Projected population of Muslims in 2023 to stand at 19.75 crore: Govt in Lok Sabha

New Delhi: The projected population of Muslims in India in 2023 would stand at 19.75 crore, the government has informed the Lok Sabha.

In a written reply to a question by TMC MP Mala Roy in Lok Sabha, Minority Affairs Minister Smriti Irani said as per the Census 2011, Muslim population is 17.22 crore, which constitutes 14.2 per cent of the total population of the country.

"As per the report of the Technical Group on Population Projections, July 2020, National Commission on Population, country's projected population in 2023 stands at 138.82 crore. Accordingly, applying the same proportion of 14.2 per cent, as was there in Census 2011, projected population of Muslims in 2023 would stand at 19.75 crore," Irani said.

As per the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2021-22 conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, literacy rate of Muslims aged seven and above stands at 77.7 per cent and the labour force participation rate for all ages as per usual status stands at 35.1 per cent, she said.

Further, as per Multiple Indicator Survey 2020-21 conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation to collect data on select Sustainable Development Goals indicators, the percentage of Muslim persons reported to have improved source of drinking water stands at 94.9 per cent, and the percentage of Muslim persons reported to have access to improved toilet stands at 97.2 per cent, the minister said.

The percentage of Muslim households which have purchased or constructed a new house or flat for the first time after March 31, 2014 stands at 50.2 per cent, Irani said.

Her response on Thursday came to three questions by Roy, asking whether there is any data on Muslim population as on May 30, 2023 in the country, whether there is any population data of Pasmanda Muslims and the details of their socio-economic status.