Hindu population in India dipped 7.8% between 1980 and 2015: PM's Panel

NEW DELHI: A detailed study conducted by the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Committee found a serious dip in India's Hindu population. According to reports, the Hindu population has decreased by 7.82% between 1950 and 2015. At the same time, the report highlighted the surging Muslim population in India.

There has been an increase in the number of Muslims, Christians, Buddhists and Sikhs in India while there was a notable decrease in the number of Jains and Parsis. The growth of the Muslim population from 1950 to 2015 is 43.15 per cent. The increase is Christian (5.38%) and Sikh (6.58%). A small increase has been recorded in the Buddhist sect.

According to the study, India's Hindu population has declined from 84 per cent in the 1950s to 78 per cent by 2015. The Muslim population increased from 9.84 per cent to 14.09 per cent. The study report also sheds light on the conducive environment existing in the country for diversity to prosper and also it remarks about the prosperous lifestyle led by Indian Muslims.

Meanwhile, the data also pointed to the alarming fall in minority population in neighbouring Bangladesh Pakistan, Bhutan and Afghanistan.