With almost all major religions being practiced throughout the country, India is known for its religious diversity. Hinduism made up for the highest share of faith followed by people in the country. According to the Indian census of 2011, Muslims had the highest population growth in the country.

India Census: Population: by Religion: Muslim: Urban data was reported at 68,740,419.000 Person in 2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 49,393,496.000 Person for 2001. India Census: Population: by Religion: Muslim: Urban data is updated yearly, averaging 59,066,957.500 Person from Mar 2001 (Median) to 2011, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 68,740,419.000 Person in 2011 and a record low of 49,393,496.000 Person in 2001. India Census: Population: by Religion: Muslim: Urban data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Census of India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Demographic – Table IN.GAE001: Census: Population: by Religion.

According to a survey conducted by India's fifth National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) in 2021 stated that about 36 percent of Christian men consumed alcohol in India. In contrast, over six percent of Muslim men consumed alcohol.

India Census: Population: by Religion: Hindu: Male data was reported at 498,306,968.000 Person in 2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 428,678,554.000 Person for 2001. India Census: Population: by Religion: Hindu: Male data is updated yearly, averaging 463,492,761.000 Person from Mar 2001 (Median) to 2011, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 498,306,968.000 Person in 2011 and a record low of 428,678,554.000 Person in 2001. India Census: Population: by Religion: Hindu: Male data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Census of India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Demographic – Table IN.GAE001: Census: Population: by Religion.

A survey conducted across India in 2024 found that 77 percent of Hindu population and 81 percent of minorities agree that India belongs to all religions equally. The survey reflects citizens' faith in the secular and pluralistic fabric of the country.

Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Madhya Pradesh: Female data was reported at 107,985.000 Person in 03-01-2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 85,025.000 Person for 03-01-2001. Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Madhya Pradesh: Female data is updated decadal, averaging 96,505.000 Person from Mar 2001 (Median) to 03-01-2011, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 107,985.000 Person in 03-01-2011 and a record low of 85,025.000 Person in 03-01-2001. Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Madhya Pradesh: Female data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Demographic – Table IN.GAE004: Census: Population: by Religion: Christian.

It was estimated that by 2050, India's Muslim population would grow by 76 percent compared to 2010. For followers of the Hindu faith, this change stood at 33 percent. According to this projection, the south Asian country would be home not just to the world's majority of Hindus, but also Muslims by this time period. Regardless, the latter would continue to remain a minority within the country at 18 percent, with 77 percent or 1.3 billion Hindus at the forefront by 2050.

Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Mizoram: Male data was reported at 476,464.000 Person in 03-01-2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 389,155.000 Person for 03-01-2001. Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Mizoram: Male data is updated decadal, averaging 432,809.500 Person from Mar 2001 (Median) to 03-01-2011, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 476,464.000 Person in 03-01-2011 and a record low of 389,155.000 Person in 03-01-2001. Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Mizoram: Male data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Demographic – Table IN.GAE004: Census: Population: by Religion: Christian.

This statistic shows the religious affiliation of the population in India as of 2011. In 2011, 79.8 percent of the total Indian population were Hindu.

India Census: Population: by Religion: Buddhist: Urban data was reported at 3,628,123.000 Person in 2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 3,061,597.000 Person for 2001. India Census: Population: by Religion: Buddhist: Urban data is updated yearly, averaging 3,344,860.000 Person from Mar 2001 (Median) to 2011, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3,628,123.000 Person in 2011 and a record low of 3,061,597.000 Person in 2001. India Census: Population: by Religion: Buddhist: Urban data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Census of India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Demographic – Table IN.GAE001: Census: Population: by Religion.

With almost all major religions being practiced throughout the country, India is known for its religious diversity. Islam makes up the highest share among minority faiths in the country. According to the Indian census of 2011, the Muslim population in Uttar Pradesh more than 35 million, making it the state with the most Muslims.

Socio-economic conditions of Muslims
Muslims seem to lag behind every other religious community in India in terms of living standards, financial stability, education and other aspects, thereby showing poor performance in most of the fields. According to a national survey, 17 percent of the Muslims were categorized under the lowest wealth index, which indicates poor socio-economic conditions.

Growth of Muslim population in India
Islam is one of the fastest-growing religions worldwide. According to India’s census, the Muslim population has witnessed a negative decadal growth of more than 16 percent from 1951 to 1960, presumably due to the partitions forming Pakistan and Bangladesh. The population showed a positive and steady growth since 1961, making up 14 percent of the total population of India . Even though people following Islam were estimated to grow significantly, they would still remain a minority in India compared to 1.3 billion Hindus by 2050.

Census: Population: by Religion: Other Religion and Persuasions: Jammu and Kashmir: Male data was reported at 802.000 Person in 03-01-2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 51.000 Person for 03-01-2001. Census: Population: by Religion: Other Religion and Persuasions: Jammu and Kashmir: Male data is updated decadal, averaging 426.500 Person from Mar 2001 (Median) to 03-01-2011, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 802.000 Person in 03-01-2011 and a record low of 51.000 Person in 03-01-2001. Census: Population: by Religion: Other Religion and Persuasions: Jammu and Kashmir: Male data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Demographic – Table IN.GAE008: Census: Population: by Religion: Other Religion and Persuasions.

