The report Europe’s Growing Muslim Population by Pew Research Center predicts that the Muslim population in Europe will increase by 2050. According to Pew statistics, the Muslim population of Europe will rise from the current five per cent to fourteen per cent of the European population. Between mid-2010 and mid-2016, Britain was the top destination country for regular Muslim immigrants. Projections show that the Muslim population of Britain will continue to increase until 2050. This article answers the question of what the Muslim population in the UK in 2050 will be.
The increase of the European Muslim population until 2050
According to the 2016 statistics, the largest Muslim population is in France (6 million), Germany (5 million), Great Britain (4.5 million) and Italy (3 million). According to Pew’s research, in 2050, the Muslim population of Germany will reach 17 million, 13 million in Britain, 13 million in France, and 8 million in Italy. Europe’s Muslim population will reach 75 million from the current 30 million. These demographic changes have led to political and social changes in many European countries, especially following the recent arrival of millions of refugees, many of whom are Muslims. For example, in the recent national elections in France and Germany, immigration, mainly Muslim immigration, was one of the main issues of the election contests.
The situation of Muslim immigrants in Britain
Britain ranks third in terms of Muslim population after Germany and France. The article states that a relatively small number (60,000) of recent immigrants to the UK were refugees, while the number of ordinary immigrants who have set foot in the country in recent years is more than 1.5 million. Overall, it is estimated that 43% of all immigrants who arrived in the UK between mid-2010 and mid-2016 were Muslims. Britain has one of the lowest levels of hostility towards Iraqi and Syrian refugees.
44% increase in the Muslim population of Britain
Official statistics indicate a rapid increase in the Muslim population in the UK in 2050. According to the Office for National Statistics(ONS), the Muslim population of this country has increased by 44% compared to the last decade. This report shows that 6.5 per cent, equivalent to 3.9 million people, of the approximately 68 million British population are Muslims, according to the 2021 statistics. A 44% increase in the number of people who identify as Muslim in the UK is estimated at 1.2 million people. Before this, people who believed in Islam constituted 4.9% of the British population. Another report indicates that 46.2 per cent of people in England and Wales consider themselves Christians, while this rate has decreased by 13.1 per cent compared to 2011.
UK to surpass Germany in attracting immigrants shortly
Germany was the destination of more Muslim migrants than Britain (850,000 vs. 690,000), combining Muslim refugees and regular Muslim migrants. Germany has the largest population and economy in Europe. This country is located in the continent’s centre and has favourable policies towards asylum seekers. However, the UK was the destination of more migrants from outside Europe between mid-2010 and mid-2016 (1.6 million). A relatively small number of immigrants to Britain in recent years (60,000) were refugees. On the other hand, more than 1.5 million ordinary immigrants arrived there in recent years. Overall, it is estimated that 43% of all immigrants to the UK between mid-2010 and mid-2016 were Muslim.
Britain is the leading destination for economic migrants
According to Pew Research Center forecasts, Britain is the leading destination for economic migrants heading to Europe. Germany is also a major destination for refugees. Among Western European countries with the largest Muslim population, German Muslim women have relatively low fertility. They have only 1.9 children per woman (compared to 1.4 for non-Muslim Germans). Meanwhile, Muslims in Britain and France have an average of 2.9 children, one whole child per woman more than non-Muslims.
Muslim population in the UK in 2050
The non-Muslim population in Europe is projected to decline between now and 2050. In 2016, France and Germany had the most significant number of Muslims in Europe. But the Muslim population in the UK in 2050 will surpass them with a forecast of 13 million Muslims (compared to 12.6 million in France and 8.5 million in Germany). This is because the UK was the top destination country for regular Muslim immigrants (vs. refugees) between mid-2010 and mid-2016. France and Britain are projected to be approximately 17% Muslim by 2050.
The birth gap between Muslims and non-Muslims in Britain
Muslim population in the UK in 2050 will increase because the birth of Muslims is more than non-Muslims. Britain has one of the most significant gaps in birth rates between Muslims and non-Muslims. On average, Muslim women have 2.9 children, and non-Muslim women have 1.8 children. This means that even if immigration were to stop completely, the Muslim population in Britain would still increase by more than 3%. If immigration continues at the same current rate, but the entry of refugees is stopped, British Muslims, with thirteen million people, constitute 16.7% of the total population of this country.
British Muslim population growth trend over the next three decades
Europe has seen a sharp increase in Muslim immigration in the last two decades. The UK has so far shown that it is more attractive in attracting Muslim immigrants. Projections show that the number of Muslims in Britain will increase by 2050. Muslim population in the UK in 2050 will grow and reach nearly 20% of the country’s population. The UK absorbs Muslim immigrants more than other European countries, and Britain is an attractive destination for economic immigrants. With the continuation of the current trend of Muslim immigration to Britain, a significant part of the British economy in 2050 will be in the hands of Muslims.
