Introduction
A study that was drawn in over 200 countries across the globe indicates that the Muslim population worldwide is approximately 1.9 billion, which was 24 percent of the world's population based on estimates in 2017.
Though Muslims are disseminated throughout all five continents, over 60 percent of the population live in Asia, while 20 percent dwell in Africa. Yet, that same faith is far more densely packed within North Africa and the Middle East: almost 95% of the populations in these regions are Muslims. Over 300 million Muslims reside in countries where Islam is not the majority religion-a share comprising about a fifth of all Muslims worldwide. For example, India has one of the largest numbers of Muslims in the world, China has more Muslims than Syria, and Russia has more Muslims than Jordan and Libya combined.
About 10-13% are Shia and the remaining 87-90% are Sunnis. The Shia population is concentrated mainly in Iraq, Pakistan, and Iran.
Following is a list of the 10 countries with the largest number of Muslims in the world.
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1. Indonesia: About 231 million Muslims
About 87% of Indonesia's population is listed as Muslim according to government websites. One may wonder why so many people would be of the Islamic faith. Well, here are the reasons, with two major underlying factors to be considered:
Ancient Trade Relations: Islam spread to the coasts of Indonesia in the 13th century when traders from Arabia and India arrived in Sumatra and Java.
Introduction of Islam Without Force: Islam was often introduced through marriage and social incorporation, hence making it easier for people to adapt to the religion.
For more context, you can have a look at an article titled "https://www.pewresearch.org
2. Pakistan: Approximately 225 million Muslims
The research puts the population at almost 87% Muslim. Just like Indonesia, Pakistan has other valid reasons for having a high number of Muslims, including:
The Relation of Religion and National Identity: Pakistan emerged as a nation in the year 1947 to be a Muslim nation.
Religious Education: Religious schools are very actively engaged in spreading Islam and continuing the religious traditions.
Promotion of Islamic Faith: The faith is greatly promoted through the country's laws and rules.
If you would like to learn more, you can go through the same article published https://www.statista.com.
3. India
India is home to nearly 200 million Muslims. Studies have found that approximately 95% of Indian Muslims participate alongside their Hindu fellows in the advancement, history, culture, and economy of the country. This is despite the fact that India is not a Muslim nation.
For further information, https://www.pewresearch.org
4. Bangladesh
Bangladesh has an estimated 166 million Muslims, and it is estimated that around 90% of the entire population is Muslim. Major determining factors as to why there are so many Muslims in Bangladesh include:
Connection to the Mughal Empire: Bangladesh once was a part of the Mughal Empire, from which Islam became the majority religion.
Madrassas and Religious Culture: The Islamic faith greatly finds support from schools along with other community-related organizations.
For further reading, consider this report regarding the future of world religions by https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/egypt
5. Egypt
The estimated population of Egypt is around 104 million people, and studies estimate 90% of Egyptians to be Muslims. Among the reasons include:
The Country With the Most Islamic Scholars: Egypt hosts Al-Azhar University, the most prestigious centre for Islamic learning.
Religion and Political Life: Islam is so deeply a part of the country's culture and legal system that it is named the official faith.
More on Egypt https://www.statista.com
6. Turkey
Turkey has a population of approximately 85 million Muslims. Scholars estimate about 99% are Muslim. Some reasons being:
The Ottoman Empire: Turkey served as the hub of the Ottoman Caliphate, a large Islamic power in history.
The Relationship Between Religion and Modern Secular Governance: Although Turkey is a secular country, Muslims are still very prevalent culturally and politically.
See additional detail in this ranking of countries by size of the Muslim population on Statista.
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7. Iran
Iran has approximately 84 million Muslims, of which a majority are Shia. An estimated 99% of its population is Muslim. Some of the reasons this occurs are:
The largest Shia population in the world: Iran hosts a huge portion of the Shia population globally, with major religious centres such as Qom.
Shia Islam as a foundation of political life: Iran's political life is enshrined on Shia Islam, and this makes religious life in Iran even stronger.
Read more from the Pew Research Centre on the future of world religions.
8. Nigeria
Some 75 million Muslims live in Nigeria, with estimates suggesting that half of Nigerians are Muslims. Reasons include:
Religious Division: Northern Nigeria is disproportionately full of Muslims, while the south contains more Christians.
Madrassas and Religious Education: The Islamic schools in northern Nigeria still help spread the religion.
More information is provided in the World Population Review's ranking of Muslim population by country.
9 Algeria
Algeria has a total of 44 million Muslims, with nearly 99% of its population being identified as Muslim. Some of the reasons which constitute this are:
The Role of Islam in the Independence Struggle: Prior to 1962, Islam played a huge role in the independence struggle.
Strong Social and Cultural Ties to Islam: Islam is immensely engrained in the cultural and legal mechanisms of Algeria.
You can read more from Statista's list of countries with the largest Muslim populations.
10 Morocco
Morocco has about 37 million Muslims, which are about 99% of its population. Some of the main reasons include:
A Long History of Islam: Morocco was a significant passageway through which Arab traders expanded Islam throughout North Africa.
Religion and the Monarchy: The Moroccan monarchy has supported Islam and kept the well-renowned Sufi tradition within the country.
For more detail, see World Population Review's Muslim population by country.
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Conclusion
This paper has reviewed the world Muslim population estimated to number approximately 1.9 billion or roughly 24 % of the world population. Also included is a list of countries with the largest populations in terms of Muslims: Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Egypt, Turkey, Iran, Nigeria, Algeria, and Morocco.
This article depicts that there are Muslims on each continent, but the majority of them stay concentrated in Asia and North Africa. It also shows large Muslim communities living in non-Muslim countries.
Overall, it reflects how widespread the impact of the communities of Muslim people is in influencing the cultures of the world.
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