Religion in Kerala

Religion in Kerala (2011 census)[1]

  Hinduism (54.73%)
  Islam (26.56%)
  Christianity (18.38%)
  Other / None (0.33%)
Thirunavaya Navamukunda Temple.
A rebuilt structure of the old Cheraman Juma Mosque
Palayur Saint Thomas Church of Syrian Christians.
Paradesi Synagogue in 1344 AD.

Religion in Kerala is diverse. According to 2011 census of India figures, 54.73% of Kerala's population are Hindus, 26.56% are Muslims, 18.38% are Christians, and the remaining 0.33% follow other religions or have no religion.[2] As of 2020, Hindus, Muslims, Christians and others account for 41.5%, 43.9%, 13.9% and 0.7% of the total child births in the state, respectively.[3]

The historical legends regarding the origin of Kerala are Hindu in nature. Kerala produced several saints and movements. Adi Shankara was a religious philosopher who contributed to Hinduism and propagated the philosophy of Advaita. Hindus represent the biggest religious group in all districts except Malappuram, where they are outnumbered by Muslims.[4] Various tribal people in Kerala have retained the religious beliefs of their ancestors.[4][5] In comparison with the rest of India, Kerala experiences relatively little sectarianism.[6]

  1. ^ "Population by religious community - 2011". 2011 Census of India. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner. Archived from the original on 25 August 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  2. ^ "Population by religious communities – Census of India". Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  3. ^ "Annual Vital Statistics Report – 2020, Page Number 109" (PDF). Government of Kerala, Vital Statistics Division, Department of Economics & Statistics, Thiruvananthapuram. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference thehindu1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Annual Vital Statistics Report – 2018, Page Number 92" (PDF). Government of Kerala, Vital Statistics Division Department of Economics & Statistics Thiruvananthapuram. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  6. ^ Heller P (4 May 2003). "Social capital as a product of class mobilization and state intervention: Industrial workers in Kerala, India". University of California: 49–50. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)