South Asia Is Home to the World’s Largest Shia Populations Outside Iran

When discussions about Shia Islam arise, the focus often turns immediately to Iran. But global demographic data tells a more nuanced story.

According to estimates from the Pew Research Center, the world’s Shia population is roughly 154–200 million people, representing about 10–13% of all Muslims worldwide.

What is often overlooked is the central role of South Asia.

Top 5 countries with the largest Shia populations (in absolute numbers):
Iran – about 66–70 million
Pakistan – about 17–26 million
India – about 16–24 million
Iraq – about 19–24 million
Turkey – about 7–11 million

Two striking insights emerge.

First, while Iran remains the only large Shia-majority country, the second and third largest Shia populations in the world live in Pakistan and India.

Second, South Asia collectively hosts one of the largest concentrations of Shia Muslims globally. Even though Shias represent roughly 10–15% of Muslims in Pakistan and India, the sheer population size of these countries means their Shia communities rank among the largest in the world.

Data source: Pew Research Center global estimates of Shia populations.