Most of the 25–30 million followers of Sikhism, the world's fifth-largest religion live in the northern Indian state of Punjab, the only Sikh-majority administrative division on Earth, but Sikh communities exist on every inhabited continent. Sizeable Sikh populations in countries across the world exist in India (20,833,116), Canada (~771,800), England (~520,100), the United States (~280,000), Italy (~220,000), and Australia (~210,400), while countries with the largest proportions of Sikhs include Canada (2.12%), India (1.72%), New Zealand (1.07%), Cyprus (~1.1%) England (0.92%), and Australia (0.83%).
Administrative divisions with significant proportions of Sikhs include Punjab, India (Sikhs account for 58% of the population), Chandigarh, India (13.1%), British Columbia, Canada (5.9%), Haryana, India (4.9%), Delhi, India (3.4%), West Midlands, England (2.9%), Manitoba, Canada (2.7%), Alberta, Canada (2.5%), Uttarakhand, India (2.3%), and Ontario, Canada (2.1%). Cities outside India with the largest Sikh populations are Brampton, Ontario, Canada (163,260); Surrey, British Columbia, Canada (154,415); and London, England (144,543).
At 93.33% Sikh, Tarn Taran is the world's most populated Sikh district or county.http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-01/DDW03C-01%20MDDS.XLS 2011 Census of India. Retrieved 27 August 2015. Located in the heart of the Majha region of Punjab founded by Guru Arjan Dev - the 5th Sikh guru,https://www.sikhnet.com/news/bliss-tarn-taran SikhNet. Retrieved: 30 July 2023 Tarn Taran also hosts the world's largest sarovar (sacred pool)https://www.sikhnet.com/news/bliss-tarn-taran SikhNet. Retrieved: 30 July 2023. even surpassing the great Darbar Sahib - Golden Temple in the neighbouring Amritsar district.
By country The figures on the table below are either based on each of the country's respective censuses or are calculated by specific organizations. Some of these figures are rounded off. In case of conflicting estimates, both the lowest and highest estimates are included. +Sikhs and Sikhism by countryCountryNo. of SikhsSikh % % of all SikhsYear/Source(s) Afghanistan *2022 Argentina *2012 Austria *2020 Australia *2021 Australian census Bangladesh *2020 Belgium *2020 Brazil *2018 Canada *2021 Canadian census Cyprus *2,2602021 Denmark *2019 Fiji *2007 France *2017 Georgia *2018 Germany *2017 Greece *2015 Hong Kong *2021 Iceland2013 India *2011 census of India Indonesia *2009 Iran *2015 Ireland *2022 census of Ireland Italy *2022 Kenya2013 Kuwait2021 Malaysia *2016 Nepal *2011 Nepal census Netherlands *2022 New Zealand *2023 New Zealand census Norway *2020 Oman2020 Pakistan *2023 Pakistani census Panama *2020 Philippines2020 Portugal *2020 Saudi Arabia2021 Singapore *2020 South Africa *2020 Spain *2020 Sweden *2020 Thailand *2005 Trinidad and Tobago *2022 Uganda2021 United Arab Emirates *2022 United Kingdom *2021 United Kingdom census United States *2021Total
Census Data As a religious minority, Sikhs have fought long and hard to get official status and to be counted in many countries across the world. Through the efforts of Sikh organisations and communities in their respective countries, there is now readily available population data on Sikhs as part of the census in the following territories: +Census DataCountrySikh Religion Sikh EthnicityRankYearYearResponse India4th20,833,1162011http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-01.html Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs. Archived from the original on 13 September 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2015. Canada4th771,7902021194,6402021Multiple England4th520,092202198,6662021Single United States48,3212020Single70,6972020Multiple Australia5th210,4002021https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/community-profiles/2021/AUS/download/GCP_AUS.xlsx Abs.gov.au. Retrieved 2 July 2022.60,5012021Multiple New Zealand5th53,40620237,6112018Single9,1112018Multiple Pakistan4th15,9982023 Singapore6th12,0512020 Thailand6th11,1242010 Scotland5th10,9882022"Scotland's Census 2022 - Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion - Chart data". Retrieved 3 July 