. Unlike in many other countries, the Hindu population in the United Kingdom has increased dramatically over the years and is expected to reach 1.37 million by 2050.

Canada

With 498,000 Hindus, Canada has the second largest Hindu population in North America, according to 2011 census data. Hindus are a minority in Canada, making up around 1.45% of the total population. Due to an influx of South-East Asian immigrants in the late twentieth century, Hinduism has developed considerably during the previous century. The Hindu population in Canada is anticipated to reach 1.07 million by 2050.