New Delhi. Between 1950 and 2015, the population of Hindus in Bharat declined sharply by 7.8% while Muslims grew by 43.15%, Christians by 5.38%, and Sikhs by 6.58%, according to a report released by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of Bharat, Narendra Modi (EAC-PM).
The study titled, Share of Religious Minorities – A Cross-Country Analysis (1950-2015). It discussed the global trends of the demographic transitions in 167 countries where a religious denomination/group was in the “majority”.
According to the study, the share of Hindus in Bharat’s population saw a decrease from 84% in 1950 to 78% in 2015, while that of Muslims witnessed an increase from 9.84% to 14.09% in the same period. Meanwhile, Christians saw a 5.38% increase, Sikhs a 6.58% rise, and Buddhists witnessed a slight increase.
Hindus’ decline by 7.8% in Bharat is the second most significant decline in the immediate neighbourhood, just after Myanmar’s 10%. Myanmar saw the highest decline in the majority community’s share in the overall population of the country.
In Myanmar, the majority population of Theravada Buddhists declined by 10% in 65 years. According to the study, just like Bharat, Nepal’s majority community (Hindus) saw a 3.6% decline in its share of the country’s population.
As per the report, all the Muslim-majority countries in this study saw an increase in the share of their dominant religious groups, with the sole exception of the Maldives. In the Maldives, the majority group, Shafi’i Sunnis, experienced a decrease of 1.47 per cent.
Bangladesh – The Hindu population in Bangladesh experienced a dramatic 66% decline from 23% in 1950 to 8% in 2015, while the Buddhist and Christian populations remained relatively stable or increased, respectively.
Pakistan – The Muslim population increased overall, especially among Shia and Ahmadiyya groups, while the Hindu population plummeted by 80% from 13% to 2% over 65 years.
Afghanistan – The Muslim population slightly increased from 99.4% in 1950 to 99.7% in 2015, with Sunni Muslims experiencing a minor increase and Shia numbers remaining stable.
Nepal – The Hindu majority decreased by 4% from 84% to 81%, while the Buddhist population also saw a significant decrease and the Muslim population increased substantially.
Bhutan – The Tibetan Buddhist majority in Bhutan grew from 72% to 84% between 1950 and 2015, possibly influenced by the forced eviction of Nepali Hindus in the 1990s, which reduced the Hindu population by 50%.
Sri Lanka – The Buddhist majority increased by 5% from 64% in 1950 to 67% in 2015, while the Hindu and Christian populations saw decreases, and the Muslim population rose to become the third-largest religious group.
Maldives – Unique among Muslim-majority countries, Maldives saw a slight decline of 1.47% in its majority Shafi’i Sunni population, dropping from 99.8% to 98.4%.
Myanmar – The Buddhist majority saw a 10% decrease from 84% to 75%, with increases noted in the Christian population and indigenous religions.
“The change in the proportion of minorities as a share of the total population serves as a reliable proxy for the status of minorities in a country, which is fostered through policies including defining minorities, which itself is a rare practice globally,” said the study, which assessed the trends in 167 countries globally.
