As per the 2011 Census, details of which were released yesterday, Hindu population counts for 96.63 crore (79.8 per cent), Muslim 17.22 crore (14.2 per cent), Christian, 2.78 crore (2.3 per cent), Sikh 2.08 crore (1.7 per cent), Buddhist 0.84 crore (0.7 per cent), Jain 0.45 crore (0.4 per cent), Other Religions and Persuasions (ORP) 0.79 crore (0.7 per cent), Religion Not Stated 0.29 crore (0.2 per cent).
The most rapid rise in the share of Muslims in the total population was witnessed in Assam. Muslims constituted 30.9 per cent of the state's population in 2001 and it has risen to 34.2 per cent a decade later.
Assam's nine out of 27 districts are now Muslim majority. In 2001, only six districts were Muslim majority. Assam has been facing the problem of illegal immigration from Bangladeshi for last three decades.
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Among the states, Jammu and Kashmir has the highest proportion of Muslim population in the country with 85.6 lakh out of the total 1.25 crore population. Muslim population in Jammu and Kashmir has gone up to 68.3 per cent in 2011 from 67 per cent in 2001.
Other states with a significant rise in the share of Muslims in the total population as per the 2011 Census were Kerala (from 24.7 pc to 26.6 pc), Goa (6.8 pc to 8.4 pc), Haryana (5.8 pc to 7 pc) and Delhi (11.7 pc to 12.9 pc).
Among the Union Territories, Lakshadweep has the highest proportion of Muslim population -- 96.2 per cent.