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Hinduism Around the World Promoting Human Dignity Mutual Respect & Pluralism

the global Hindu population

Hinduism around the world there are approximately 1 BILLION global followers Hinduism is the THIRD-LARGEST RELIGION in the world though 90% LIVE ON THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT the Hindu diaspora spread Hinduism onto every continent…

HINDUISM AROUND THE WORLD Canada 685,000 United States 2,400,000 Cuba 24,000 Martinique & Guadaloupe 50,000 Jamaica 31,000 Panama 10,000 Colombia 9,000 Brazil 3,000 Argentina 5,000 Netherlands 200,000 UK 966,000 Germany 98,000 France 65,000 Belgium 7,600 Austria 9,600 Spain 23,000 Portugal 56,000 Greece 6,000 Lebanon 10,000 Egypt 1,000 Gulf States 3,877,000 Ethiopia 4,000 Libya 10,000 Trinidad 402,000 Guyana 318,000 Suriname 144,000 French Guyana 2,900 Nigeria 20,000 Uganda 254,000 Zambia 39,000 Malawi 30,000 Botswana 7,000 Ghana 12,000 Zimbabwe 123,000 Mozambique 43,000 Rwanda 11,600 Norway 25,000 Sweden 11,000 Slovakia 5,400 Denmark 6,000 Switzerland 30,000 Ukraine 46,000 Uzbekistan 3,000 Kazakhstan 3,300 Iran 15,000 Nepal 23,000,000 Pakistan 3,000,000 India 1,010,000,000 Sri Lanka 3,100,000 Yemen 157,000 Somalia 2,900 Kenya 386,000 Tanzania 389,000 Mauritius 640,000 Reunion 177,000 Madagascar 20,700 South Africa 959,000 Seychelles 4,00o Malaysia 1,737,000 Singapore 262,000 Russia 61,000 Hong Kong 41,000 Japan 8,000 Bhutan 167,000 Cambodia 40,000 Bangladesh 15,800,000 Myanmar 2,336,000 China 16,000 Vietnam 50,000 Thailand 68,000 Philippines 47,00o Indonesia 5,200,000 Brunei 6,000 Fiji 303,000 Australia 276,000 New Zealand 75,000 Hawaii 700

THREE HINDU MAJORITY COUNTRIES India Nepal Mauritius

the Hindu diaspora

HINDUISM BEGAN IN THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT

… AND GRADUALLY SPREAD TO SOUTHEAST ASIA to date, SOUTHEAST ASIA HAS THE TWO HIGHEST POPULATIONS OF NATIVE NON-INDIC HINDUS: the Balinese Hindus of Indonesia and the Cham people of Vietnam

DURING THE ERA OF COLONIALISM, HINDUS WERE TAKEN AS INDENTURED SERVANTS TO DUTCH & ENGLISH COLONIES

IN THE POST-COLONIAL ERA, MIGRATION CONTINUED today there are 3 MILLION HINDUS IN NORTH AMERICA

contemporary Hindu populations

the Indian Subcontinent India is home to most of the world’s Hindus, with Bangladesh having the second highest population in numbers. Pakistan has a small Hindu minority. Nepal was the last Hindu kingdom until Sri Lanka’s Tamil population is majority Hindu. There are smaller numbers of Hindus in Bhutan. Afghanistan, which once boasted a strong Hindu culture, has only several thousand Hindus.

the West Indies Following the end of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, hundreds of thousands of Hindus were taken to British & Dutch colonies such as Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago. The indentured servants primarily worked the sugar fields. Many were also exploited, as the women were used as mistresses for British colonial administrators. Due to aggressive proselytization and limits on their ability to practice their traditions, most Hindus in Jamaica eventually converted to Christianity. A population once thought to be as high as 50,000 dwindled to just under 1,500 by 2000, but recent immigration has steadily increased the population there. A Hindu temple in Paramaribo, Suriname

Southeast Asia / Asia Pacific The spread of Hinduism established powerful Hindu kingdoms in the region, most notably the Khmer Empire and influential kingdoms in the Indonesia archipelago. Though Buddhism and Hinduism co-existed in the region for several centuries, Buddhism (and Islam in Indonesia) eventually replaced Hinduism as a primary religion. Today, there are approximately 5 million Hindus in Indonesia, primarily in Bali. Today, Hindus are prominent in politics and business in all three countries, though they continue to experience discrimination as religious minorities.

Africa Hinduism came in waves to Africa, with Southern Africa getting Hindu workers during the early years of British colonization. Later, Hindus migrated to East and West Africa during the 20th century. Hindus played a significant role in the struggle against Apartheid. Figures such as Monty Naicker became leaders in the struggle against minority white rule. Today, the Hindu community remains a strong presence in major cities. Hinduism is the majority religion in Mauritius. In Ghana, it is one of the fastest growing religions. Hindus in Ghana celebrating the Hindu holiday, Ganesh Chaturti

Europe Hindus have been a multi- generational presence in the United Kingdom since the 19th century. Today, there are between 1 and 1.5 million Hindus living in the United Kingdom. There are between ,000 Hindus in the Netherlands. Other countries such as France also have significant Hindu populations. The spread of Hindu religious centers has helped to preserve and expand the faith. In the United States, Hindus number approximately 2 million. Canada also has a significant Hindu population of nearly one million.

KEY TAKEAWAYS 90% of Hindus live on the Indian Subcontinent but the effect of the Hindu diaspora can be seen worldwide Vietnam & Bali host the largest populations of native, non-Indic Hindus there are approximately 2 million Hindus in the United States

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