According to the report, the Muslim population surged by 43.15% between 1950 and 2015.The Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) study has revealed that in India, the share of the Hindu population decreased by 7.8%, while the Muslim population surged by 43.15% between 1950 and 2015. The share of other minority communities such as Christians, Buddhists, and Sikhs also increased, though the numbers of Jains and Parsis declined.
Over the same period, Christians experienced a 5.38% increase, Sikhs saw a 6.58% rise, and Buddhists witnessed a slight increase in India. The Hindu population decreased from 84% to 78%, while the Muslim population increased from 9.84% to 14.09%, according to the EAC-PM study.
BJP’s IT Cell head Amit Malviya latched on to the report and blamed the Congress for the shift. He wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “This is what decades of Congress rule did to us. Left to them, there would be no country for Hindus.”
This demographic trend is in contrast to neighboring countries where the majority community saw growth. Bangladesh witnessed the steepest increase of 18.5% in its majority community, followed by Pakistan with 3.75%, and Afghanistan with 0.29%.
Despite the creation of Bangladesh in 1971, Pakistan experienced a 3.75% increase in the share of the majority religious denomination (Hanafi Muslim) and a 10% increase in the total Muslim population.
Myanmar saw the most substantial decline in its majority community, the Theravada Buddhists, with a 10% decrease over 65 years. Nepal also experienced a 3.6% decline in its majority Hindu population.
The study, which assessed trends in 167 countries, notes that India’s demographic changes are consistent with global trends. Authors of the study argue that minorities in India are not only protected but are thriving. However, neighboring countries with Muslim majorities witnessed an increase in their demographic share.
Bhutan and Sri Lanka, with majority Buddhist populations, saw increases of 17.6% and 5.25%, respectively. In contrast, Nepal, Maldives, and India witnessed declines in their majority populations.
The study also said that India’s demographic shifts align with broader global patterns of declining majority populations. Notably, countries such as Australia, China, Canada, New Zealand, and select East African nations have experienced more pronounced declines in their majority community shares than India.
Among high-income Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nations, at least 35 countries have witnessed a significant average decline of 29% in the proportion of the majority religion, surpassing the global average of 22%. The OECD, comprising 38 Western countries with a free-market economy, serves as a key reference point in this context.
The study refrained from delving into causative factors but focused on numerical shifts as indicators of minority representation trends within societies. The authors praised India’s policies and institutions for their role in enhancing the lives of minorities.