When will Muslims rule the world? Muslim population spreading rapidly across world, Hindu population decrease in India due to…

Islam is currently the fastest-growing religion across the globe. In the past few years, the number of people following Islam has increased rapidly. As a result, the Muslim population is rising quickly in many parts of the world. According to a new study by the Pew Research Center, a well-known research organization based in the United States, the number of Muslims will continue to grow even faster in the coming decades. In fact, in one of their earlier studies, Pew estimated that by the year 2060, the global Muslim population could grow by up to 70 per cent. This means there may be more than 3 billion Muslims in the world by then.

Not only that, researchers also believe that by 2060, Islam could become the largest religion in the world, even surpassing Christianity, which is currently the religion with the most followers worldwide.

Muslims grew faster than Christians in the last 10 years

Between 2010 and 2020, the number of Muslims in the world increased by 347 million. Today, there are over 2 billion Muslims globally. In comparison, the number of Christians grew by only 122 million during the same period, and their total global population is now a little over 2.3 billion.

On the other hand, the Buddhist population dropped by about 19 million, and now stands at approximately 324 million.

When we compare the numbers, it’s clear that the growth in the Muslim population was much higher than that of non-Muslims during this period. Non-Muslim populations increased by only 248 million, far less than the rise seen among Muslims.

Will Islam become the world’s largest religion in 35 years?

Right now, according to the Pew Research Center, Christianity is the most followed religion in the world. Out of the global population of about 7.3 billion, around 31 per cent are Christians. Islam is the second-largest religion, and Hinduism is third.

But this might change in the next 35 years.

Pew Research says that Islam is growing faster than any other religion, and if this continues, by the year 2060, Muslims could become the largest religious group in the world. The term “rule” here doesn’t mean political power, it means social and population dominance in terms of numbers.

Why is the Muslim population growing so fast?

There are three main reasons why the Muslim population is increasing quickly:

  • Younger population: Most Muslims in the world are young and in their childbearing age.
  • Higher birth rates: On average, Muslim families have more children than families of other religions.
  • Conversions: Many people around the world are choosing to become Muslims.

Muslims, a younger population

One of the key reasons behind this fast growth is that the Muslim population is much younger compared to other religious groups. According to Pew’s 2010 report:

  • About 34 per cent of Muslims were younger than 15 years old
  • Around 60 per cent were aged between 15 and 59
  • Only 7 per cent were 60 or older

What about Muslims in India?

In India too, the Muslim population is expected to rise, but not as sharply as in some other countries.

  • In 2015, Muslims made up about 14.9 per cent of India’s population.
  • By 2060, this share is expected to reach 19.4 per cent.

The total number of Muslims in India may reach about 330 million (33 crore) by then, according to the study. Even with this growth, India will continue to have a mix of many religions, and Hindus will still remain the largest group in the country.

Hindu population to grow slowly

According to a study by the Pew Research Center, the world’s religious population is changing quickly. Over the next few decades, the Hindu population is expected to grow by only 27 per cent, while the Christian population may grow by around 34 per cent. This is slower than the average global population growth rate.

Right now, Christians make up about 34 per cent of the world’s population, and Hindus make up about 15 per cent.

Muslim population growing the fastest

Pew Research studied population trends in 201 countries. Their findings show that the Muslim population is growing faster than any other major religious group, while the Christian population is shrinking in many places.

  • In 2010, Muslims made up about 23.9 per cent of the world’s population.
  • By 2020, that number grew to 25.6 per cent.
  • On the other hand, Christians dropped from 30.6% in 2010 to 28.6 per cent in 2020.

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