2024.8732011Multiple Wales5th4,04820216832021Single Austria6th2,7942001 Fiji4th2,5772007http://www.statsfiji.gov.fj/statistics/social-statistics/religion http://www.statsfiji.gov.fj Cyprus4th2,2602021 Ireland6th2,1832022https://data.cso.ie/table/FY030 Irish census. Retrieved 31 May 2023. Nepal7th1,4962021https://censusnepal.cbs.gov.np/results/files/caste/Religion_NPHC_2021.xlsx National Statistics Office. Northern Ireland6th3892021https://www.nisra.gov.uk/system/files/statistics/census-2021-ms-b21.xlsx Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.432021Single Mauritius1822022https://statsmauritius.govmu.org/Documents/Census_and_Surveys/Census2022/HPC_TR_Vol2_Demography_Yr22.pdf Statistics Mauritius, pp. 138 (PDF) Retrieved 17th May, 2024. Czech Republic860.00%2021https://scitani.gov.cz/docs/42301/aa331037-5c05-6d25-d9b9-07218379072e/sldb2021_pv_obyvatelstvo_podle_cirkvi_a_kraju.xlsx Czech Statistical Office, column 68 - excel file Poland830.00%2021Religious affiliation - 2021 National Census data for the country and territorial division unitshttps://stat.gov.pl/download/gfx/portalinformacyjny/pl/defaultaktualnosci/6536/10/1/1/przynaleznosc_wyznaniowa_-_dane_nsp_2021_dla_kraju_i_jednostek_podzialu_terytorialnego_1.xlsx Statistics Poland Faroe Islands7th32011 Official statistics do not count unregistered arrivals or those who have not completed the census or surveys. However, they do provide for a much more accurate depiction of Sikh communities as opposed to estimates from various Sikh organisations whose estimates can vary vastly with no statistically valuable source. Thus, official statistics and census data is highly important and Sikh communities continue to push for census inclusion in many countries where they are still not counted. +CountryBorn in CountryThose born in England, Canada, Australia, Singapore.Born OverseasThose born outside England, Canada, Australia, Singapore.DataTotal%Total% England296,67357.0%223,41943.0%2021 Canada236,40030.6%535,39069.4%2021 Australia51,93924.9%157,94075.1%2021 Singapore8,36969.5%3,68230.5%2020 Wales2,43160.1%1,61739.9%2021 Cyprus562.5%2,20497.5%2021 Canada has the largest Sikh population outside India, this is largely due to those born overseas outside Canada numbering 500,000+. Whilst England ranks number 1 for having the largest number born in the diaspora.
Formerly on census Afghanistan had Sikhism as an option on its only census ever held in 1979, the Afghan conflict prevented.ref></ref>
Austria measured Sikhism on the 2000 census but not the 2020 census.
Fiji recorded Sikh population in 1966 census (3,002 or ), 1996 census (3,076 or ), and 2007 census (2,577 or ), but not on most recent 2017 census.
Malaysia recorded Sikh population.
Palestine recorded Sikhs in 1922.
Largest proportions and populations +RankProportionPopulationCountryProportionCountryPopulation12.12%23,786,00021.72%771,79031.07%524,00040.83%280,00050.80%210,40060.75%210,00070.56%100,00080.37%70,00090.35%53,406100.24%52,0001150,0001235,5401335,0001430,0001526,0001625,0001723,0001820,0001915,9982015,0002115,0002215,0002312,0512410,0002510,000
Historical Data The Afghan Sikh population declined from between 200,000 and 500,000 (1.8% to 4.6% of the Afghan population) in the 1970s to 45 in 2022 following decades of conflict.
+Sikhism by country (2001−2021)Country202120112001Change (2011-2021)Change (2001-2011)Source India20,833,11619,237,3911,595,7252011 Indian Census Canada771,790454,965278,410316,825176,555 England520,092420,196327,34399,89692,853 United States269,986189,242119,74080,74469,502 Australia210,40072,29617,437138,10154,859 New Zealand40,90819,1915,19934,21513,9924,2080.08%2,9750.06%4,0480.13%2,9620.10%2,0150.07%1,0869471,4960.01%6090.00%887 Fiji5000.10%2,5403,067 -5273890.02%2160.01%2190.01%173 -3https://www.nisra.gov.uk/system/files/statistics/census-2021-ms-b21.xlsx Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.http://www.ninis2.nisra.gov.uk/Download/Census%202011_Excel/2011/QS218NI.xls nisra.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2013.http://www.nisra.gov.uk/Census/2001%20Census%20Results/Key%20Statistics/KeyStatisticstoOutputAreaLevel.html nisra.gov.uk.
