By Editor It could be that many of you don’t have the idea that there are as many as 53 muslim countries in the world, meaning in these countries, muslim population is in the absolute majority. And another interesting fact is that muslim population on the global stage is as much as 26% of the total population in the world. So, no doubt, these facts alone can intrigue you more about knowing which are the highest muslim population countries in the world, right? That’s pretty much why we’re here with a list of the 10 Highest Muslim Population Countries in the World 2026.
1. Indonesia
Not a single doubt in the fact that at present, like in 2026, the highest population of Muslims is living in Indonesia, and that is close to 242.7 million muslims. And to give you some perspective on how big of a number that is, well, Indonesia alone has about 12% of the total muslim population on a global level. That’s HUGE! Although the growth in population has decelerated a bit over the years, the country’s large size is a guarantee that it will be first for a long time. So, for those thinking that it could be some Middle Eastern country where the biggest muslim country should be, then you’re wrong.
2. Pakistan
Then comes Pakistan, and yes, in terms of numbers, Pakistan is just a little short behind Indonesia in terms of total number of Muslims that live there. To talk in numbers, well, we’re mentioning about 240.8 million muslims overall that live within the borders of this muslim majority nation. And just so you know, like why we’re calling it a Muslim majority country, that’s just because muslims are 95% of the total population there. And sure enough, compared to Indonesia, the Muslim population here is increasing at a faster rate, hence, several specialists are of the opinion that Pakistan might take over the first spot in the next few years.
3. India
Then comes India. And for those hearing about for the very first time, it might be a shock to many of you because India is a Hindu majority country, but still, millions and millions of muslims live there. So much so, there are about 200 million Muslims in India, which is more than in most of the Muslim-majority countries out there. The main reason for such a huge figure is that India is the second most populous country in the world. Even with the relatively slow-paced growth, India has always been an extremely significant country for the global Muslim population.
4. Bangladesh
At number four, Bangladesh remains one of the strongest Muslim countries in the world with almost 150.8 million Muslim population. Islam is the religion of the majority, over 91% of the total population, thus, it is one of the Muslim-majority countries in the world. In fact, the small land area of Bangladesh, along with its very high population density has greatly contributed to its extremely high total population.
5. Nigeria
And then we have to travel to Nigeria for the next country where Muslim population is the 5th highest in the world, and yes, it is Nigeria that we’re talking about. To be precise about the numbers, actually, the country’s Muslim population was projected to range between 95 and 97 million in 2026. While the main religion in the north is Islam, Christianity is the dominant religion in the south.
6. Egypt
Egypt? Yes, many people in the world don’t know this but Egypt right now is a truly muslim majority country, with as many as 85 to 90 million muslims living there as of 2026. And as we hinted it away already, Islam is the religion followed by over 90% of the population of Egypt, which makes it the largest Muslim-majority nation in the Arab world. Egypt’s large population base and rapid growth allow it to maintain this position without any difficulties.
7. Turkey
Just a little less than Egypt, there is Turkey with about 78 to 84 million Muslims living there, and that’s why it is ranked 7th. And as you might have heard about it already like Turkey’s official stance is secular, but most of the people are Muslims. So, it is more like just a show. The population growth in Turkey is not very high and that is the reason why over the years the country has maintained its position.
8. Iran
Iran is in the headlines lately because of whatever problems going on down there, but yes, in the Muslim world (among the 53 muslim countries), Iran surely is a special one, and this is where you’ll find the absolute majority of muslims, as many as 82.5 million Muslims living there. Other than that, you should know the fact that besides all this, Iran is the biggest Shia-majority country in the world.
9. Algeria
Now there is a huge drop in the total number of muslims in the 9th spot, with Algeria being ranked here with only 43.7 million total muslim population. And once again, it is also a total muslim majority country with as many as 99% people practicing or following Islam.
10. China
At last, there is China, and yes, it might be a little shocking to you, but the fact is, there are as many as 20 to 25 million muslims currently living in China. Though there are controversies surrounding how they’re forced to practice Islam the way China wants, but number-wise, we had to rank this nation here and that’s what we did.
Conclusion
We can just keep on going with this list because remember, there are as many as 53 total muslim countries, and other than that, there are some non-Muslim countries too where they live in greater numbers. But for the sake of keeping it just a top ten list, this much of information is enough.