Today, Islam in Nepal is a highly relevant topic that has captured the attention of millions of people around the world. With the advancement of technology and globalization, Islam in Nepal has become a constant point of discussion in everything from politics to pop culture. This article will seek to analyze in depth the impact of Islam in Nepal on contemporary society, exploring its different facets and how it has come to influence our lives in ways we may not have even considered before. Through testimonies, studies and expert opinions, it is intended to shed light on this topic and offer readers a complete and updated vision of Islam in Nepal.
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Islam by country |
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Islam portal |
Islam (Nepali: नेपाली मुसलमान) is the third largest religion in Nepal. According to the 2021 Nepal census, approximately 1.483 million Muslims, comprising 5.09% of the population, live in Nepal.
नेपाली मुसलमान | |
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Total population | |
1,483,060 (5.09% of the country's population) | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Nepal | |
Languages | |
Nepali • Awadhi • Bhojpuri • Maithili • Urdu • Hindi | |
Religion | |
Islam | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Kashmiri Muslims, Bihari Muslims, Madheshi people, Gorkhali Muslims |
Nepalese Muslims (Nepali: नेपाली मुसलमान; Nepali Musalman) are Nepalis who follow Islam. Their ancestors arrived in Nepal from different parts of South Asia, Central Asia and Tibet during different epochs, and have since lived amidst the numerically dominant Hindus and Buddhists. About 80% of the Muslim community live in the Terai region, while the other 20% are found mainly in the city of Kathmandu and Gorkha and the western hills. The community numbers 971,056, about 3.8% of the total population of Nepal. Districts with large Muslim population include Sarlahi (9.9%), Rautahat (17.2%), Bara (11.9%), and Parsa (17.3%) and Banke (16%) in the western Terai and Siraha (7%) and Sunsari (10%) and Saptari (10%) Gorkha (13%) hill.
According to the 2021 Nepal census, there are around 1.483 million Muslims in Nepal. Almost all of them live in Terai Region. Districts with large Muslim concentrations are: Rautahat, Banke, Kapilvastu, Parsa, Mahottari, Bara, and Sunsari. There are only 21,866 Muslims in the capital city of Kathmandu (1.25% of the total population).
Ahmadis maintain a small presence in Nepal.
The Muslim population was 1,483,060 as per Nepal 2021 Official census which make up 5.09% of Nepal's population. The Muslim population increased from 4.39% in 2011 to 5.09% in 2021.
Decadal percentage of Muslims in Nepal
Year | Percent | Increase |
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1952/54 | 2.54% | - |
1961 | 2.98% | +0.44% |
1971 | 3.04% | +0.06% |
1981 | 2.66% | -0.38% |
1991 | 3.53% | +0.87% |
2001 | 4.20% | +0.67% |
2011 | 4.39% | +0.19% |
2021 | 5.09% | +0.70% |
Year | Population | % |
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2030 | 2.2 million | 5.5% |
2040 | 2.7 million | 6% |
2050 | 3.2 million | 6.6% |
Islam is the fastest-growing religion in Nepal. By 2050 Pew Research Center have estimated that Nepal will have 3.34 million Muslims and will constitute roughly around 7% of the country's population, thus surpassing Buddhism which is currently the 2nd largest Religion in Nepal as of 2021 Nepal census reports.