Picture for representational purpose: Photo: Reuters Picture for representational purpose: Photo: Reuters

India's Muslim population has grown by 24 per cent between 2001 and 2011 against national average of 18 per cent with the community's representation rising to 14.2 per cent from 13.4 percent of total population.

Jammu and Kashmir has the highest Muslim population (68.3 per cent), followed by Assam (34.2 per cent) and West Bengal (27 per cent), according to the census data on the population of religious groups. The growth rate of Muslim population in the country was around 29 per cent between 1991 and 2001. At 24 per cent, the growth rate of Muslim population is higher than the national average of 18 per cent for the decade (2001-11), reported PTI.

The most rapid rise in the share of Muslims in the total population was witnessed in Assam. Muslims constituted 30.9 per cent of the state's population in 2001 and it has risen to 34.2 per cent a decade later. Assam has been facing the problem of illegal immigration from Bangladeshi for last three decades.

Manipur is the only state where the percentage of their population has decreased -- from 8.8 per cent to 8.4 per cent. West Bengal, another state where illegal immigration from Bangladesh has been an issue, has also seen a rise in Muslim population from 25.2 per cent in 2001 to 27 per cent in 2011. It is a growth of 1.8 percentage points, more that double the national average for Muslim population (.8 per cent). Uttarakhand has also seen rise in the share of Muslim population from 11.9 per cent to 13.9 per cent, a growth of 2 percentage points, between 2001 and 2011, reported PTI.

Other states with a significant rise in the share of Muslims in the total population as per the 2011 census were Kerala (from 24.7 per cent to 26.6 per cent), Goa (6.8 per cent to 8.4 per cent), Jammu and Kashmir (67 per cent to 68.3 per cent), Haryana (5.8 per cent to 7 per cent) and Delhi (11.7 per cent to 12.9 per cent).