As of the 2021 UK Census, there are nearly 4 million Muslims, making up about 6% of the total UK population, with England and Wales data showing 3.9 million (6.5%), a significant increase from 2.7 million in 2011. London has the largest Muslim population, with about 15% of the country's Muslims living there.
While London has the largest Muslim population overall, areas like Tower Hamlets (London Borough) and Blackburn with Darwen (Unitary Authority) have the highest percentages of Muslims in the UK, with Tower Hamlets often cited as the highest by proportion at nearly 40%, followed closely by Newham and Luton, according to recent census data.
The largest religion in the UK is Christianity, with 33.2 million people (59% of the population). The second largest religion is Islam, with 2.7 million people (5% of the population). Around a quarter of the UK population practise no religion.
Christians form the largest faith group of the UK population (46.5%), followed by 'No religion' (37.8%). Of the UK population of 67 million, 4 million are Muslim (6%).
As of the 2021 Australian Census, the Muslim population in Australia was 813,392, making up 3.2% of the total population, and it's Australia's largest non-Christian religious group, showing consistent growth from previous censuses. Projections suggest the number could surpass 1 million by late 2024, highlighting its increasing diversity and significance within Australian society, with adherents coming from over 100 countries.
The Maldives is widely considered the only country with a 100% Muslim population, as its constitution mandates that citizenship requires adherence to Islam, making all citizens Muslim, though non-Muslim foreigners live there. Other nations like Morocco and Saudi Arabia have near 100% Muslim citizen populations but may have significant foreign worker communities, while countries like Afghanistan and Somalia are very close but not quite at 100%.
Based on the 2021 Australian Census, Hinduism was the fastest-growing religion by percentage increase, with its adherents growing by 148.2% between 2011 and 2021, while Islam and Sikhism also saw significant growth, and the largest group remained those with "No Religion".
A major study conducted by missionary David Garrison, highlighted in his 2014 book “A Wind in the House of Islam,” estimates that between 2 and 7 million Muslims have converted to Christianity worldwide in the past two decades. Garrison calls this movement “the greatest turning of Muslims to Christ in history.”
Recently, several wars in the Balkans, Middle East and North Africa have led to many Muslims migrating to the United Kingdom.
Results of the 2021 Census for England and Wales showed that Christianity is the largest religion (though it makes up less than half of the population at 46.2%), followed by the non-religious (37.2%), Islam (6.5%), Hinduism (1.7%), Sikhism (0.9%), Buddhism (0.5%), Judaism (0.5%), and others (0.6%).
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.
In the 2021 census, Shamanism was the fastest growing religion in England. Many of England's most notable buildings and monuments are religious in nature: Westminster Abbey, Canterbury Cathedral and St Paul's Cathedral. The festivals of Christmas and Easter are widely celebrated in the country.
Muslims' views on religion in Britain
Around half (49%) of Muslims say they would like full integration with non-Muslims in all aspects of life: younger Muslims and those born in the UK are more likely than older Muslims and those born abroad to support this.
As already indicated, over the years BSA has charted a sharp decline in religious identification and Christian practice. Voas and Bruce showed in the 36th BSA report that the proportion saying they do not identify with any religion or denomination increased from 31% in 1983 to 52% by 2018.
In 2030, Muslims will experience a rare "double Ramadan," fasting twice within the Gregorian calendar year (early January and late December) due to the lunar Islamic calendar's shift; demographic trends suggest continued significant growth, with India potentially having the largest Muslim population and substantial increases in Europe and the U.S., while religious practices will focus on increased devotion and reflection during these two holy months.
Islam is the fastest-growing religion in India. Growth rate of Muslims has been consistently higher than the growth rate of others, ever since the census data of independent India has been available. For example, during the 1991–2001 decade, Muslim growth rate was 29.5% (while others were 19.9%).
The range of languages spoken by British Muslims includes: Punjabi. Urdu. Bengali/Sylheti.
By 2050, Christianity is projected to remain the world's largest religion, but Islam is expected to nearly equal it in numbers, with both groups comprising around 30-31% of the global population, driven by higher birth rates in Muslim-majority areas and significant growth in Christian populations, particularly in developing regions, according to Pew Research Center analyses.
Significant numbers of Muslims convert to Christianity in: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Ethiopia, France, Ghana, Georgia (Abkhazia), Germany, India (Kashmir), Iran, Iraq, Kenya, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, ...
No, Australia is not 90% white; while a large majority identify with European ancestry (around 76-80% in recent years), a significant and growing portion identifies as Asian, African, Middle Eastern, or Indigenous, making it a highly multicultural nation with diverse ethnic backgrounds, not overwhelmingly white. Recent census data shows European ancestry (English, Irish, etc.) makes up a large chunk, but Asian ancestries are also substantial, with over 17% Asian population and around 3.8% identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, per the 2021 census data from Wikipedia.
Gen Z's turn toward Christianity reflects a desire for stability, community, and meaning in uncertain times.
Hinduism is the fastest growing religion in Australia mostly through immigration. Hinduism is also one of the most youthful religions in Australia, with 34% and 66% of Hindus being under the age of 14 and 34, respectively. Pop. ±% p.a.