The state religion in Pakistan is Islam. The majority of Pakistanis are Muslims (96.47%) followed by Hindus (2.14%) and Christians (1.27%). There are also people in Pakistan who follow other religions, such as Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, and the minority of Parsi (who follow Zoroastrianism).

Source: Pakistan Census 2017

Islam in Pakistan

Islam is the state religion of Pakistan, and about 96% of Pakistanis are Muslim. Pakistan has the second largest number of Muslims in the world after Indonesia. The majority are Sunni (85% to 90%) while Shias make up between 10% and 15%. Smaller minority Muslim populations in Pakistan include Quranists and nondenominational Muslims. There are also two Mahdi’ist-based creeds practiced in Pakistan, namely Mahdavia and Ahmadis, the latter of whom are considered by the constitution of Pakistan to be non-Muslims and constitute 1% of the Muslim population.

Nearly all Pakistani Sunni Muslims belong to the Hanafi Islamic school of thought, while a small number belong to the Hanbali school. The majority of Pakistani Shia Muslims belong to the Twelver (Ithna Asharia) branch, with the significant minority who adhere to the Ismailism branch that is composed of Nizari (Aga Khanis), Mustaali, Dawoodi Bohra, Sulaymani, and others. 

Hinduism in Pakistan

Hinduism is the second-largest religious affiliation in Pakistan after Islam. As of 2020, Pakistan has the fourth largest Hindu population in the world after India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. According to the 2017 Census, There are 4.4 million Hindus in Pakistan out of 207.68 million total population comprising 2.14% of the country’s population. Hindus are found in all provinces of Pakistan but are mostly concentrated in Sindh. About 93% of Hindus live in Sindh, 5% in Punjab, and nearly 2% in Balochistan.

Christianity in Pakistan

Christians make up 1.6% of Pakistan’s population. Most of the Pakistani Christian community consists of Punjabis who converted during the British colonial era and their descendants. Pakistani Christians mainly live in Punjab and in urban centers.