Afghanistan and Yemen have the highest Muslim population share of any United Nations member state, both at 99.9%, according to Pew Research Center‘s estimates for 2020. Sorting Pew’s published 2020 shares, the rest of the ten highest member states are Iran and Somalia at 99.8%, Morocco at 99.7%, Iraq at 99.5%, Tunisia at 99.3%, Mauritania at 99.2%, Libya at 99.0%, and Sudan and Tajikistan tied at 98.9%. The figures come from Pew’s report “How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020”, released June 9, 2025.
The Ten Highest Muslim Population Shares Among United Nations Member States
Two member states share tenth place, so the table lists eleven. All percentage and population figures are Pew Research Center’s estimates for the year shown.
| Rank | Country | % Muslim (2020) | Population (2020) | % Muslim (2010) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (tie) | Afghanistan | 99.9% | 39,070,000 | 99.7% |
| 1 (tie) | Yemen | 99.9% | 36,130,000 | 99.8% |
| 3 (tie) | Iran | 99.8% | 87,720,000 | 99.7% |
| 3 (tie) | Somalia | 99.8% | 16,650,000 | 99.8% |
| 5 | Morocco | 99.7% | 36,580,000 | 99.7% |
| 6 | Iraq | 99.5% | 42,120,000 | 99.2% |
| 7 | Tunisia | 99.3% | 11,970,000 | 99.4% |
| 8 | Mauritania | 99.2% | 4,600,000 | 99.1% |
| 9 | Libya | 99.0% | 7,050,000 | 96.8% |
| 10 (tie) | Sudan | 98.9% | 46,790,000 | 99.7% |
| 10 (tie) | Tajikistan | 98.9% | 9,750,000 | 98.9% |
How the Ranking Is Measured
This ranking is not Pew Research Center’s. Pew publishes each place’s Muslim population share; the order above is produced by sorting Pew’s published 2020 values and limiting the list to United Nations member states. Pew defines “country” in its report as follows: “The word ‘country’ in this report refers to all countries recognized as such by the United Nations.” Pew’s religious composition table also covers territories and other places that are not United Nations member states, and more than one of those sits above the tenth-highest member state share. This ranking leaves all of them out.
Pew’s estimates “cover 201 countries and territories that had populations of at least 100,000 people in 2010 or 2020. Collectively, these places are home to 99.98% of the world’s population.” Population totals for those countries and territories “come from the 2024 revision of the United Nations’ World Population Prospects.” The religious-composition figures themselves are, in Pew’s words, “based on more than 2,700 censuses and surveys.”
The Maldives does not appear in the table above. Pew’s estimates put the Maldives at 94.1% Muslim in 2020, unchanged from its 2010 estimate, which is below the tenth-highest share among United Nations member states.
Global Muslim Population Growth, 2010 to 2020
Pew Research Center reports: “The number of Muslims around the world grew 21% between 2010 and 2020, from 1.7 billion to 2.0 billion.” Pew’s counts table gives the same change as 1,675,800,000 Muslims in 2010 rising to 2,022,590,000 in 2020, listed as +20.7%.
Pew sets that decade against the rest of the world: “Muslims grew twice as fast as the rest of the world’s population, which expanded by 10% during the same decade.” On the global share between 2010 and 2020, Pew states: “As a result, Muslims grew as a share of the global population, from 24% to 26%.” Pew gives the same change to one decimal place: “The share of the world’s population that is Muslim rose by 1.8 points, to 25.6%.” Its counts table lists that 2010 to 2020 share change as 23.9% to 25.6%, a gain of 1.8 percentage points.
Pew records Muslims as “the fastest-growing religious group over the decade” and states: “The number of Muslims increased by 347 million – more than all other religions combined.” Regionally, Pew’s appendix puts the Middle East-North Africa region at 94.2% Muslim in 2020. On where Muslims live, Pew states: “In all other regions, Muslims are a religious minority, including in the Asia-Pacific region, which is home to the greatest number of Muslims.”
FAQ
Which country has the highest percentage of Muslims?
Afghanistan and Yemen are tied for the highest share among United Nations member states, each at 99.9% Muslim, per Pew Research Center’s estimates for 2020.
Does this ranking include territories, or only countries?
United Nations member states only. Pew’s religious composition table also covers territories and other places that are not member states, and more than one of those sits above the tenth-highest member state share. This ranking leaves all of them out.
Why does the table list eleven countries instead of ten?
Sudan and Tajikistan are both at 98.9% Muslim in Pew Research Center’s estimates for 2020, the joint tenth-highest share among United Nations member states, so the table lists eleven countries to fill the ten highest positions.
How fast is the global Muslim population growing?
Pew Research Center reports the global Muslim population grew 21% between 2010 and 2020, from 1.7 billion to 2.0 billion, making Muslims the fastest-growing religious group over that decade.
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