Islam by country

Adherents of Islam constitute the world's second largest and fastest growing major religious grouping, maintaining suggested 2017 projections in 2022. As of 2020, Pew Research Center (PEW) projections suggest there are a total of 1.9 billion adherents worldwide. Further studies indicate that the global spread and percentage growth of Islam is primarily due to relatively high birth rates and a youthful age structure. "The Future of Global Muslim Population: Projections from 2010 to 2013" Accessed July 2013. conversion to Islam has no impact on the overall growth of the Muslim population, as the number of people converting to Islam is roughly equal to the number of those leaving the faith.

Most Muslims fall under either of three main branches:

• Sunni Islam (87–90%, roughly 1.7 billion people)*
  (2025). 9780761479260, Marshall Cavendish Reference. . ISBN 9780761479260
• Frederick Denny (2025). 9780199806478, Oxford University Press. . ISBN 9780199806478
• Riaz Hassan (2025). 9780522854817, Melbourne University Press. . ISBN 9780522854817
• Who Gets To Narrate the World "The Sunnis (approximately 80%)"
• A world theology N. Ross Reat "80% being the Sunni"
• Islam and the Kadiyani jama'at "The Sunni segment, accounting for at least 80% of the worlds Muslim population"
• David Robertson (2025). 185743093X, Europa Publications. . 185743093X
• Shia Islam (10–13%, roughly 180–230 million people).See
• Jalil Roshandel (2025). 9780313386985, Praeger Security International. . ISBN 9780313386985
• Ibadism (0.16–0.37%, roughly 3–7 million people)

In a 2010 publication, there were 50 Muslim-majority countries. Islam is the majority religion in several : Central Asia, Western Asia, North Africa, West Africa, the Sahel, and the Middle East.Encyclopædia Britannica. Britannica Book of the Year 2003. Encyclopædia Britannica, (2003) p.306 According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, as of mid-2002, there were 376,453,000 Christians, 329,869,000 Muslims and 98,734,000 people who practiced traditional religions in Africa. Ian S. Markham, (A World Religions Reader. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 1996.) is cited by Morehouse University as giving the mid-1990s figure of 278,250,800 Muslims in Africa, but still as 40.8% of the total population. These numbers are estimates, and remain a matter of conjecture. See Amadu Jacky Kaba. The spread of Christianity and Islam in Africa: a survey and analysis of the numbers and percentages of Christians, Muslims and those who practice indigenous religions. The Western Journal of Black Studies, Vol 29, Number 2, June 2005. Discusses the estimations of various almanacs and encyclopedium, placing Britannica's estimate as the most agreed figure. Notes the figure presented at the World Christian Encyclopedia, summarized here, as being an outlier. On rates of growth, Islam and Pentecostal Christianity are highest, see: The List: The World's Fastest-Growing Religions , Foreign Policy, May 2007. Britannica , Think Quest , Wadsworth.com

The diverse Asia-Pacific region contains the highest number of Muslims in the world, surpassing the combined MENA _{(short: Mena)}. Around 62% of the world's Muslims live in the Asia-Pacific region (from Turkey to Indonesia), with over one billion adherents. Asia hosts the world's top 4 largest domestic populations, starting with Indonesia at 12.7% of the world, followed by Pakistan—11.1%, then India—10.9%, and Bangladesh—9.2%.

Africa has the 5th and 6th largest populations in Nigeria—5.3% and Egypt—4.9%. The Middle East hosts 7th and 8th with both Iran and Turkey holding an estimated 4.6%. Only about 20% of Muslims live in the Arab world.See:

• Esposito (2002b), p.21
• Esposito (2004), pp.2,43

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Regional comparisons South Asia has the largest population of Muslims in the world, with about one-third of all Muslims being from South Asia.

(2013). 9780415448512, Routledge. . ISBN 9780415448512

Islam is the dominant religion in the Maldives, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. India is the country with the largest Muslim population outside Muslim world with more than 200 million adherents.

The Middle East-North Africa (MENA) region hosts 23% of the world's Muslims, and Islam is the dominant religion in every country in the region other than Israel and Cyprus.

