Table 1.5 · Population Size & Distribution
Percentage population distribution by religion
Reported by Census and National Family Health Survey (NFHS).
Table1.5
Unit%
SourceCensus · NFHS 3 · NFHS 4
Year2001 · 2011 · 2005-06 · 2015-16
Coverage37 states & UTs
Indicators31
What the data shows
- Nationally, the largest religion shares are Hindu at 81.4%, Muslim at 12.5%, Christian at 2.7% (NFHS 4 2015-16).
- The all-India figure for percentage population distribution (Hindu) is 81.4% (NFHS 4 2015-16).
- Across the 36 states and union territories reporting it, values range from 0.9% in Mizoram to 95.5% in Himachal Pradesh.
- The next highest are Chhattisgarh (95.2%) and Odisha (95.0%), while Lakshadweep (1.7%) and Nagaland (7.3%) sit near the bottom.
- 15 of the 28 states report a value above the national figure.
Table 1.5: Statewise Percentage Population distribution by Religion, from Census and National Family Health Survey (NFHS). Figures are reproduced as published by the source. In the table, n/a the state or union territory did not exist at this date; NA marked “not available” in the source.
| State / Union territory | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 80.5% | 13.4% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 0.8% | 0.4% | 0.6% | 0.1% | 79.8% | 14.2% | 2.3% | 1.7% | 0.7% | 0.4% | 0.7% | 0.2% | 81.6% | 12.5% | 2.7% | 1.6% | 0.9% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 81.4% | 12.5% | 2.7% | 1.6% | 1.0% | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Andhra Pradesh | 89.0% | 9.2% | 1.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 90.9% | 7.3% | 1.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.3% | 85.0% | 9.3% | 5.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 84.8% | 7.6% | 7.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 34.6% | 1.9% | 18.7% | 0.2% | 13.0% | 0.0% | 30.7% | 0.8% | 29.0% | 2.0% | 30.3% | 0.2% | 11.8% | 0.1% | 26.2% | 0.5% | 33.2% | 2.9% | 27.2% | 0.2% | 9.0% | 0.0% | 27.5% | 0.0% | 26.3% | 2.3% | 41.0% | 0.1% | 12.1% | 0.0% | 18.2% |
| Assam | 64.9% | 30.9% | 3.7% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 61.5% | 34.2% | 3.7% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 70.2% | 24.3% | 4.9% | 0.1% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 63.8% | 32.5% | 3.3% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Bihar | 83.2% | 16.5% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 82.7% | 16.9% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 82.9% | 17.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 83.8% | 16.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Chhattisgarh | 94.7% | 2.0% | 1.9% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 93.2% | 2.0% | 1.9% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.2% | 1.9% | 0.1% | 95.2% | 2.8% | 1.2% | 0.1% | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 95.2% | 2.4% | 1.8% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Goa | 65.8% | 6.8% | 26.7% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.5% | 66.1% | 8.3% | 25.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 64.5% | 7.9% | 27.4% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 67.6% | 7.8% | 24.2% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Gujarat | 89.1% | 9.1% | 0.6% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 1.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 88.6% | 9.7% | 0.5% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 90.5% | 8.8% | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 91.9% | 7.0% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.4% | 0.0% |
| Haryana | 88.2% | 5.8% | 0.1% | 5.5% | 0.0% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 87.5% | 7.0% | 0.2% | 4.9% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 88.3% | 6.4% | 0.0% | 5.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 89.3% | 6.7% | 0.1% | 3.8% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| Himachal Pradesh | 95.4% | 2.0% | 0.1% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 95.2% | 2.2% | 0.2% | 1.2% | 1.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 96.4% | 1.0% | 0.1% | 1.0% | 1.2% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 95.5% | 1.6% | 0.1% | 1.2% | 1.6% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Jharkhand | 68.6% | 13.8% | 4.1% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 13.0% | 0.1% | 67.8% | 14.5% | 4.3% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 12.8% | 0.2% | 73.0% | 13.1% | 3.6% | 0.5% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 9.7% | 0.0% | 74.0% | 13.0% | 3.7% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 9.1% |
| Karnataka | 83.9% | 12.2% | 1.9% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 6.6% | 0.0% | 84.0% | 12.9% | 1.9% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.7% | 0.0% | 0.3% | 85.2% | 10.3% | 3.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.4% | 0.6% | 0.1% | 84.2% | 12.4% | 2.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.3% | 0.1% |
