Muslim population growth

In 1900, Muslims only numbered 200 million followers or 12% of the world population. This percentage increased over the last 100 years due to a higher birth rate found in Muslim majority countries and reached about 25% or 2 billion in 2025. Pew Research have estimated that the number will be around 2.2 billion in 2030 and 2.8 billion, or 30 percent of the world population, in 2050. This would mean that Islam would almost equal Christianity in terms of population.

The six fastest-growing religions in the world are estimated to be Islam (1.84%), the Baháʼí Faith (1.70%), Sikhism (1.62%), Jainism (1.57%), Hinduism (1.52%), and Christianity (1.38%), with high birth rates being cited as the major reason.

Islam is currently the largest religion in Asia. According to the Pew Research Center, 27.3% of the people living in the Asia-Pacific region in 2030 will be Muslim, up from about a quarter in 2010 (24.8%) and 21.6% in 1990.

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, the Muslim growth rate was 29.5% (while others were 19.9%). However, the Muslim population growth rate declined to 24.6% during the decade 2001–2011, in keeping with the similar decline in most religious groups of India.

In India, regarding attitudes "toward birth control," younger (ages 10–19) Muslim women are largely approving. (ages 20–30). Regarding "knowledge of birth control," younger (ages 10–19) Muslim women know less than older (ages 20–30) women do. "Muslim marriages take place earlier" than other religions, and younger (ages 10–19). A 2016 study suggested that urban, north Indian Muslim women's use of contraceptives was more influenced by socioeconomic factors than by religion. Islam makes up 14.2% of the country's population with about 172 million adherents (2011 census). In 2010, India had the second or third largest population of Muslims.

In China, Muslim population growth has been estimated to be as much as 2.7% from 1964 to 1982, however, the Pew Research Center projects a slowing down of Muslim population growth in China. By contrast, China's Christian population growth has been estimated at 4.7% based on total population figures from the year 1949. The number of permitted births in China varies between one and three children depending on geographic area.

Islam is the fastest-growing religion in Europe. 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. In recent years, "Europe has experienced a record influx of asylum seekers fleeing from Syria and predominantly Muslim countries" due to various conflicts in their countries. The wave of Muslim migration has caused debates about immigration and security policies, as well as having raised questions about the current and future number of Muslims in Europe. There were approximately 19 million Muslims in the European Union in 2010 or about (3.8%). Data for the rates of growth of Islam in Europe reveal that the growing number of Muslims is due primarily to immigration. Additionally, average Muslims today are younger and have a higher fertility than other Europeans. Between the mid-2010 and mid-2016, migration was the biggest factor driving the growth of Muslim populations in Europe. Approximately 2.5 million Muslims came to Europe for reasons other than employment and education. Additionally, more than 1.3 million Muslims are expected to or have already received refugee status, allowing them to stay in Europe.

In 2016, the median age of Muslims throughout Europe was 30.4, 13 years younger than the median age of other Europeans. 50% of all European Muslims are younger than 30, however, only 32% of non-Muslims in Europe were under the age of 30. A survey conducted by Pew Research Center in 2016 found that Muslims make up 4.9% of all Europe's population. According to the same study, conversion does not add significantly to the growth of the Muslim population in Europe, with roughly 160,000 more people leaving Islam than converting into Islam between 2010 and 2016.