The Hindu population fell by 7.8% worldwide between 1950 and 2015, research shows

A study by the Prime Minister’s Economic Council (EAC-PM) has found that the share of the majority population in India’s demography has shrunk by 7.8 percent between 1950 and 2015, according to a report published on a news portal.

As India’s Hindu population shrank, the proportion of minorities, including Muslims, Christians, Buddhists and Sikhs, rose. However, the number of Jains and Parsis in the population mix decreased.

Between 1950 and 2015, the share of the Muslim population in India increased by 43.15 percent, with an increase of 5.38 percent for Christians, an increase of 6.58 percent for Sikhs and a marginal increase for Buddhists.

In the face of India’s shrinking majority population, the share of the majority Muslim population in the demography of Pakistan and Bangladesh has increased. Globally, as many as 123 countries saw a decline in the share of their majority communities. The decline in the majority population in India (by 7.8 percent) is the second most significant decline in the immediate area, just after the 10 percent in Myanmar. Apart from India, Nepal’s majority (Hindu) community saw a 3.6 percent decline in its share of the country’s population.

7.8% in 1950-2015: study

The study, published in May 2024, assessed trends in 167 countries around the world. The study’s authors say that “India’s performance is consistent with larger global trends”.

“Contrary to rumors in various quarters, a careful analysis of the data shows that minorities are not only protected but even flourishing in India,” the authors say. Bangladesh saw the highest increase of 18.5 percent, followed by Pakistan (3.75 percent and Afghanistan (0.29 percent). “Pakistan witnessed a 3.75 percent increase in the share of the majority religious group (Hanafi Muslim ) and a 10 percent increase in religious groups (Hanafi Muslim).cent increase in the share of the total Muslim population despite the creation of Bangladesh in 1971,” said the study co-authored by Shamika Ravi, Abraham Jose and Apurv Kumar. Mishra.

In the Maldives, the share of the majority group (Shafi’i Sunnis) fell by 1.47 percent. However, India’s neighbors with predominantly Buddhist populations, Bhutan and Sri Lanka, also saw increases of 17.6 percent and 5.25 percent respectively.

In certain countries, such as Australia, China, Canada, New Zealand and a handful of East African countries, the decline in the majority community’s share of the population was greater than that of India.

“The share of majority religious denominations in 167 countries has declined by an average of 22 percent between 1950 and 2015. The change ranges from a 99 percent decrease in Liberia to an 80 percent increase in Namibia. 123 countries experienced a decline in the share of the majority denomination,” the study said.

In addition, the 35 high-income Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries (a group of 38 Western countries) saw a significant average decline of 29 percent in the share of the majority religion, surpassing the global average of 22 . per cent.

The research made it clear that it was not trying to figure out why these changes were happening, but rather looking at the numbers to see whether minorities were becoming more or less represented in society.

Published: Thursday, May 9, 2024 09:18 IST