THIS Muslim nation is home to highest number of Hindu migrants; not Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, the country is…
Wyatt Mason 
The United States is home to second-largest number of Hindu migrants (2.6 million), accounting for 19% of total migrants, while other popular destinations include Islamic nations such as United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, where Hindus from India primarily migrate to work as temporary workers.
Major demographic changes are expected in the global population in the next couple of decades with Islam poised to replace Christianity as the largest religion in the world by the year 2060. At present, the Muslims and Christians are the two most dominant populations, with over 200 crore members each, while Hindus are the third largest religious group at around 150 crore, with half of these residing in India alone, followed by nearby Nepal and Bhutan.
However, according to a Pew Research Center report, a good portion of Hindus have migrated to other parts of the world from their native countries. As per the report, around 13 million (1.3 crore) Hindu migrants are residing outside their country of birth, which is mere 5 percent of the total number of international migrants, and way below the global average of 15 percent.
The Pew Research report reveals that on average, Hindu migrants travel distance of 3,100 miles from their country of origin, which is more than the average of 2,200 miles for overall migrants. The largest number of Hindu migrants reside in the Asia-Pacific region, while other major destinations include the Middle East-North Africa (24%) and North America (22%).
Favorite destinations for Hindu migrants
According to the reports, an overwhelming chunk of Hindu migrants, around 95%, comes from the Asia-Pacific region, primarily because most of them are natives of Hindu-majority India, where at least 80 percent population are Hindus. India is also the favored destination for Hindu migrants from nearby countries, especially Pakistan and Bangladesh, the report notes, adding that the millions of Hindus migrated to India from these two Muslim-majority nations after the 1947 partition.
The United States is home to second-largest number of Hindu migrants (2.6 million), accounting for 19% of total migrants, while other popular destinations include Islamic nations such as United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, where Hindus from India primarily migrate to work as temporary workers in various sectors.
Largest source of Hindu migrants
The report reveals that India is by far the largest source of Hindu migrants, with over 7.6 million (7.6 crore) Hindus residing in other countries, contributing 57% to the total number of Hindu migrants.
India’s neighbour, Bangladesh, is the second-largest source, accounting for 1.6 million or 12% of total Hindu migrants, followed by Nepal (1.5 million or 11%), and Pakistan.
Muslim population in India
Meanwhile, according to another report by the Pew Research Center, around 19.4 percent of India’s population will be Muslim by 2060, against 14.9 percent it had in 2015. The report estimates that India’s Muslim population will reach 33 crore in the next 36 years.
It further estimates that the population of Christians will increase by 34 percent, while the Hindu population is expected to grow by just 27, below the global population growth average, by 2060. At present, Christians and Hindus constitute 34 and 15 percent of the global population, respectively.
