Research counters nativist claims about Europe's Muslim population
A report from the Pew Research Center looks at projections depending on rates of welcoming refugees and immigrants.
Even if migration to Europe ceased—no immigrants, no refugees—the percentage of Muslims in the continent’s population would still rise over the next three decades.
Yet according to new projections by the Pew Research Center, even the scenario with the largest Muslim growth would leave the Muslim population considerably smaller than the populations of both Christians and people with no religion in Europe.
“There will be no country where Muslims make up more than a third of the population,” said Conrad Hackett, Pew’s associate director of research and senior demographer. “There have been sort of sensationalistic claims that due to different fertility or migration patterns, France or other countries might perhaps have a Muslim majority by midcentury. Even in our highest scenario, we just don’t find that to be an outcome that would materialize.”
