Hinduism is strongly concentrated in South Asia, but millions of Hindus also live in Southeast Asia, North America, Europe, the Gulf, Africa, and the Caribbean. The most useful ranking is therefore based on one defined metric: the number of people identifying as Hindu in Pew Research Center’s 2020 estimates.
Spiritual Culture uses Pew’s rounded figures and keeps the reference year visible because these are demographic estimates, not live population counters.
10 countries with the largest Hindu populations in 2020
| Rank | Country | Hindu population | Hindu share of national population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 1.1132 billion | 79.4% |
| 2 | Nepal | 23.52 million | 81.2% |
| 3 | Bangladesh | 13.14 million | 7.9% |
| 4 | Pakistan | 5.03 million | 2.1% |
| 5 | Indonesia | 4.35 million | 1.6% |
| 6 | Sri Lanka | 3.28 million | 14.5% |
| 7 | United States | 3.04 million | 0.9% |
| 8 | Malaysia | 2.07 million | 6.1% |
| 9 | United Kingdom | 1.14 million | 1.7% |
| 10 | United Arab Emirates | 1.11 million | 11.8% |
India dominates the global distribution
Pew estimates that about 95% of the world’s Hindus lived in India in 2020. This makes Hinduism far more geographically concentrated than Christianity or Islam. India’s scale also means that global Hindu demographic patterns strongly reflect Indian population trends.
Nepal is the other Hindu-majority country
Hindus were a majority in India and Nepal in 2020. Pew estimated Nepal’s Hindu share at about 81%, slightly higher than India’s 79%. Mauritius is another country where Hindus form the largest religious group, at about 48%, but its smaller total population keeps it outside the ten largest Hindu populations.
The Hindu diaspora is substantial
The United States, United Kingdom, and United Arab Emirates illustrate different forms of Hindu diaspora life. Migration has created temples, cultural associations, festivals, family networks, and new religious institutions far from South Asia.
Population size does not describe Hindu diversity
Hinduism includes Vaishnava, Shaiva, Shakta, Smarta, devotional, philosophical, temple-centered, ascetic, and local traditions. Tamil Hindu life in Sri Lanka, Balinese Hinduism in Indonesia, and diaspora Hindu institutions in London or New Jersey cannot be understood from population totals alone.
For beliefs, deities, sacred texts, festivals, pilgrimage, and practice, see our broader Hinduism coverage.
