India has 79.8% Hindus, 14.2% Muslims, says 2011 census data on religion

New Delhi: The Muslim community has registered a moderate 0.8 percent growth to touch 17.22 crore in the 10-year period between 2001 and 2011, up from 13.8 crore, while Hindu population showed a decline by 0.7 percent at 96.63 crore during the period, according to the latest census data on religion. [caption id=“attachment_2407718” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Agencies[/caption] While the census figure on religion was released on Tuesday, more than four years after compilation of the data, the caste data is yet to be made public. RJD, JD(U), SP, DMK and some other parties have been asking the government to release the caste census figure. The data on socio-economic status of the population was released on 3 July. As per the religious census data of 2011, released by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner on Tuesday, the total population in the country in 2011 was 121.09 crore. Hindu population is 96.63 crore (79.8 percent); Muslim 17.22 crore (14.2 percent); Christian 2.78 crore (2.3 percent); Sikh 2.08 crore (1.7 percent); Buddhist 0.84 crore (0.7 percent); Jain 0.45 crore (0.4 percent), Other religions and persuasions (ORP) 0.79 crore (0.7 percent) and religion not stated 0.29 crore (0.2 percent). The proportion of Muslim population to total population has increased by 0.8 percentage point (PP) in 2011, the census data said. The proportion of Hindu population to total population in 2011 has declined by 0.7 PP; the proportion of Sikh population has declined by 0.2 PP and the Buddhist population has declined by 0.1 PP during the decade 2001-2011. There has been no significant change in the proportion of Christians and Jains. As per 2001 census, India’s total population was 102 crore, of which Hindu population comprised of 82.75 crore (80.45 percent) and Muslims were 13.8 crore (13.4 percent). The growth rate of population in the decade 2001-2011 was 17.7 percent. The growth rate of population of the different religious communities in the same period was as Hindus: 16.8 percent; Muslim: 24.6 percent; Christian: 15.5 percent; Sikh: 8.4 percent; Buddhist: 6.1 percent and Jain: 5.4 percent. The distribution is total population by six major religious communities namely, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain besides ‘Other Religions and Persuasions’ and ‘Religion not stated’. PTI