Hindu Population in India 2021 – State-wise Census Data, Trends & Insights

Quick Overview: Hindu Population Census 2021

• Hinduism is the largest religion in India, at about 79.8% (966.3 million) per Census 2011.
• Projected Hindu share in 2021-2024: ~76.45%-77.21% (steady decline from previous decades).
• Muslim population: 14.09% (2011), up from 9.84% in 1950.
• India’s religious demographic changes align with global diversity trends seen in OECD nations.
• Strong regional variations: Some states over 90% Hindu, others where Hindus are a minority.

Year	Hindu Population (%)
1950	84.97
1960	83.45
1970	82.73
1980	82.29
1990	81.53
2000	80.45
2010	79.80
2011	79.80
2015	78.15
2020	77.21
2021 (Estimated)	~77
2024 (Projected)	76.45

Historic & Projected Hindu Share

• Share fell by 7.82% from 1950–2015.
• Muslim share increased by 43% in same period; other minorities also grew.
• Jains and Parsis saw declines in their population shares.

Religion	2011 Census (%)	2024 Projected (%)
Hindu	79.80	76.45
Muslim	14.23	14.09
Christian	2.30	~~
Sikh	1.72	~~
Buddhist	0.70	~~
Jain	0.37	Decline
Parsi	Negligible	Decline

State/UT-wise Hindu Population – India Census 2011

State/UT	Total Population	Hindu Population	Hindu %	Significance
Himachal Pradesh	6,864,602	6,532,765	95.17%	Majority
Dadra and Nagar Haveli	343,709	322,857	93.93%	Majority
Orissa	41,974,218	39,300,341	93.63%	Majority
Chhattisgarh	25,545,198	23,819,789	93.25%	Majority
Madhya Pradesh	72,626,809	66,007,121	90.89%	Majority
Daman and Diu	243,247	220,150	90.50%	Majority
Gujarat	60,439,692	53,533,988	88.57%	Majority
Rajasthan	68,548,437	60,657,103	88.49%	Majority
Andhra Pradesh	84,580,777	74,824,149	88.46%	Majority
Tamil Nadu	72,147,030	63,188,168	87.58%	Majority
Haryana	25,351,462	22,171,128	87.46%	Majority
Puducherry	1,247,953	1,089,409	87.30%	Majority
Karnataka	61,095,297	51,317,472	84.00%	Majority
Tripura	3,673,917	3,063,903	83.40%	Majority
Uttarakhand	10,086,292	8,368,636	82.97%	Majority
Bihar	104,099,452	86,078,686	82.69%	Majority
Delhi	16,787,941	13,712,100	81.68%	Majority
Chandigarh	1,055,450	852,574	80.78%	Majority
Maharashtra	112,374,333	89,703,057	79.83%	Majority
Uttar Pradesh	199,812,341	159,312,654	79.73%	Majority
West Bengal	91,276,115	64,385,546	70.54%	Majority
Andaman and Nicobar Islands	380,581	264,296	69.45%	Majority
Jharkhand	32,988,134	22,376,051	67.83%	Majority
Goa	1,458,545	963,877	66.08%	Majority
Assam	31,205,576	19,180,759	61.47%	Majority
Sikkim	610,577	352,662	57.76%	Majority
Kerala	33,406,061	18,282,492	54.73%	Majority
Manipur	2,855,794	1,181,876	41.39%	Majority
Punjab	27,743,338	10,678,138	38.49%	Significant
Arunachal Pradesh	1,383,727	401,876	29.04%	Minority
Jammu and Kashmir	12,541,302	3,566,674	28.44%	Minority
Meghalaya	2,966,889	342,078	11.53%	Minority
Nagaland	1,978,502	173,054	8.75%	Minority
Lakshadweep	64,473	1,788	2.77%	Negligible
Mizoram	1,097,206	30,136	2.75%	Negligible

State Wise Hindu Population, Literacy Rate & Sex Ratio (Census 2011)

