Muslim population up by 24%

New Delhi: Muslim population in India has grown by 24 percent between 2001 and 2011 against national average of 18 per cent with the community's representation rising to 14.2 percent from 13.4 percent of total population.

Among all states in the country, Jammu and Kashmir has the highest Muslim population (68.3 percent), followed by Assam (34.2 percent) and West Bengal (27 percent), according to the census data on the population of religious groups.

The growth rate of Muslim population in the country was around 29 percent between 1991 and 2001. At 24 percent, the growth rate of Muslim population is higher than the national average of 18 per cent for the decade (2001-11).

The most rapid rise in the share of Muslims in the total population was witnessed in Assam. Muslims constituted 30.9 percent of the state's population in 2001 and it has risen to 34.2 percent a decade later. Assam has been facing the problem of illegal immigration from Bangladeshi for last three decades. A Home Ministry spokesperson said the data is still being compiled by the Registrar General of Census and will be released officially shortly. Manipur is the only state where the percentage of their population has decreased -- from 8.8 percent to 8.4%.

West Bengal, another state where illegal immigration from Bangladesh has been an issue, has also seen a rise in Muslim population from 25.2 percent in 2001 to 27 percent in 2011. It is a growth of 1.8 percentage points, more that double the national average for Muslim population (.8 percent).

Uttarakhand has also seen rise in the share of Muslim population from 11.9 percent to 13.9 percent, a growth of 2 percentage points, between 2001 and 2011.

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 percent to 26.6 per cent), Goa (6.8 percent to 8.4 percent), Jammu and Kashmir (67 percent to 68.3 percent), Haryana (5.8 percent to 7 percent) and Delhi (11.7 percent to 12.9 percent).