By Hemant SharmaYes, it is true that whenever you talk about Hindus, most of them actually live in India, no doubt. And it has been like that, but it is not just India where Hindus reside in the majority, there are other countries too. With a total population number of around 1.2 billion people, Hindus actually make up about 15% of the world’s total population. So yes, it is actually India where the highest concentration of the Hindu population is, but there are other countries down on this list too. Really? Yes!! And today, we’re here to let you know about only these 10 countries with the highest Hindu population in the world as of 2025. If that’s something you’re a bit intrigued about at the moment, then just keep on reading, we’ll be sharing all the insights about the Hindu population in the world.
1. India
Surely, about 99% of the Hindu population actually lives in India, and that’s a famous fact that everybody knows about. And if you’re still wondering, well, by 2025, here the Hindus will be about 1.1 Billion, which would be about 78 to 80% of the country’s total population of 1.4 Billion. As many of you already know, Hinduism has existed in India for thousands of years, and different groups, such as Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Shaktism, shape its traditions. Though, yes, tons of Hindus go abroad for work or study but aren’t any less in India.
2. Nepal
It is true that Hindus are a majority in only one other country: Nepal. Like, by the year 2025, a whopping 81% of people in Nepal will be Hindu, you know, that’s about 28 million people! Surely, Hinduism has been an important part of Nepal for centuries, and did you know that Nepal was also the world’s only officially Hindu state until 2008? Most Hindus in Nepal follow a mix of Shaivism and Vaishnavism, just saying! And for them, temples like that of Pashupatinath in Kathmandu are important for Hindus in Nepal.
3. Bangladesh
And from the 2nd spot to the 3rd, there is a huge drop in the population numbers, like, in 2025 around 14 million Hindus live in Bangladesh making Bangladesh the 3rd largest Hindu population in the world. But that is only around 8-9% of the total population. Hinduism has been around for a long time but the numbers are dwindling due to a lot of people migrating and converting, you know? If you’re a Hindu or anyone from India, you should know that in 1947, after the partition of India, many Hindus went to India.
4. Indonesia
Next? Well, Indonesia is a Muslim-majority country, but it still has about 4.3 million Hindus in 2025, which is about 1.6% of its population. A majority of Hindus live on Bali island, where more than 83 percent of the people are Hindus. Like, you may already know that Hinduism has been in Indonesia for a long time, going back to the Majapahit Empire. But Hinduism here is nothing like India and Nepal. This Indonesian version is uniquely blended with local customs.
5. Pakistan
When the division between India and Pakistan happened, it was purely based on religious factors, but still, there were many Hindus who chose to stay in Pakistan. And, as of 2025, Pakistan is projected to have about 4 million Hindus, or roughly 1.8 to 2% of the total population, you know? Though, keep in mind that most Hindus in Pakistan live in the Sindh province. Despite all the odds, these Hindus try to keep their faith alive.
6. Sri Lanka
And then, well, in 2025, Sri Lanka will have around 3 million Hindus carrying 13-14% of the country’s population. As a matter of fact, well, most of the Hindus are Tamils from the northern and eastern parts of the country. They mostly follow Shiva and Murugan. Hinduism in Sri Lanka has a long history but the community underwent challenges with the most difficult period being the Sri Lankan Civil War (1983-2009). At that time, yes, a lot of Hindus left for India, Canada, and the UK, still, the Hindu population is thriving down there.
7. United States
If we go by the numbers and data available from the most reliable sources, well, as of 2025, the US should have about 2.7 million Hindus, and that’s about 0.8% of the total population. The majority of Hindus in the U. S. are people from India though others are from Nepal, Bangladesh, and more, you know? Right here though, the American Hindu population is growing thanks to immigration and growing interest in yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, etc. And you’d be aware of the fact that you can find temples all over the US.
8. Malaysia
Next on the list, well, by 2025, Hindus in Malaysia will number about 2 million which is about 6.5% of the population. Most of the people were Tamil descendants of laborers the British brought to Malaya. There are Hindu temples almost everywhere and festivals like Thaipusam, held at Batu caves close to Kuala Lumpur are just HUGE.
9. United Kingdom
By 2025, the UK is expected to have roughly 1.1 million Hindus. For those who don’t know yet, well, Hinduism came to the UK more than a century back, although most Hindus arrived in the mid-1900s from countries including India, Sri Lanka, and East Africa. Interesting! You see, Hindus of London have the biggest Hindu community, with famous temples here, like, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (Neasden Temple), Bhaktivedanta Manor, etc.
10. United Arab Emirates
Alright, so, by 2025, there will be about 700,000 Hindus in the UAE, about 7% of the population. Hinduism in the UAE, unlike the other countries mentioned, is due to Indian workers who travel to the UAE for jobs, you know? And sure enough, due to this reason, cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi have a strong Hindu presence. Even though the UAE is an Islamic nation, it has given rise to many temples including the large BAPS Hindu Mandir down there in Abu Dhabi.
Conclusion
That’s all for today. These are the top countries where most, or you can say about 99% of the Hindu population resides. If you didn’t know about all this, well, we hope that today’s post was kinda insightful and an overall interesting read for you. Alright, we’ll see you in the next one.