Hinduism in Pakistan
Hinduism is the second-largest religion in Pakistan, with 2.17% of the population being Hindus, around 5.2 million people, according to the 2023 Pakistani census. However, the Pakistan Hindu Council claims 8-10 million Hindus, making up 4% of the population.[1] Umerkot District has the highest percentage of Hindus, at 52.2% of the population. Tharparkar District has the most Hindus in total, with 714,698 people.[2]
Most Hindus in Pakistan live in Punjab and Sindh. They speak different languages like Sindhi, Gujarati, Telugu, Tamil, Seraiki, Aer and Dhatki. In rural Sindh, the diversity of beliefs often makes it hard to define Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Islam strictly. Even though Pakistan is mostly Muslim, Sindh has a strong Hindu heritage.[3]
Persecution
Hindus are one of the most persecuted minorities in Pakistan. When the country was created, Hindus accounted for 19.2% of Pakistan'spopulation. In 2025, Hindus account for merely 1.6% of the country's population. The steep decline in Pakistani Hindus population is a continous result of systematic rape, abduction and forced marriage of underaged Hindu girls by Muslims. Forced coversions of Hindus and organized killings by the fraudulent use and weaponization of Islamic blasphemy laws have led to the dwindling population of this persecuted minority. [4]
The Pakistani constitution officially prohibits non-Muslims from holding positions in the country like president, prime minister and chief justice. The Pakistani justice system is negligent in protecting minorities, as is well documented in journals and studies on the websites of the United Nations and Pew Research Center.
Demographics
Population
The official number of Hindus living in Pakistan was 5.2 million, or 2.17% of the population, in the country's 2023 census. However, demographic experts of Pakistan and various Hindu politicians in the have given different estimates based on their research:
| Source/claimed by | Population | Year of claimed |
|---|---|---|
| Pakistan Hindu Council[5] | 8,000,000 | 2020 |
| Gulf News (U.A.E based)[6] | 8,800,000 | 2019 |
| The Economic Times (according to an official estimation)[7] | 7,500,000 | 2021 |
| According to Hindu community of Pakistan[7] | 9,000,000 | 2021 |
| Claimed by Mangla Sharma, member provincial assembly (MPA) from Muttahida Quami Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P)[8] | 10,000,000 | 2020 |
Percentage by district
Following is a table showing the percentage of Hindus in the districts of Pakistan:
| Administrative Unit | District | Percentage of Hindus |
|---|---|---|
| Sindh | Umerkot | 54.53% |
| Tharparkar | 43.39% | |
| Mirpurkhas | 38.74% | |
| Tando Allahyar | 34.17% | |
| Badin | 23.61% | |
| Tando Muhammad Khan | 22.25% | |
| Sanghar | 21.79% | |
| Matiari | 16.66% | |
| Hyderabad | 8.22% | |
| Ghotki | 6.19% | |
| Karachi South | 4.01% | |
| Jamshoro | 3.87% | |
| Shaheed Benazirabad | 3.86% | |
| Sukkur | 3.55% | |
| Kashmore | 3.22% | |
| Thatta | 3% | |
| Sujawal District | 2.91% | |
| Khairpur | 2.76% | |
| Jacobabad | 2.16% | |
| Malir | 1.77% | |
| Naushahro Feroze | 1.64% | |
| Larkana | 1.45% | |
| Shikarpur | 1.4% | |
| Karachi East | 1.38% | |
| Punjab | Rahim Yar Khan | 3.12% |
| Bahawalpur | 1.12% | |
| Balochistan | Sibi | 2.4% |
| Lasbela | 1.58% | |
| Jaffarabad | 1.34% | |
| Kacchi | 1.04% | |
| Mastung | 1% | |
| Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | Kohat | 1% |
References
- ↑ "Headcount finalised sans third-party audit". The Express Tribune. 2018-05-26. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
- ↑ "Hindu Population (PK) – Pakistan Hindu Council". 2018-03-15. Archived from the original on 2018-03-15. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
- ↑ Maclean, Derryl N. (1989). Religion and Society in Arab Sind. Brill. p. 52. ISBN 90-04-08551-3.
- ↑ US state department publish human rights report on afghanistan. University of Arizona Libraries. 2000.
- ↑ "Hindu Population (PK) – Pakistan Hindu Council". Pakistan Hindu Council. 13 January 2017. Archived from the original on 15 August 2020. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
- ↑ "Hindus of Pakistan reject CAA, do not want Indian Prime Minister Modi's offer of citizenship". Gulf News. 18 December 2019. Archived from the original on 18 December 2019. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Pakistan: Hindu community pardons mob accused of vandalising temple". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
- ↑ "Two years after it counted population, Pakistan silent on minority numbers". The Indian Express. 2020-01-07. Archived from the original on 31 December 2020. Retrieved 2021-05-06.