The country with the single largest population of Muslims is Indonesia in Southeast Asia, which on its own hosts 13% of the world's Muslims. Together, the Muslims in the countries of Southeast Asia constitute the world's third-largest population of Muslims. In the countries of the Malay Archipelago, Muslims are in the majority in Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

About 15% of Muslims reside in Sub-Saharan Africa,Encyclopædia Britannica. Britannica Book of the Year 2003. Encyclopædia Britannica, (2003) p.306 According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, as of mid-2002, there were 376,453,000 Christians, 329,869,000 Muslims and 98,734,000 people who practiced traditional religions in Africa. Ian S. Markham, (A World Religions Reader. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 1996.) is cited by Morehouse University as giving the mid-1990s figure of 278,250,800 Muslims in Africa, but still as 40.8% of the total population. These numbers are estimates, and remain a matter of conjecture. See Amadu Jacky Kaba. The spread of Christianity and Islam in Africa: a survey and analysis of the numbers and percentages of Christians, Muslims and those who practice indigenous religions. The Western Journal of Black Studies, Vol 29, Number 2, June 2005. Discusses the estimations of various almanacs and encyclopedium, placing Britannica's estimate as the most agreed figure. Notes the figure presented at the World Christian Encyclopedia, summarized here, as being an outlier. On rates of growth, Islam and Pentecostal Christianity are highest, see: The List: The World's Fastest-Growing Religions , Foreign Policy, May 2007. and sizeable Muslim communities are also found in the Americas, Russia, China and Europe.

Western Europe hosts many Muslim diaspora where Islam is the second-largest religion after Christianity, where it represents 6% of the total population or 24 million people.See:

• Esposito (2004) pp.2,43

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Denominations Islam is divided into two major denominations, Sunni and Shi'a. Of the total Muslim population, 87–90% are Sunni and 10–13% are Shi'a. Most Shi'as (between 68% and 80%) live in mainly four countries: Iran, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, and Iraq. Furthermore, there are concentrated Shi'a populations in Lebanon, Russia, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh and 10 sub-Saharan African countries. The major surviving Imamah-Muslim Sects are Usulism (with around 8.5% of the total Muslim population), Nizari Ismailism (with around 1%) and Alevism (with slightly more than 0.5%According to David Shankland, 15% of Turkey's population. in Structure and Function in Turkish Society. Isis Press, 2006, p. 81. but less than 1%According to Krisztina Kehl-Bodrogi, Syncretistic Religious Communities in the Near East edited by her, B. Kellner-Heinkele, & A. Otter-Beaujean. Leiden: Brill, 1997.). The other existing groups include Zaydi Shi'a of Yemen whose population is around 0.5% of the world's Muslim population, Musta’li Ismaili (with nearly 0.1% whose Taiyabi adherents reside in Sindh and Gujarat in South Asia. There are also significant Muslim diaspora populations in Europe, North America, the Far East, and East Africa), and Ibadis from the Kharijites whose population has diminished to a level below 0.15%.

Simon Ross Valentine (2008). 9780231700948, Columbia University Press. . ISBN 9780231700948

(with around 1%),

(2011). 9780774816625, University of Columbia Press. . ISBN 9780774816625

non-denominational Muslims, Quranist Muslims and Wahhabis (with around 1–2%Destined Encounters – Page 203, Sury Pullat – 2014 of the world's total Muslim population) also exist.

A study from the Pew Research Center in 2012 found that many Muslims (one out of five in 22 Muslim majority countries) identify as non-denominational or "Just a Muslim". This non-denominational affiliation is most common in Southern and Eastern Europe as well as Central Asia, with minority populations in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The study found that a median percentage of 74% of Muslims in Kazakhstan, 65% in Albania, 64% in Kyrgyzstan, 56% in Indonesia, 55% in Mali, and 40% in Cameroon identify this way. However, it is much less common in parts of Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia.

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Countries Most of the percentages of Muslim populations of each country, if not stated otherwise, were taken from the study by the Pew Research Center report of 5 facts about the Muslim population in Europe, 2017.