State/UT	Hindu Population	% Hindu	Literacy Rate (%)	Sex Ratio
Andhra Pradesh	74,824,149	88.46%	67.02	993
Arunachal Pradesh	401,876	29.04%	65.38	938
Assam	19,180,759	61.47%	72.19	958
Bihar	86,078,686	82.69%	61.80	918
Chhattisgarh	23,819,789	93.25%	70.28	991
Delhi	13,712,100	81.68%	86.21	868
Goa	963,877	66.08%	91.58	973
Gujarat	53,533,988	88.57%	78.03	919
Haryana	22,171,128	87.46%	75.55	879
Himachal Pradesh	6,532,765	95.17%	83.78	972
Jharkhand	22,376,051	67.83%	66.41	948
Karnataka	51,317,472	84.00%	75.60	973
Kerala	18,282,492	54.73%	93.91	1084
Madhya Pradesh	66,007,121	90.89%	70.60	931
Maharashtra	89,703,057	79.83%	82.34	929
Manipur	1,181,876	41.39%	79.85	976
Meghalaya	342,078	11.53%	74.43	989
Mizoram	30,136	2.75%	91.58	976
Nagaland	173,054	8.75%	79.55	931
Odisha	39,300,341	93.63%	72.87	978
Punjab	10,678,138	38.49%	75.84	895
Rajasthan	60,657,103	88.49%	66.11	928
Sikkim	352,662	57.76%	81.42	890
Tamil Nadu	63,188,168	87.58%	80.09	995
Tripura	3,063,903	83.40%	87.22	961
Uttar Pradesh	159,312,654	79.73%	67.68	912
Uttarakhand	8,368,636	82.97%	78.82	963
West Bengal	64,385,546	70.54%	77.08	950
Andaman & Nicobar Islands	264,296	69.45%	86.63	876
Chandigarh	852,574	80.78%	86.77	818
Dadra & Nagar Haveli	322,857	93.93%	76.24	774
Daman & Diu	220,150	90.50%	87.07	618
Lakshadweep	1,788	2.77%	91.85	946
Puducherry	1,089,409	87.30%	85.85	1037
Jammu & Kashmir	3,566,674	28.44%	67.16	889

Top 10 Districts by Hindu Population (Census 2011)

District	State	Total Population	Hindu Population	% Hindu
Thane	Maharashtra	8,131,849	6,506,337	80.01%
Mumbai Suburban	Maharashtra	8,640,419	5,953,475	68.90%
Bangalore	Karnataka	6,537,124	5,188,807	79.37%
Pune	Maharashtra	7,232,555	6,197,349	85.69%
North 24 Parganas	West Bengal	8,934,286	6,721,420	75.23%
Kanpur Nagar	Uttar Pradesh	4,167,999	3,448,024	82.73%
Kolkata	West Bengal	4,572,876	3,552,274	77.68%
Ahmedabad	Gujarat	5,816,519	4,921,747	84.62%
Jaipur	Rajasthan	5,251,071	4,629,461	88.16%
Hyderabad	Telangana	3,829,753	2,121,963	55.41%

Top 10 Indian Cities by Hindu Population (Census 2011)

City	Total Population	Hindu Population	% Hindu
Delhi	16,787,941	13,712,100	81.68%
Mumbai	12,478,447	9,240,489	74.06%
Bangalore	8,443,675	6,901,876	81.75%
Hyderabad	6,809,970	4,276,841	62.80%
Chennai	4,646,732	3,857,142	83.01%
Kolkata	4,496,694	3,321,596	73.86%
Pune	3,124,458	2,417,872	77.43%
Ahmedabad	5,570,585	4,430,708	79.56%
Jaipur	3,046,163	2,642,235	86.74%
Lucknow	2,817,105	2,212,604	78.55%

Sex Ratio, Literacy, Socio-Economic & Facts

• Hindu majority states tend to have higher literacy rates and lower sex ratio imbalances.
• Highest literacy rate for Hindus seen in Kerala and Goa.
• Highest sex ratio: Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Kerala have better gender balance among Hindus.
• Socio-economic status among Hindus varies: substantial urban and rural presence, varied occupational diversity.

State	Literacy Rate (%)	Sex Ratio (Females/1000 Males)
Kerala	93.91	1,084
Goa	91.58	973
Himachal Pradesh	83.78	972
Chhattisgarh	70.28	991
Uttar Pradesh	67.68	912

Key Census-based Insights & Trends

• India’s Hindu population is declining gradually as minorities grow faster.
• Most populous Hindu states: Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh.
• Some states (Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Nagaland, J&K, Arunachal, Meghalaya) have Hindu populations below 30%.