India has seen the second most significant decline of 7.82 per cent in the majority population, only next to Myanmar, within the immediate South Asian neighbourhood from 1950 to 2015. A working paper of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, EAC PM, said India has witnessed an increase in the share of Minority groups – Muslim, Christian, Buddhist and Sikh and a decline in the share of Jain and Parsis. The PM panel said that Hindu population share was 84.68 per cent in 1950, which came down to 78.06 per cent in 2015. Between 1950 and 2015, the Muslim population increased by 43.15 per cent, and the Christian population by 5.38 per cent.
The paper provided a detailed cross-country analysis of the share of religious minorities in 167 countries. It said minority populations have shrunk substantially in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Afghanistan. The share of the majority religious denomination for 167 countries has, on average, reduced by 22 per cent from 1950-2015.
Disclaimer: This press release is sourced from News On AIR, Prasar Bharti and Press Information Bureau India (PIB).