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Table

	37,135,000	37,025,000	99.7	2.0
	2,402,113	1,217,362	50.7	0.1	Census 2023
	44,178,884	43,737,096	99.0	2.7
	50,826	< 1,000	< 0.1	< 0.1
	85,708	2,228	2.6	< 0.1
	30,355,880	90,000	0.3	< 0.1
	17,422	< 1,000	0.6	< 0.1
	84,816	208	0.25	< 0.1
	44,694,198	400,000	0.9	< 1.0
	3,038,217	1,038	0.03	< 0.1
	116,576	< 1,000	0.4	< 0.1
	25,700,000	813,392	3.2	< 0.1
	8,935,800	745,600	8.3	< 0.1
	10,353,296	10,073,758	97.3	0.5
	332,634	< 1,000	0.1	< 0.1
	1,501,635	1,111,533	74.0	< 0.1
	165,200,000	150,800,000	91.0	9.2
	293,131	4,396	1.5	< 0.1
	9,527,543	45,000 – 100,000	0.5 – 1.0	< 0.1	(1999). 9781136113222, Routledge. . ISBN 9781136113222
	11,570,762	879,377	7.6	< 0.1
	397,483	484	0.1	< 0.1
	11,340,504	3,141,319	27.7	0.14
	71,176	< 1,000	1.0	< 0.1
766,397	≤ 2,000	0.2	< 0.1	Pew Research Center – Global Religious Landscape 2010 – religious composition by country.
	11,306,341	2,000	< 0.1	< 0.1
	3,849,891	1,955,084	50.7	0.1
	2,249,104	8,996	0.4	< 0.1
	210,000,000	35,167 – 1,500,000	0.02 – 0.7	< 0.1
	35,802	< 1,000	1.2	< 0.1
	462,721	379,894	82.1	< 0.1
	7,057,504	861,015	13.4	< 0.1
	21,382,659	13,513,840	63.8	0.6
	11,844,520	1,184,452	10.0	< 0.1
	15,552,211	311,044	2.0	< 0.1
	25,640,965	7,692,289	30.0	0.4
	36,328,480	1,775,715	4.9	0.1
	568,373	11,367	2.0	< 0.1
	59,613	< 1,000	0.2	< 0.1
	5,745,062	861,759	15.0	< 0.1
	15,833,116	9,183,207	58.0	0.4
	17,925,262	4,000	< 0.1	< 0.1
	1,390,000,000	6,255,000 – 50,000,000	0.45 – 3.0	0.4 – 2.8	For China Family Panel Studies 2017 survey results see release #1 ( archived) and release #2 ( archived). The tables also contain the results of CFPS 2012 (sample 20,035) and Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) results for 2006, 2008 and 2010 (samples ~10.000/11,000). Also see, for comparison CFPS 2012 data in p. 13, reporting the results of the CGSS 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2011, and their average (fifth column of the first table).Data from: Yang Zongde, Study on Current Muslim Population in China, Jinan Muslim, 2, 2010.
	593	389	66.0	< 0.1
	48,168,996	96,337	0.2	< 0.1
	821,164	807,204	98.3	< 0.1
	85,281,024	12,792,153	10.0	0.1
	9,038	< 1,000	< 0.1	< 0.1
	4,987,142	1500	< 0.1	< 0.1
	26,260,582	11,265,789	42.9	0.5
	3,871,833	50,981	1.3	< 0.1
	11,116,396	11,116	0.1	< 0.1
	1,100,000	275,000	25.3	< 0.1
	10,686,269	10,000 – 20,000	0.1 – 0.2	< 0.1
	5,809,502	313,713	5.4	< 0.1
	1,003,800	998,273	99.4	0.1
	74,027	< 1,000	0.2	< 0.1
	10,298,756	2,000	< 0.1	< 0.1
	16,498,502	< 1,000	< 0.1	< 0.1
	95,000,000	85,000,000 – 90,000,000	90.0 – 94.7	4.9
	6,187,271	18,000	0.28	< 0.1
	797,457	79,745	10.0	< 0.1
	6,000,000	2,160,000 – 3,100,000	36.0 – 51.6	0.1
	1,244,288	1,508	< 0.1	< 0.1
