There are an estimated 1.5 to over 2 million Muslims in Italy, making Islam the second-largest religion after Christianity, primarily composed of immigrants from North Africa (Morocco, Tunisia), the Balkans, and South Asia. Recent estimates from July 2025 suggest around 1.7 million Muslims among foreign residents, making them the largest religious group within that demographic, notes the ISMU Foundation.
Among the fastest-growing new religious denominations in Italy a special place is held by the Jehovah's Witnesses (who count around 414,000 faithful, including both members and other people regularly attending the Congregation's meetings).
While it's a predominantly Catholic country, today's Italy is home to over 2.5 million Muslims, many of whom are from North Africa, South Asia, and the Balkans. Living Halal in Italy can be done though, it comes with a few challenges.
Estimates of the percentage of Muslims in Russia (the biggest group of Muslims in Europe) vary from 5 to 11.7%, depending on sources. It also depends on if only observant Muslims or all people of Muslim descent are counted. The city of Moscow is home to an estimated 1.5 million Muslims.
By the 1900s, with the Italian colonisation of Libya, Somalia, Eritrea and Albania, a new wave of Muslim migrants, mainly from these countries, entered Italy and remained the most dominant Muslim groups until the end of the 20th century, and often Islamic prayers were conducted in either Arabic, Oromo, Somali or ...
The Italian Constitution gives citizens the right to wear religious dress through articles 8, 19, and 21. Lombardy banned facial veils for security reasons in government buildings and hospitals in December 2015, coming into effect in January 2016.
Due to a lack of will from successive governments and divisions within the religious community itself, Islam has never been formally recognised by the Italian state. As a consequence, Muslims may pray, but they may not build mosques.
Islam in Europe by country:
Madrid remains the only Islamic civilization-oriented capital in Western Europe, although many people first think about Cordoba or Granada when Spain's Al-Andulus era from the years 711 to 1492 is mentioned.
According to the Pew Research Center, the Muslim population in Europe (excluding Turkey) was about 30 million in 1990, and 44 million in 2010; the Muslim share of the population increased from 4.1% in 1990 to 6% in 2010.
Islamophobia has been present within Italy for many years; for example, in the 1920s, Muslims were not permitted to settle in the country due to their religion being viewed as "against common morality." The intensity of Islamophobia in Italy is enhanced by the historical religious structure of the state – which is ...
No, we don't. McDonald's does not offer Halal-certified food.
Donald Trump identifies as a Christian, specifically a Protestant, though he has shifted his specific denomination from Presbyterian (his childhood faith) to a more nondenominational Christian identity, influenced by "positive thinking" and charismatic movements, while maintaining strong ties with evangelical voters. He often attends church for major holidays, views the Bible as important, and has been shaped by mentors like Norman Vincent Peale.
The spread of Islam — dubbed “the world's fastest growing religion” for years now — has been driven by higher fertility rates both in the Middle East and across the West. Muslims (along with Hindus) have been the least likely to gain or lose adherents from something called “religious switching.”
Over the past few years, unprecedented numbers of immigrants have left Muslim-majority countries to come to Europe, fleeing the carnage in Syria and the turmoil across North Africa.
The large majority of Muslims live in former West Germany, including West Berlin.
Findings - Among three scenarios, the most likely mid-point migration scenario identifies 13 countries where the Muslim population will be majority between years 2085 and 2215: Cyprus (in year 2085), Sweden (2125), France (2135), Greece (2135), Belgium (2140), Bulgaria (2140), Italy (2175), Luxembourg (2175), the UK ( ...
A comprehensive religious forecast for 2050 by the Pew Research Center predicts that the global Muslim population will grow at a faster rate than the Christian population – primarily due to the average younger age, and higher fertility rate of Muslims.
Countries with the largest Muslim population in 2020
In 2020, Indonesia recorded the largest population of Muslims worldwide, with around 239 million. This was followed with around 226.88 million Muslims in Pakistan and 213 million Muslims in India.
Italy already has a law, dating back to 1975, that prohibits complete face covering in public places, though it does not specifically mention burqas.
The removal of Islam in Sicily was completed by the late 1240s, when the final deportations to Lucera took place. The remaining population of Sicilian Muslims converted to Catholicism due to the incentives put in place by Fredrich II.
Slovakia is the only EU member state without a mosque.