The number of Hindus around the world is projected to rise from slightly more than 1 billion in 2010 to nearly 1.4 billion in 2050. This increase will roughly keep pace with overall population growth.
As a result, Hindus will remain fairly stable as a share of the world’s population over the next four decades, at about 15% in both 2010 and 2050.
As a result, Hindus will remain fairly stable as a share of the world’s population over the next four decades, at about 15% in both 2010 and 2050.
Projected Compound Annual Growth Rates for Hindus Between Five-Year Periods India and Nepal were the only countries in which a majority of the population was Hindu in 2010, and they are expected to be the only Hindu-majority countries in 2050.
In 2010, Hindus were the largest religious group in the Asia-Pacific region. By 2050, however, the number of Muslims in the region is expected to surpass the number of Hindus.
In 2010, Hindus were the largest religious group in the Asia-Pacific region. By 2050, however, the number of Muslims in the region is expected to surpass the number of Hindus.
The annual growth rate of the world’s population is expected to decline gradually in the coming decades, falling from 1.1% in 2010-2015 to 0.4% in 2045-2050. The annual growth rate of Hindus is expected to remain roughly on par with world population growth through 2030-2035, after which it is projected to drop below the worldwide level. By 2045, Hindus are expected to be growing by about 0.2% annually, or roughly half as fast as the global population overall, largely as a result of declining fertility rates in India.
Change in Countries With Largest Hindu Populations : Projected Population Change in Countries With Largest Hindu Populations in 2010For the most part, each of the 10 countries with the largest Hindu populations is projected to have roughly the same percentage of Hindus (as a share of its total population) in 2050 as it did in 2010.
Hindus are anticipated to make up about 77% of India’s population in 2050, down slightly from 80% in 2010.
Hindus are anticipated to make up about 77% of India’s population in 2050, down slightly from 80% in 2010.
These 10 countries also are expected to account for about the same share of the world’s total population in 2050 as they did in 2010. For example, about 18% of the world’s inhabitants lived in India in 2010, and 18% are projected to live in India in 2050. Consequently, the share of the world’s population that is Hindu also is projected to stay about the same (15%).
Demographically, as well as culturally and historically, Hinduism is deeply rooted in India, where more than nine-in-ten of the world’s Hindus (94%) lived in 2010. India remains a majority-Hindu country, with about 80% of India’s population in 2010 claiming Hindu identity.
