PM-EAC Report:
According to a new analysis by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (PM-EAC), the percentage of Hindus in India has decreased by 7.82% between 1950 and 2015, while the percentages of Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs have increased.
Key Findings of this PM-EAC Report:
- From 1950 to 2015, as per the data collected on the religious demographics of 38 OECD countries, 30 of these countries experienced a significant decrease in the proportion of Roman Catholics, the predominant religious group.
- In 167 surveyed countries, the average reduction of majority populations globally during the period 1950-2015 was 22%.
- The decline of the majority religious population was steeper in OECD countries, with an average decline of 29%.
- In Africa, animism or native religion was the dominant religion in 24 countries in 1950.
- By 2015, they are no longer a majority in any of these 24 countries in Africa.
- In the South Asian region, the majority religious group is increasing while minority populations have significantly declined in countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Afghanistan.
Findings for India: - The population of Hindus has declined by 7.82%.
- As per 2011 census, Hindu population in India as of 2011 is approximately 79.8%.
- The share of Muslim population rose from 9.84% to 14.095% and Christian population rose from 2.24% to 2.36%.
- Sikh population increased from 1.24% to 1.85% and the share of the Buddhist population rose from 0.05%to 0.81%.
- The Jain and Parsi community populations decreased. The share of Jains dropped from 0.45% to 0.36%, and the share of the Parsi population decreased by 85% from 0.03% to 0.0004%.
- As per the data from National Family Health Survey, India’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is currently around 2, which is close to the preferred TFR of 2.19.
- TFR is a reliable indicator for projecting population growth.
- For Hindus, it declined from 3.3 in 1991 to 2.1 in 2015, and further to 1.9 in 2024
- In Muslims, it declined from 4.4 in 1991 to 2.6 in 2015, and further to 2.4 in 2024.
- Equality for Minorities: In India, minorities experience equal benefits and live a comfortable life, while global demographic shifts remain a cause for concern.