	300,000	6000	2.0	< 0.1
	110,871,031	34,702,632	31.3	1.8
	37,965	23	0.06	< 0.1
	3,198	< 1,000	< 0.1	< 0.1
	103,643	< 1,000	< 0.1	< 0.1
	926,276	58,355	6.3	< 0.1
	5,608,000	140,000	2.5	< 0.1
	67,000,000	6,700,000	10.0	0.3
	281,612	2,400	0.9	< 0.1
	290,373	< 1,000	< 0.1	< 0.1
	2,119,036	211,903	10.0	< 0.1
	2,413,403	2,283,080	96.4	0.1
	3,713,804	398,677	10.7	< 0.1
	83,100,000	5,300,000 – 5,600,000	6.4 – 6.7	0.2
	32,372,889	6,442,205	19.9	0.2
	32,194	1,166	3.6	< 0.1
	10,761,523	215,230 – 313,406	2.0 – 3.7	< 0.1
	57,691	< 1,000	< 0.1	< 0.1
	112,207	< 1,000	0.3	< 0.1
	402,119	2,000	0.4	< 0.1
	167,772	< 1,000	< 0.1	< 0.1
	16,581,273	1,200	< 0.1	< 0.1	prensalibre.com (in Spanish)
	11,855,411	10,563,171	89.1	0.5
	1,976,187	911,023	46.1	< 0.1
	740,685	55,000	7.3	< 0.1
	10,788,440	5,000	< 0.1	< 0.1
	9,182,766	30,000	0.3	< 0.1
	7,213,338	295,746	4.1	< 0.1
	9,825,704	40,000 – 60,000	0.4 – 0.6	< 0.1
	343,518	< 1,000	0.2	< 0.1
	1,370,000,000	200,000,000	14.6	10.9
	279,000,000	242,700,000	87.0 – 87.7	11.7
	85,961,000	85,700,000	99.8	4.6
	40,462,701	38,439,566 – 39,653,447	95.0 – 98.0	1.9
	5,068,050	70,952	1.4	< 0.1
	84,069	393	0.5	< 0.1
	8,424,904	1,516,482	18.0	0.1
	62,246,674	2,987,840	4.8	0.1
	2,812,090	5,624	0.2	< 0.1
	126,000,000	185,000	0.1	< 0.1
	10,458,413	10,165,577	97.2	0.4
	18,744,548	13,158,672	70.2	0.5
	48,397,527	5,500,000	11.2	0.2
	109,367	< 1,000	< 0.1	< 0.1
	1,585,566	1,482,276	93.5	0.1
	2,916,467	2,175,684	74.6	0.2
	6,500,000	5,200,000 – 5,850,000	80.0 – 90.0	0.3
	7,234,171	1,000	< 0.1	< 0.1
	1,923,559	2,000	0.1 – 0.2	< 0.1
	5,261,372	3,567,211	67.8	0.2
	1,962,461	3,000	0.1	< 0.1
	4,809,768	961,953	20.0	< 0.1
	6,754,507	6,551,871	97.0	0.4
	38,000	2,050	5.4	< 0.1
	2,793,284	3,000	0.1	< 0.1
	640,000	15,000	2.3	< 0.1
	606,340	< 1,000	0.1	< 0.1
	25,683,610	2,568,361	10.0	< 0.1
	19,842,560	3,968,512	20.0	0.1
	32,730,000	20,063,500	63.5	1.1
	374,775	374,775	100.0	< 0.1
	21,347,587	20,541,904	96.2	0.8
	449,043	11,675	2.6	< 0.1
	75,684	< 1,000	< 0.1	< 0.1
	385,551	< 1,000	0.2	< 0.1
	4,161,925	4,157,425	99.9	0.2	Taylor & Francis Group (2004). 9781857432558, Taylor & Francis. . ISBN 9781857432558
	1,364,283	236,020	17.3	< 0.1
	256,518	253,439	97.0	< 0.1
	127,000,000	5,500	0.01	< 0.01
	3,437,720	15,000	0.4	< 0.1
	30,727	< 1,000	0.8	< 0.1
	3,103,428	150,000	5.0	< 0.1
	614,249	122,849	19.1	< 0.1
	5,315	< 1,000	0.1	< 0.1
	36,738,229	36,370,847	99.0	2.1
	30,888,034	5,837,839	18.9	0.3
	55,622,506	2,391,767	4.3	0.1
	2,413,643	9,654	0.4	< 0.1
	10,084	< 1,000	< 0.1	< 0.1
	29,218,867	1,292,909	4.2	0.1
	17,400,000	387,000	5.0	0.1
	304,759	< 1,000	0.2	< 0.1
	278,500	7,000	2.8	< 0.1
	4,993,923	75,144	1.5	< 0.1
	6,284,757	1,000	< 0.1	< 0.1
	21,466,863	21,101,926	98.3	1.0
