Muslim Population, Worldwide
(Updated February 2016)
Muslims number 1.6 billion people worldwide, representing 23% of global population. The overwhelming majority (87-90%) of Muslims are Sunnis; about 10-13% are Shia Muslims.
Muslims are concentrated in the Asia-Pacific region, where six-in-ten (62%) of all Muslims reside. Many Muslims also live in the Middle East and North Africa (20%) and sub-Saharan Africa (16%). The remainder of the world’s Muslim population is in Europe (3%), North America (<1%), Latin America (<1%) and the Caribbean (<1%).
In January 2016 new population figures were released that placed the Muslim population of the United Kingdom at over 3 million for the first time in history. One out of every twenty people living in the United Kingdom in 2016 subscribes to the Muslim faith, according to the Muslim Council of Britain. Fully one-third of these British Muslims were born outside of the country, and one-fourth of them are under the age of ten.
Region |
Muslim Population* |
Muslims, as % of Region* |
| Asia-Pacific |
985,530,000 |
24% |
| Middle East-North Africa |
317,070,000 |
93% |
| Sub-Saharan Africa |
248,110,000 |
30% |
| Europe |
43,490,000 |
6% |
| Americas |
4,320,000 |
<1% |
World Total |
1,598,52,000 |
23% |
Top Ten Countries with Largest Muslim Population
Country |
Muslim Population^ |
Muslims, as % of Total^ |
| Indonesia |
209,120,000 |
87% |
| India |
176,190,000 |
14% |
| Pakistan |
167,410,000 |
96% |
| Bangladesh |
133,540,000 |
90% |
| Nigeria |
77,300,000 |
49% |
| Egypt |
76,990,000 |
95% |
| Iran |
73,570,000 |
99.5% |
| Turkey |
71,330,000 |
98% |
| Algeria |
34,730,000 |
98% |
| Morocco |
31,940,000 |
99.9% |
*Muslim population figures are notoriously inaccurate; Muslims cover a broad range of ancestries, such as Asian, African and Middle Eastern and they all have different practices and political outlooks.
Sources: Pew Forum
* Current as of December 2012
^ Current as of December 2010
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