Muslim share of population up 0.8%, Hindu share down 0.7% between 2001 and 2011

NEW DELHI: The Muslim population in India grew by 24.6 per cent between 2001 and 2011 while the decadal population growth for Hindus stood at 16.8 per cent during the same period. Though Muslims' all-India decadal growth is less than the 29.3 per cent recorded between 1991 and 2001, their state-wise decadal growth rate was higher than that of Hindus in all 35 states and Union Territories in 2001-11.

The 2001-11 decadal growth rate for total population was 17.7 per cent. Over this period, Christians grew by 15.5 per cent, Sikhs by 8.4 per cent, Jains by 5.4 per cent and Buddhists by 6.1 per cent. Those stating other religions and persuasions grew by 19.6 per cent in the 10 years preceding 2011.

Interestingly, the number of people who did not state their religion went up by 294 per cent between 2001 and 2011.



The state/UT-wise figures for decadal growth rate between 2001 and 2011 show a notable rise in Hindu population in Uttar Pradesh (24.6 per cent), Jharkhand (21.1 per cent), Rajasthan (20.9 per cent), Madhya Pradesh (20 per cent), Puducherry (28.9 per cent) and NCT of Delhi (20.7 per cent). However, states that have shown witnessed a Hindu decadal growth less than the national average are Kerala (2.2 per cent), Arunachal Pradesh (5.8 per cent), West Bengal (10.8 per cent), Assam (10.9 per cent), Andhra Pradesh (10.3 per cent), Himachal Pradesh (12.6 per cent), Odisha (13.2 per cent), Chhattisgarh (13.2 per cent), Tamil Nadu (14.9 per cent), Maharasthra (15.2 per cent), Karnataka (15.8 per cent) and Haryana (16 per cent), among others. Lakshadweep and Mizoram recorded a negative decadal growth rate at (-)19.5 per cent and (-)4.5 per cent respectively, though this could be due to a low population base.

A few states/UTs where Hindus' decadal growth was higher than their respective averages are Punjab, Karnataka, Goa, Puducherry, Chandigarh, Nagaland, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli.

The Muslim population, on the other hand, rose across states registering more than their its national average in Mizoram (46.9 per cent), Haryana (45.7 per cent), Chandigarh (44.7 per cent), Punjab (40.2 per cent), Nagaland (39.9 per cent), Uttarakhand (39 per cent) and NCT or Delhi (33 per cent), Rajasthan (29.8 per cent), Assam (29.6 per cent), Bihar (28 per cent) and Gujarat (27.3 per cent).

Kerala returned interesting results with a 12.8 per cent rise in Muslim population between 2001 and 2011, far higher than the corresponding figures for Hindus (2.2 per cent) and Christians (1.4 per cent).

The decadal growth rate for Christian population (2001-11) was higher than 100 per cent in Bihar and Arunachal Pradesh, but the community recorded a negative growth in five states including Nagaland (-2.8 per cent), Andhra Pradesh (-4.4 per cent), Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli.

Sikhs recorded a high decadal growth rate in Odisha (25.7 per cent), Gujarat (27.8 per cent), Andhra Pradesh (29.8 per cent), Kerala (38.1 per cent) and Tamil Nadu (53 per cent), among others. The community, however, showed a negative growth rate in eight states/UTs.