	200,000,000	95,000,000 – 97,000,000	47.0 – 49.0	5.3
	1,611	< 1,000	< 0.1	< 0.1
	25,610,672	3,000	0.1	< 0.1
	1,836,713	590,878	32.2	< 0.1
	56,200	< 1,000	0.7	< 0.1
	5,328,212	175,507	3.2	< 0.1
	4,633,752	2,427,000	86.0	0.2
	241,500,000	233,000,000	96.5	11.79
	17,900	500	3.8	< 0.1
	4,780,978	4,298,000	97.5	0.3
	4,158,783	25,000	0.7	< 0.1
	8,558,800	2,000	< 0.1	< 0.1
	7,052,983	1,000	< 0.1	< 0.1
	31,237,385	< 1,000	< 0.1	< 0.1
	109,000,000	5,450,000 – 12,000,000	5.0 – 11.0	0.3 – 0.6
	38,430,000	6,796	0.02	< 0.1
	10,343,066	36,480	0.4	< 0.1
	3,337,177	1,000	< 0.1	< 0.1
	2,450,285	1,566,786	77.5	0.1
	5,399,895	107,997	2.0	< 0.1
	865,826	36,364	4.2	< 0.1
	19,524,000	73,000 – 200,000	0.3 – 1.0	< 0.1	Patrick Johnstone (2014). 9780830856954, InterVarsity Press. . ISBN 9780830856954
	144,350,000 – 146,750,000	14,000,000 – 16,000,000	10.0 – 12.0	1.7
	12,001,136	576,054	4.8	< 0.1
	3,552	16	0.5	< 0.1
	46,204	< 1,000	0.3	< 0.1
	171,834	292	0.2	< 0.1
	6,286	< 1,000	0.2	< 0.1
	109,557	2,000	1.7	< 0.1
	205,557	52	0.03	< 0.1
	33,344	< 1,000	< 0.1	< 0.1
	199,910	5,931	3.0	< 0.1
	34,220,000	31,535,000	96.2	1.8
	17,923,036	17,421,191	97.2	0.8
	6,647,003	278,212	4.2	< 0.1
	94,205	1,036	1.1	< 0.1
	7,719,729	6,067,706	78.6	0.3
	5,866,139	915,118	15.6	< 0.1
	5,443,120	10,866	0.1 – 0.2	< 0.1
	2,066,880	73,568	3.6	< 0.1
	720,956	1,100	0.1	< 0.1
	11,000,000	10,978,000	99.8	0.6
	57,725,600	1,050,000	1.9	< 0.1
	51,635,256	75,000	0.1	< 0.1
	12,323,419	2,464,683	20.0	< 0.1
	46,659,302	1,180,000	2.6	0.1
	21,700,000	2,105,000	9.7	0.1
	40,825,770	38,585,777	96.0	1.9
	600,000	85,800	14.3	< 0.1
	10,182,291	700,000	7.1	< 0.1
	8,492,956	440,000	5.9	< 0.1
	18,000,000	15,000,000	87.0	1.0
	23,576,705	60,000	0.3	< 0.1
	9,540,000	9,253,000	97.9	0.4
	54,199,163	19,426,814	35.2	0.8
	67,726,419	3,639,232	5.4	0.2
	1,341,737	3,202 – >48,709	<0.5 – 3.6	< 0.1
	7,352,000	1,593,011	20.0	0.1
	1,499	<10	< 0.1	< 0.1
	100,179	60	< 0.1	< 0.1
	1,322,546	65,705	5.0	< 0.1
	11,446,300	10,190,000	97.8	0.6
	86,000,000	78,000,000 – 84,400,000	91.0 – 98.0	4.6
	6,031,187	5,610,000	93.7	0.3
	37,910	< 1,000	< 0.1	< 0.1
	10,640	< 1,000	0.1	< 0.1
	38,823,100	5,435,234	14.0	0.3
	42,263,873	390,000 – 410,000	0.9 – 1.2	< 0.1
	9,541,615	6,251,627	72.0	0.2
	66,040,229	3,998,875	6.0	0.2
	327,827,000	3,450,000	1.1	0.2
	104,914	< 1,000	0.1	< 0.1
	3,505,985	700- 1,500	0.1	< 0.1
	34,036,800	29,920,000	88.7	1.7
	304,500	< 1,000	< 0.1	< 0.1
	800	0	0.0	0.0
	31,304,016	125,216	0.4	< 0.1
	96,208,984	70,934	0.07	< 0.1
	15,714	< 1,000	< 0.1	< 0.1
	603,253	599,633	99.4	< 0.1
	27,036,829	26,784,498	97.2	1.5
	16,887,720	168,877	1.0	< 0.1
	14,000,000	100,000	0.7	< 0.1	Inter Censal Demography Survey 2017 Report, Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (2017)