The religious dataset consisting of Hindu and Muslim hate comments from Bangladesh and India in the Bangla language is a collection of online comments that contain religious hate speech targeting either the Hindu or Muslim communities. These comments were gathered from various sources such as newspapers, social media platforms, and online forums. The purpose of collecting this data is to analyze the prevalence of religious intolerance, identify patterns in hate speech, and contribute to the development of tools for automatically detecting and mitigating such content.

Key Features of the Dataset: Source and Collection:

Comments were sourced from both Bangladesh and India, reflecting religious sentiments in these neighboring countries where tensions between religious groups have often been a social issue. Sources include Bangla-language social media, news articles, opinion pieces, and comments sections on websites.

Content: The dataset contains a mix of both Hindu-targeted hate speech and Muslim-targeted hate speech, with derogatory, offensive, and inflammatory remarks based on religion. Hate comments include stereotypical statements, incitement to violence, communal hatred, and discriminatory language directed at members of the opposing community.

Purpose and Use Cases: Hate Speech Detection: This dataset is useful for developing machine learning models that can automatically identify and flag harmful content on social media platforms. Social Science Research: Researchers can study the psychological and sociopolitical factors that drive such hate speech. Policy and Moderation Tools: Governments, social media platforms, and civil society organizations can use insights from this dataset to design anti-hate speech policies and create moderation systems that reduce online hate.

Challenges: Contextual Nuances: Understanding the cultural and religious context of Bangla comments is crucial for accurately identifying hate speech. A comment that might seem neutral in one context could be deeply offensive in another. Code-Switching: Some comments might mix Bangla with English or regional languages, complicating the classification and sentiment analysis process. Bias in Data: The dataset might reflect a certain level of social bias depending on the region from which it was collected, which needs to be addressed when training AI models.

Conclusion: This dataset offers valuable insights into the dynamics of religious hate speech in Bangladesh and India, two countries with diverse religious populations and a history of interfaith tension. It can help in the development of tools for mitigating online hate speech, while also fostering better understanding and tolerance across religious communities.

India Census: Population: by Religion: Hindu: Female data was reported at 467,950,385.000 Person in 2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 398,900,314.000 Person for 2001. India Census: Population: by Religion: Hindu: Female data is updated yearly, averaging 433,425,349.500 Person from Mar 2001 (Median) to 2011, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 467,950,385.000 Person in 2011 and a record low of 398,900,314.000 Person in 2001. India Census: Population: by Religion: Hindu: Female data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Census of India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Demographic – Table IN.GAE002: Census: Population: by Religion: Hindu.

According to India's last census in 2011, about 14.2 percent of the total population identified as Muslims. This was an increase from about ten percent in 1951. Overall, India has been a religiously pluralistic and multiethnic democracy with people of several faiths.

India Census: Population: by Religion: Buddhist data was reported at 8,442,972.000 Person in 2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 7,955,207.000 Person for 2001. India Census: Population: by Religion: Buddhist data is updated yearly, averaging 8,199,089.500 Person from Mar 2001 (Median) to 2011, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 8,442,972.000 Person in 2011 and a record low of 7,955,207.000 Person in 2001. India Census: Population: by Religion: Buddhist data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Census of India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Demographic – Table IN.GAE001: Census: Population: by Religion.

According to a survey conducted in 2020, 54 percent of Indian Americans in the United States said that they identified as Hindu while 13 percent said that they identified as Muslim. A further nine percent said that they identified with no religion in particular.

India Census: Population: by Religion: Muslim: Rural data was reported at 103,504,739.000 Person in 2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 88,794,744.000 Person for 2001. India Census: Population: by Religion: Muslim: Rural data is updated yearly, averaging 96,149,741.500 Person from Mar 2001 (Median) to 2011, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 103,504,739.000 Person in 2011 and a record low of 88,794,744.000 Person in 2001. India Census: Population: by Religion: Muslim: Rural data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Census of India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Demographic – Table IN.GAE001: Census: Population: by Religion.

According to India's last census details, Hindus made up the majority of the population in the country, followed by Muslims. At the same time, almost three million people did not state their religion for the census. India has historically been a religiously pluralistic and multiethnic democracy, with a substantial proportion of all major religions of the world along with several minority and tribal religions.

India Census: Population: by Religion: Jain data was reported at 4,451,753.000 Person in 2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 4,225,053.000 Person for 2001. India Census: Population: by Religion: Jain data is updated yearly, averaging 4,338,403.000 Person from Mar 2001 (Median) to 2011, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4,451,753.000 Person in 2011 and a record low of 4,225,053.000 Person in 2001. India Census: Population: by Religion: Jain data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Census of India. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Demographic – Table IN.GAE001: Census: Population: by Religion.