wfn.org | Islam Second Largest Religion in Europe

[APD <APD_Info_Schweiz@compuserve.com>]

September 16, 2001
Adventist Press Service (APD)
Christian B. Schaeffler, Editor-in-chief
Fax +41-61-261 61 18
APD@stanet.ch
http://www.stanet.ch/APD
CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland

Islam Will Be the Second Largest Religion in 
Europe Soon
Nearly 52 Million Muslims - Annual Growth Rate: 
6.5 Per Cent

Soest, Germany.    The number of Muslims in 
Europe is much higher than expected. 
51.8 million Muslims live on the traditionally 
Christian continent, according to the Central 
Institute Islam Archives in Soest, Germany.

So far, the institute had put the number of 
Muslims in Europe, including Russia, at 33.4 
million. But Islam is growing at an annual rate 
of 6.5 per cent. If this trend continues, 
Muslims will be the second largest religious 
group - behind Catholics - by the year 2014.

The institute bases its findings on official 
figures issued by individual countries. Russia, 
including Siberia and Chechnya, has 25 million 
Muslims, more than any other European country. 
Russia is followed by the European region of 
Turkey (5.7 million), France (5 million), and 
Germany (3.5 million).

Muslims hold the majority in Turkey, Albania 
and Bosnia. In some countries, they have 
overtaken Protestantism as the second largest 
religious constituency behind Catholicism. This 
is the case in Belgium, France, Italy and 
Spain. In Austria, the number of Protestants 
and Muslims are roughly the same.

Muslims come second to the Orthodox Church in 
Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Russia and Serbia. 
Out of the 750 million Europeans 269 million 
are Catholics, 171 million Orthodox, 79 million 
Protestants and 28 million Anglicans. 
(127/2001)