How Many Muslims Are in the World? 2025 Population & Projections

If you’ve ever wondered exactly how many Muslims live on the planet, the short answer is just over 2 billion — but the story behind that number reveals deep demographic shifts, regional concentrations, and a growth rate that’s reshaping global religion. Between 2010 and 2020, the Muslim population grew 21%, roughly twice as fast as the overall world population, according to the Pew Research Center (nonpartisan fact tank).

Current global Muslim population (2020): 2.0 billion ·
Percentage of world population: 25.6% ·
Number of Muslim-majority countries: 57 ·
Muslim population growth rate (2010-2020): 21% ·
Projected Muslim population (2050): 2.76 billion

Six key figures capture the global Muslim footprint at a glance:

How many Muslims are in the world?

Current global Muslim population estimates

• Approximately 2.0 billion Muslims worldwide as of 2020 (Pew Research Center).
• Muslims represent about 25.6% of the global population (Wikipedia (collaborative encyclopedia)).
• Islam is the second-largest religion after Christianity.

Methodology of population counts

Pew Research Center bases its estimates on census data, demographic surveys, and population growth models. The most comprehensive report released in 2025 used 2020 as the reference year, meaning any “2025” figure is an extrapolation. Some sources like IslamiCity (religious lifestyle platform) and TimesPrayer (prayer time service) publish 2025 or 2026 estimates, but these are not based on new census data and should be treated as projections.

The implication: the most reliable figure remains the 2020 Pew benchmark of 2.0 billion. Any number above that — 2.06 billion, 2.1 billion — is a modelled estimate, not a census count.

Which country is 100% Islamic?

Countries with the highest Muslim population percentages

• Several countries have Muslim populations exceeding 99% (e.g., Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Maldives).
• No country is 100% Islamic due to minority communities, but some approach 100% (e.g., Mauritania, Somalia).
• A few countries officially declare Islam as the state religion, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Pakistan.

Among the nations with the highest concentration of Muslims, the data shows a tight cluster well above 99%:

The catch: while no country is literally 100% Muslim — every nation includes expatriates, converts, or historic minority faiths — these five come so close that the difference is statistically negligible. Declaring Islam the state religion does not mean all citizens are Muslim, as many constitutions guarantee freedom of religion.

Will Islam overtake Christianity?

Projected demographic trends to 2050 and beyond

• Pew Research projects Muslim population to grow to 2.76 billion by 2050.
• Christianity is projected to grow more slowly, from 2.3 billion to 2.9 billion.
• Islam could near parity with Christianity by 2050 but is not projected to overtake it.
• Muslims have higher fertility rates and younger age profiles.

Comparing the two largest religions side by side sharpens the picture:

What this means: Islam is expanding much faster, but Christianity starts from a larger base. By 2050 Pew projects the gap will narrow to roughly 140 million — close enough that small changes in fertility or conversion could flip the ranking. Sub-Saharan Africa, where both religions are growing rapidly, will decide which faith becomes the world’s largest.

What country has 0% Muslims?

Countries with negligible or zero Muslim population

• Very few countries have zero Muslims; Vatican City is one example.
• Some countries in Latin America and East Asia have near-zero Muslim populations.
• Small Pacific island nations often have no significant Muslim community.

A handful of territories report effectively zero resident Muslims:

The catch: even in countries where Muslims are nearly absent — like many Pacific islands — tiny numbers of foreign workers or expatriates may mean a handful of Muslims exist. “Zero” is almost always a practical zero, not an absolute one.

How many Muslim countries in the world?

The 57 members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)

• There are 57 countries with a Muslim-majority population (OIC membership).
• The term “Muslim country” is not official; it generally refers to countries where >50% of citizens are Muslim.
• Indonesia has the largest absolute Muslim population, while Saudi Arabia hosts the holiest sites.

Not every Muslim-majority country is an OIC member, and some OIC members lack Muslim majorities (e.g., Nigeria). But the 57 figure is the most commonly cited benchmark. The ten countries with the largest Muslim populations account for 65% of all Muslims worldwide, or 1.3 billion people, per Pew Research Center. The implication: Muslim demographics are highly concentrated — just three nations (Indonesia, Pakistan, India) hold one-third of all Muslims.

Timeline signal

Key dates in the growth of the global Muslim population

• 2010 — Global Muslim population estimated at 1.7 billion (Pew Research Center (nonpartisan fact tank)).
• 2015 — Islam becomes the world’s fastest-growing major religion.
• 2020 — Muslim population reaches 2.0 billion, 21% growth since 2010.
• 2026 — Projected global Muslim population around 2.06 billion (model-based).
• 2050 — Pew projects 2.76 billion, nearing Christian population.

The pattern: growth has been steady and steep, driven by high fertility rates and a young age structure. As Muslim-majority countries themselves experience demographic transitions — declining birth rates in Iran and Indonesia — the growth rate may slow in the latter half of the century.

Clarity section

Confirmed facts

• Global Muslim population ~2 billion in 2020 (Pew Research Center (nonpartisan fact tank), Wikipedia (collaborative encyclopedia)).
• Islam is the second-largest religion after Christianity.
• Muslim population growth rate is higher than non-Muslims.
• There are 57 Muslim-majority countries.
• Indonesia has the largest Muslim population.

What’s unclear

• Exact 2026 population figure depends on interpolation and source methodology.
• 2050 projections vary between 2.76 billion (Pew) and other estimates due to fertility and conversion assumptions.
• Data from some countries may be incomplete or outdated.
• The number of Muslims in countries with ongoing conflict (Syria, Yemen) is especially uncertain.

Expert perspectives

The number of Muslims around the world grew 21% between 2010 and 2020, from 1.7 billion to 2.0 billion.

— Pew Research Center (nonpartisan fact tank)

With an estimated population of 2 billion followers, Muslims comprise around 26% of the world’s total population.

— Wikipedia (collaborative encyclopedia)

Indonesia has the largest Muslim population at 231 million, followed by Pakistan and India.

— CIA World Factbook (U.S. government intelligence)

The core takeaway for religious demographers and global strategists: the 2 billion Muslims of today will likely reach 2.76 billion by 2050, but whether that growth translates into political or cultural influence depends on where it happens. For countries with rapidly aging populations — especially in Europe and East Asia — the Muslim youth bulge is a demographic signal they cannot afford to ignore. The choice is clear: invest in integration and education, or face the consequences of unprepared demographic change.

For a deeper look at regional trends and future estimates, see detailed global Muslim population projections.

Frequently asked questions