Percentage of Hindus, Sikhs in MP declines, of Muslims rises

The percentage of the Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains in Madhya Pradesh has come down marginally, while that of Muslims and Christians has increased, according to the latest census data.

Updated on: Jan 1, 2016, 17:24:26 IST

Hindustan Times | By Neeraj Santoshi, Bhopal

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The percentage of Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains in Madhya Pradesh has come down marginally, while that of Muslims and Christians has increased, according to the latest census data.

Of the state’s total 7.2 crore population, according to the 2011 Census figures, 6.6 crore are Hindus, which is around 90.8 % of the total population. (File photo)

Of the state’s total 7.2 crore population, according to the 2011 Census figures, 6.6 crore are Hindus, which is around 90.8 % of the total population. As per the 2001 Census, Hindus in Madhya Pradesh comprised 91.5 % of the total population with over 6 crore in numbers.

The population of Muslims is over 47 lakh, which is 6.57 % of the state’s total population. In 2001, the percentage of Muslims was recorded at 6.3 % of the total population of the state. Christians number over 2.1 lakh in the state, comprising around 0.29 % of the total population. In 2001, the Christian population in the state was 1.7 lakh, which was 0.28 % of the total population at that time.

Over 1.51 lakh Sikhs form 0.20 % of the state’s total population. The community’s population has shown a slight increase as their numbers were pegged at 1.50 lakh in 2001(0.24%).

The Buddhists and the Jains – both minority communities – have recorded negative growth in the state. According to the 2011 Census, there are 2.16 lakh Buddhists in MP, constituting 0.29 % of the population.

In 2001, when the Buddhist population was 2 lakh, they stood at 0.34 of the state’s total population. The population of Jains is around 5.6 lakh, which is 0.78 % of the total population. In 2001, Jains formed around 0.90 % of the state’s total population. Interestingly, the population of those under the category of “religion not stated” has increased from over 16,000 to over 97,000.

THE FIGURES

Census 2001 2011

Total 60348023 72626809

Hindus 55004675 (91.5) 66007121(90.8)

Muslims 3841449 (6.3) 4774695(6.5)

Christians 170381 (0.28) 213282(0.29)

Sikhs 150772 (0.24) 151412(0.20)

Buddhists 209322 (0.34) 216052(0.29)

Jains 545446 (0.90) 567028 (0.78)

Others 409285 (0.67) 599594(0.82)

Religion not stated 16693 (0.02) 97625 (0.13)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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