Hindu population in US up by over 1 mn

The population of Hindus in the US has registered a significant increase of over a million in the last seven years, <g data-gr-id="23">new</g> research study has shown.

The number of American Hindus rose from 0.4 <g data-gr-id="26">per cent</g> in 2007 to 0.7 <g data-gr-id="27">per cent</g> of the total US population in 2014, a rise of over a million in real terms, according to a latest Pew research study. 

Muslims constitute 0.9 <g data-gr-id="28">per cent</g> of the total US <g data-gr-id="31">population,</g> while the population of Buddhists remained at 0.7 per cent during this period, the study said.

Hindus, along with Jews, are the highest educated community with maximum annual family income among all religious groups, said the study released yesterday. “Fully 77 per cent of Hindus are college graduates, as are 59 <g data-gr-id="29">per cent</g> of Jews (compared with 27 <g data-gr-id="30">per cent</g> of all US adults),” it said. 

“These groups also have above-average household incomes. Fully 44 <g data-gr-id="18">per cent</g> of Jews and 36 <g data-gr-id="19">per cent</g> of Hindus say their annual family income exceeds $100,000, compared with 19 <g data-gr-id="20">per cent</g> of the public overall,” the study said.

According to the report, Hindus, Muslims and Jews are the three religious traditions that retain the largest shares of adherents raised within their group.

Among all US adults who say they were raised as Hindus, fully 80 <g data-gr-id="17">per cent</g> continue to identify with Hinduism as adults while most of those who no longer identify as Hindus now describe themselves as unaffiliated, it said.