Hindu population declines, Muslim share surges, says report
PTC Web Desk: The Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) recently performed a study that reveals notable changes in India's religious demographics between 1950 and 2015. The survey found that during the same time period, the Muslim population in India had unprecedented growth of 43%, while the Hindu population share fell by around 8%. Hindus made up 84% of the population in 1950, but by 2015, that number had dropped to 78%.
On the other hand, the proportion of minority groups—such as Sikhs, Muslims, Christians, and Buddhists—rose. According to the survey, the percentage of Muslims increased from 9.84% to 14.09%, while the percentage of Christians, Sikhs and Buddhists increased by 5.38%, 6.58%, and 0.59%, respectively.
The decline in the Hindu population share in India is notable, marking the second most significant decline in the immediate neighbourhood after Myanmar's 10% decrease in its majority population. Additionally, Nepal, another South Asian country, saw a 3.6% decline in the share of its majority Hindu community.
Economists Shamika Ravi, Abraham Jose, and Apurv Kumar Mishra authored the report, emphasising India's significant decline in majority population and the notable increase in minority shares. They highlighted the rise in the shares of Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, and Sikh populations, along with a decline in the shares of Jain and Parsi populations. Contrary to some narratives, the report suggests that minorities in India are not only protected, but also thriving.
However, political reactions to the findings have emerged, with BJP's IT Cell head, Amit Malviya, attributing the decline in Hindu population share to the Congress party's governance. He stated in a tweet that "decades of Congress rule" led to a 7.8% shrinkage in the Hindu population share, contrasting it with the 43% growth in the Muslim population.
- With inputs from agencies
