Islam in Nepal

इस्लाम

Nepal's third-largest religion, concentrated in the Terai plains.

Followers

1,483,066

Census 2021

Share of Nepal

5.09%

Change since 2011

+0.70 pp

About

Islam is followed mainly by the Musalman community of the southern Terai, with deep historical roots dating back centuries through trade and migration across the India border.

Nepal's Muslim population grew as a share of the total between 2011 and 2021. Mosques and madrasas are concentrated in Terai districts such as Banke, Kapilvastu, Rautahat and Bara.

Questions

Islam in Nepal, answered

What percentage of Nepal is Islam?+

Islam is followed by 5.09% of Nepal's population — 1,483,066 people (Census 2021). The share changed by +0.70 pp.

How many Islams are there in Nepal?+

There are 1,483,066 Islam followers in Nepal according to the 2021 census.

Other religions of Nepal

Prakriti (nature worship) · 0.35%

Bon · 0.23%

Others (Jain, Sikh, Bahá'í) · 0.02%

← All religions of Nepal

Sources & data note

All population, ethnicity, language and religion figures are the final published counts of the National Population and Housing Census 2021 (National Statistics Office). The NSO enumerates 142 caste/ethnic groups and 124 mother tongues; entries for 'others/foreigners/not stated' explain small residuals. Where community-chosen names replaced older census labels (Bishwokarma for Kami, Pariyar for Damai/Dholi, Mijar for Sarki), both are shown. Language-family shares follow the NSO's own table (Indo-Aryan 83.07%, Sino-Tibetan 16.59%); some secondary sources round differently.