Image: José Martín, Unsplash
The Pew Research Center has been compiling a number of recent reports, answering key questions about Muslims.
- There were 1.6 billion Muslims in the world as of 2010 – roughly 23% of the global population
- Although many countries in the Middle East-North Africa region are heavily Muslim, the region is home to only about 20% of the world’s Muslims
- In 2015, there were 3.3 million Muslims of all ages in the U.S., or about 1% of the U.S. population
- Our Pew's demographic projections estimate that Muslims will make up 2.1% of the U.S. population by the year 2050
- The two major factors behind the rapid projected growth of Islam are:
- Muslims have more children than members of other religious groups. Around the world, each Muslim woman has an average of 3.1 children, compared with 2.3 for all other groups combined
- Muslims are the youngest (median age of 23 years old in 2010) of all major religious groups, seven years younger than the median age of non-Muslims. As a result, a larger share of Muslims already are, or will soon be, at the point in their lives when they begin having children
- Muslims have more children than members of other religious groups. Around the world, each Muslim woman has an average of 3.1 children, compared with 2.3 for all other groups combined
- Perceptions of Muslims varied across European nations:
- Majorities in Hungary, Italy, Poland and Greece say they view Muslims unfavorably
- Negative attitudes toward Muslims are much less common in France, Germany, the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Northern and Western Europe
- People who place themselves on the right side of the ideological scale are much more likely than those on the left to see Muslims negatively
- Majorities in Hungary, Italy, Poland and Greece say they view Muslims unfavorably
The full report can be found on the Pew Research Center website.