Data | Fertility rates decline across religions in India, sharpest drop recorded among Muslims

India's religious composition has remained largely stable as fertility rates have declined across religious groups

The religious composition of India’s population has remained largely stable since Independence as across all religious groups, according to a study by the Pew Research Center. Fertility rate is the number of children a woman would have on average in her lifetime. There has been a significant decline in fertility rates across religious groups, with Muslims recording the highest drop. As a result, the population growth rates have also declined across all religions. The fertility rates of religious groups have, in fact, converged over time. Another recent Pew study suggests that religious conversion had little bearing on the composition of the population.

98% said^ they currently identify themselves with the same religion they were raised in, pointing to the minimal impact of religious conversion.

The population growth rate of Muslims dropped from 32.7% in 1951-61 to 24.7% in 2001-11. In the same time periods, the population growth rate of Hindus dropped from 20.7% to 16.7%.