Sikhism By Country

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%). Meanwhile, 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. Located in the heart of the Majha region of Punjab founded by Guru Arjan Dev - the 5th Sikh guru, Tarn Taran also hosts the world's largest sarovar (sacred pool) 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.

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:

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.

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.

Largest proportions and populations

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.

Other data

Administrative divisions

The following table will only list administrative divisions with 1,000 Sikhs or higher.

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).

Municipalities

File:Front_view_of_Gurudwara_Bangla_Sahib,_Delhi.jpg, Gurudwara Bangla Sahib is located in Delhi. India's capital and second-largest city with nearly 20 million inhabitants, Delhi was home to 570,581 Sikhs at the 2011 census, the largest municipal Sikh population in the world.
File:Gurdwara_Dasmesh_Darbar_Ontario_temple.jpg, Gurdwara Dasmesh Darbar is located in Brampton, Ontario. Home to 163,260 Sikhs at the 2021 census, Brampton has the world's largest municipal Sikh population outside India.
File:AmbSahib.jpg, Gurdwara Amb Sahib is located in Mohali, Punjab, the largest Sikh-majority city on Earth with a total population of 166,864 at the 2011 census.

See also

* Sikh diaspora
* Punjabis

* List of religious populations

Notes

References

{{Religion country lists

Sikh enclaves