| Kerala | 56.2% | 24.7% | 19.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 54.7% | 26.6% | 18.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.3% | 59.5% | 23.1% | 17.1% | 1.0% | 1.0% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 58.8% | 22.9% | 18.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Madhya Pradesh | 91.1% | 6.4% | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.9% | 0.7% | 0.0% | 90.9% | 6.6% | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.1% | 90.6% | 6.7% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.7% | 1.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 92.6% | 6.1% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.6% | 0.1% |
| Maharashtra | 80.4% | 10.6% | 1.1% | 0.2% | 6.0% | 1.3% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 79.8% | 11.5% | 1.0% | 0.2% | 5.8% | 1.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 79.9% | 10.2% | 1.2% | 0.2% | 7.4% | 1.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 78.6% | 10.7% | 0.8% | 0.2% | 8.6% | 0.8% | 0.2% |
| Manipur | 46.0% | 8.8% | 34.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 10.9% | 0.0% | 41.4% | 8.4% | 41.3% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 8.2% | 0.4% | 53.1% | 8.9% | 26.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 11.7% | 0.0% | 46.0% | 10.1% | 31.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 12.6% |
| Meghalaya | 13.3% | 4.3% | 70.3% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 11.5% | 0.3% | 11.5% | 4.4% | 74.6% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 8.7% | 0.3% | 17.1% | 4.8% | 66.0% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 11.8% | 0.0% | 11.1% | 5.1% | 77.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 6.6% |
| Mizoram | 3.6% | 1.1% | 87.0% | 0.0% | 7.9% | 0.0% | 0.3% | 0.1% | 2.7% | 1.4% | 87.2% | 0.0% | 8.5% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 3.1% | 1.4% | 92.5% | 0.0% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.9% | 0.7% | 91.8% | 0.0% | 6.4% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Nagaland | 7.7% | 1.8% | 90.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 8.7% | 2.5% | 87.9% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 11.0% | 5.9% | 82.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 7.3% | 3.4% | 89.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Odisha | 94.4% | 2.1% | 2.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1.0% | 0.1% | 93.6% | 2.2% | 2.8% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1.1% | 0.2% | 97.1% | 1.2% | 1.3% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 95.0% | 1.9% | 2.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| Punjab | 36.9% | 1.6% | 1.2% | 59.9% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 38.5% | 1.9% | 1.3% | 57.7% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.3% | 43.3% | 2.6% | 0.9% | 52.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.6% | 0.0% | 36.8% | 1.5% | 1.3% | 60.3% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| Rajasthan | 88.8% | 8.5% | 0.1% | 1.4% | 0.0% | 1.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 88.5% | 9.1% | 0.1% | 1.3% | 0.0% | 0.9% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 88.3% | 10.0% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 1.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 89.6% | 8.0% | 0.1% | 1.7% | 0.0% | 0.6% | 0.0% |
| Sikkim | 60.9% | 1.4% | 6.7% | 0.2% | 28.1% | 0.0% | 2.4% | 0.2% | 57.8% | 1.6% | 9.9% | 0.3% | 27.4% | 0.1% | 2.7% | 0.3% | 57.8% | 1.9% | 9.7% | 0.0% | 30.0% | 0.0% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 58.5% | 1.4% | 9.1% | 0.0% | 30.8% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Tamil Nadu | 88.1% | 5.6% | 6.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 87.6% | 5.9% | 6.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.3% | 89.3% | 3.9% | 6.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 90.1% | 4.5% | 5.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Telangana | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 85.1% | 12.7% | 1.3% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.7% | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 87.0% | 9.6% | 3.2% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Tripura | 85.6% | 8.0% | 3.2% | 0.0% | 3.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 83.4% | 8.6% | 4.4% | 0.0% | 3.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 88.5% | 8.8% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 2.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 84.4% | 7.3% | 4.6% | 0.0% | 3.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Uttar Pradesh | 80.6% | 18.5% | 0.1% | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 79.7% | 19.3% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.3% | 81.9% | 17.3% | 0.2% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 82.0% | 17.5% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| Uttarakhand | 85.0% | 11.9% | 0.3% | 2.5% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 83.0% | 13.9% | 0.4% | 2.3% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 87.4% | 7.1% | 0.2% | 4.7% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 85.7% | 12.2% | 0.2% | 1.7% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| West Bengal | 72.5% | 25.2% | 0.6% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.1% | 1.1% | 0.1% | 70.5% | 27.0% | 0.7% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.1% | 1.0% | 0.3% | 72.7% | 26.2% | 0.5% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 73.0% | 23.9% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 2.3% |