Other data Administrative divisions The following table will only list administrative divisions with 1,000 Sikhs or higher. +Sikhs by administrative division (2021)Administrative division Punjab, India16,004,754 Haryana1,243,752 Rajasthan872,930 Uttar Pradesh643,500 Delhi570,581 Ontario300,435 British Columbia290,870 Uttarakhand236,340 Jammu and Kashmir232,585 Maharashtra223,247 West Midlands172,398 Madhya Pradesh151,412 California146,614 London144,543 Chandigarh138,329 Alberta103,600 Victoria91,745 Himachal Pradesh79,896 South East74,348 Jharkhand71,422 Chhattisgarh70,036 West Bengal63,523 Gujarat58,246 East Midlands53,950 New South Wales47,165 Manitoba35,470 New York31,496 Telangana30,340 Karnataka28,773 Queensland27,713 East24,284 Yorkshire and the Humber24,034 Auckland23,832 Quebec23,345 Odisha21,991 Assam20,672 Western Australia18,583 Washington17,316 South Australia17,259 New Jersey15,417 Bihar14,753 Tamil Nadu14,601 North West11,862 Texas10,777 Andhra Pradesh9,904 Scotland9,055 Saskatchewan9,035 South West7,465 North East7,206 Indiana6,812 Virginia6,792 Michigan5,809 Punjab, Pakistan5,6490.00% Sindh5,1820.01% Illinois5,087 Bay of Plenty4,842 Nova Scotia4,730 Pennsylvania4,354 Australian Capital Territory4,323 Waikato4,074 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa4,0500.01% Wales4,048 Maryland4,013 Kerala3,814 Ohio3,517 Arunachal Pradesh3,287 Meghalaya3,045 Canterbury2,973 Massachusetts2,379 Florida2,359 Ladakh2,263 Tasmania2,208 Arizona2,177 Georgia2,173 Nagaland1,890 Sikkim1,868 New Brunswick1,780 Wellington1,647 Manipur1,527 Goa1,473 North Carolina1,431 Connecticut1,424 Wisconsin1,412 Northern Territory1,401 Hawke's Bay1,347 Colorado1,324 Andaman and Nicobar Islands1,286 Prince Edward Island1,165 Oregon1,130 Nevada1,118 Tripura1,070 Balochistan1,0570.01%
Sub-districts A sub-district is a local administrative division known as different names in respective countries: called tehsils in India, electoral districts in Canada and wards in England. These are smaller than counties or districts and consist of neighbourhoods and suburbs. Newton, Surrey is the only Sikh majority sub-district outside India with Sikhs representing 51.5% of the population in 2021.https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&GENDERlist=1,2,3&STATISTIClist=1,4&HEADERlist=0&DGUIDlist=2013A000459033&SearchText=Surrey%2D%2DNewton Accessed: 24 August 2023. There are however, a number of other neighbourhoods outside India where Sikhs form the largest group (plurality). +Neighbourhoods with Sikhs as Largest GroupNote: As of 2021, Canadian electoral districts are the smallest sub-districts available, they are large neighbourhoods in comparison to English wards that are smaller in population. There is no smaller neighbourhood statistics in Canada which explains the lack of Canadian sub-districts in table - as smaller neighbourhoods are more likely to have larger presence of minorities. For data clarity, all available neighbourhood sub-district data (large or small) have been merged. English ward details: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/articles/buildacustomareaprofile/2023-01-17 Canadian electoral district details: https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/index.cfm?Lang=ESub-district (neighbourhood)DivisionNation% SikhNewton - SurreyBritish Columbia51.5%Blakenhall - WolverhamptonWest Midlands40.7%Brampton East - PeelOntario40.4%Southall Green - EalingLondon36.8%Heston West - HounslowLondon31.8%Lady Margaret - EalingLondon28.2%Pinkwell - HillingdonLondon26.5%Norwood Green - EalingLondon26.2%
Municipalities