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Continents

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Table

	1,100,000,000	23.3	66.7
	54,000,000	81.0	3.0
	600,000,000	31.4	30.6
	240,000,000	40.0	13.3
East Asia	50,000,000	3.1	2.8
	315,322,000 – 488,603,838	91.2	27.1
	550,000,000	47.0	30.6
	283,302,393	29.6	15.7
	3,500,000 – 7,000,000	1.0	0.4
	791,000	0.2	0.04
	44,138,000	6.0	2.7
	650,000	1.6	0.04
	1,976,000,000	24.9	100.0

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Projected demographic changes

The Pew Research Center, has established a continued trend since its 2017 report into 2022. Islam continues to close the gap between itself and Christianity, while constituting the world's second largest religious group it also continues to be the fastest-growing major religious grouping.

A Pew Research Study in 2015 found that the Muslim population was expected to grow twice as fast (70%) as the world population by 2060 (1.8 billion in 2015 to 3 billion by 2060). This expected growth is much larger than any other religious group. Muslims are likely to constitute roughly 26.3% of the world's total population by 2030. This expected growth is attributed to Muslim families generally having more children as well as the fact that the Muslim population has the youngest median age of any religion. Furthermore, increased healthcare conditions in Muslim majority countries are currently increasing life expectancy and decreasing child mortality, which, if trends continue this way, will also contribute to the growth of the Muslim population more than any other religious group. These trends are not for every region, however. In fact, Muslim population growth is expected to slow down in Asia (including the Middle East) and Africa, due to lower birth rates.

The largest Muslim population growths are expected to be in the Middle East and Africa. Furthermore, Pakistan is projected to be the country with the largest Muslim population by 2030. Muslims are expected to grow to 8% (52.8 million) of the total population of Europe, and this growth is expected to be the largest in the western European countries. Russia will have the largest total population of Muslims in Europe, however. Most of these changes are expected to come from immigration.

In the Americas, Canada’s Muslim population is expected to increase to 6.6% and United States' to 2% by 2030. These increases, much like Europe, are expected to be driven mainly by immigration.

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See also

Islam:

• Muslim world
• Outline of Islam
• Glossary of Islam
• Muslim population growth
• Index of Islam-related articles
• Shia Muslims in the Arab world
• Organisation of Islamic Cooperation

By country:

• Ahmadiyya by country
• Apostasy in Islam by country
• Application of Sharia by country
• Burqa by country
• Islamic veiling practices by country

General:

• List of religious populations
• Religions by country

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Further reading

• United States Department of State International Religious Freedom Report
• CIA World Factbook The World Factbook
• Religious Freedom page
• Religious Intelligence
• Muslim Population Percentage from U.S Dept. of State
• ''CIA World Factbook target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Religions''
• BBC News Muslims in Europe: Country guide

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External links

• Pew Research Center: How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020

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