| Andaman & Nicobar Islands | 69.2% | 8.2% | 21.7% | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 69.4% | 8.5% | 21.3% | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.2% | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | 73.5% | 7.4% | 18.5% | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Chandigarh | 78.6% | 3.9% | 0.8% | 16.1% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 80.8% | 4.9% | 0.8% | 13.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.1% | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | 81.1% | 4.2% | 0.7% | 13.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli | 93.5% | 3.0% | 2.7% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 93.9% | 3.8% | 1.5% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.1% | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | 92.3% | 2.6% | 3.4% | 0.0% | 0.4% | 0.3% | 1.1% |
| Daman & Diu | 89.7% | 7.8% | 2.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 90.5% | 7.9% | 1.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | 91.5% | 6.7% | 0.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.9% |
| NCT of Delhi | 82.0% | 11.7% | 0.9% | 4.0% | 0.2% | 1.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 81.7% | 12.9% | 0.9% | 3.4% | 0.1% | 1.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 85.9% | 8.6% | 1.6% | 3.3% | 0.0% | 0.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 83.5% | 13.4% | 0.5% | 2.1% | 0.1% | 0.4% | 0.1% |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 29.6% | 67.0% | 0.2% | 2.0% | 1.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 28.4% | 68.3% | 0.3% | 1.9% | 0.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 37.7% | 60.0% | 0.2% | 2.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 29.1% | 67.8% | 0.1% | 2.1% | 1.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Ladakh | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Lakshadweep | 3.7% | 95.5% | 0.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2.8% | 96.6% | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | 1.7% | 97.9% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Puducherry | 86.8% | 6.1% | 6.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 87.3% | 6.1% | 6.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.2% | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | 92.5% | 2.9% | 4.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Sources & method
Table 1.5: Statewise Percentage Population distribution by Religion, from Census and National Family Health Survey (NFHS)
-
*
https://censusindia.gov.in/2011census/PCA/PCA_Highlights/PCA_Data_highlight.html
(India file)
- ^ https://censusindia.gov.in/DigitalLibrary/MFTableSeries.aspx
-
**
http://rchiips.org/nfhs/NFHS-4Reports/India.pdf
page no. 32, 33
-
^^
http://rchiips.org/nfhs/NFHS-3%20Data/VOL-1/India_volume_I_corrected_17oct08.pdf
page no. 24
-
`
Includes Jews, Parsis/Zoroastrians, Doni-polo (Arunachal Pradesh), other religions, and those with no religion.
- CheckKarnataka, Census 2001: the religion shares reported in the source sum to 104.8%, not 100%. Health Monitor reproduces the published figures unchanged.
- CheckMizoram, NFHS 3 2005-06: the religion shares reported in the source sum to 97.3%, not 100%. Health Monitor reproduces the published figures unchanged.
Cite as: Foundation for Research in Health Systems, “Percentage population distribution by religion”, Health Monitor, https://frhsindia.org/health-monitor/population-size-and-distribution/percentage-population-distribution-by-religion/.
Questions about this indicator
What is percentage population distribution (Hindu) in India?
81.4%, according to NFHS 4 2015-16. This is the all-India figure; state and union territory values are listed in the table on this page.
Which state has the highest percentage population distribution (Hindu)?
Himachal Pradesh, at 95.5% (NFHS 4 2015-16), followed by Chhattisgarh (95.2%) and Odisha (95.0%).
Which state has the lowest percentage population distribution (Hindu)?
Mizoram, at 0.9% (NFHS 4 2015-16), followed by Lakshadweep (1.7%) and Nagaland (7.3%).
What is the source of this data?
Census, NFHS 3, NFHS 4, covering 2001, 2011, 2005-06, 2015-16. Full source links are listed in the sources section of this page. Compiled by the Foundation for Research in Health Systems.
How many states and union territories are covered?
37 states and union territories, plus the all-India figure.
Related indicators
Table 1.1
Population by sex and residence
Table 1.10
Sex ratio of total population, child population 0-6 year, population aged 7 and above
Table 1.2
Projected population for 2004, 2007, 2010, 2014, 2017, 2020
Table 1.3
Districts, towns and villages
Table 1.4
Population density per square km and area
Table 1.6
Percentage of population distribution by caste