New Delhi: Census 2011 on Tuesday revealed Hindus constitute 79.8 percent and Muslims 14.2 percent of the population in India, with the proportion of Hindus to total population in 2011 slipping by 0.7 percent. While the growth rate of population from 2001 to 2011 was the highest among the Muslims at 24.6 percent, for Hindus it was 16.8 percent, Christians 15.5 percent, Sikhs 8.4 percent, Buddhists 6.1 percent and Jains 5.4 percent, the data released by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner revealed here on Tuesday. The overall growth rate of population was 17.7 percent.

Of the total population of 121.09 crore in 2011, Hindus
were 96.63 crore (79.8 percent); Muslims 17.22 crores (14.2 percent); Christians 2.78 crores (2.3 percent); Sikhs 2.08 crores (1.7 percent); Buddhists 0.84 crores (0.7 percent); Jains 0.45 crores (0.4 percent), other religions and persuasions (ORP) 0.79 crores (0.7 percent). The data also showed that 0.29 crore (0.2 percent) of the population had not stated its religion.

According to a home ministry release, the proportion of Muslim population to total population in 2011 had increased by 0.8 percentage points while there had been no significant change in the proportion of Christians and Jains. "The proportion of Hindu population to total population in 2011 has declined by 0.7 percentage point (PP), the proportion of Sikh population has declined by 0.2 PP and the Buddhist population has declined by 0.1 PP during the decade 2001-2011," the release said.

(IANS)