Hinduism in Sierra Leone is the religion of some South Asian expatriates. [1] Hindus in Sierra Leone are primarily of South Asian descent and are usually traders. [2] There were 3,550 Hindus (0.05%) in Sierra Leone in 2015, according to ARDA. [3]
Freetown, the capital and principal city of Sierra Leone, has a large Hindu community, including a Hindu association and a priest. Hindus are allowed cremation in Freetown. [4]
Following the exodus of expatriates in 1999 during the Sierra Leone civil war, the Indian community numbers dwindled to about 1500, mostly businessmen of Sindhi origin. [5]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 4,750 | — |
| 2007 | 1,942 | −59.1% |
| 2015 | 3,550 | +82.8% |
| Source: [6] [7] [8] | ||
| Year | Percent | Increase |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 0.1% | - |
| 2007 | 0.04% | -0.6 |
| 2015 | 0.05% | +0.01 |
In 2001, there were 4,750 Hindus (0.1%) which decreased to 1,942 Hindus (0.04%) in 2007 and then increased to 3,550 Hindus (0.05%) in 2015. [9] [10] [11]
There is a functioning Hindu temple in Freetown. [12] It is run by the local Temple Committee. [13]
Hinduism in Southeast Asia had a profound impact on the region's cultural development and its history. As the Indic scripts were introduced from India, people of Southeast Asia entered the historical period by producing their earliest inscriptions around the 1st to 5th century CE. Today, Hindus in Southeast Asia are mainly Overseas Indians and Balinese. There are also Javanese and Balamon Cham minority in Cambodia and south central Vietnam who also practice Hinduism.
Hinduism is a minority religion in South America, which is followed by even less than 1% of the total continent's population. Hinduism is found in several countries, but is strongest in the Indo-Caribbean populations of Guyana and Suriname. There are about 320,000 Hindus in South America, chiefly the descendants of Indian indentured laborers in the Guianas. There are about 185,000 Hindus in Guyana, 120,000 in Suriname, and some others in French Guiana. In Guyana and Suriname, Hindus form the second largest religion and in some regions and districts, Hindus form the majority. Though in recent times, due to influence of Hindu culture the number of Hindus converts have increased in other countries in South America, including Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela and others.
Hinduism has been found in the Middle East since the mid-19th century. Millions of members of the Indian diaspora, of different religions, reside and work in Arab states of the Persian Gulf; many of them are Hindu. Many came due to the migration of Indians and Nepalese expatriates and employees to the area around the Persian Gulf.
Hinduism has approximately 1.2 billion adherents worldwide. Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world behind Christianity (31.5%) and Islam (23.3%).
Hinduism is the fourth-largest religion in Malaysia. About 1.78 million Malaysian residents are Hindus, according to 2010 Census of Malaysia. This is up from 1,380,400 in 2000.
Hinduism is the 3rd largest religion in Saudi Arabia, followed by nearly 1.3% of total population residing in the nation. As of 2020, there were nearly 708,000 Hindus residing in Saudi Arabia, among whom most of them were Indians and Nepalis. There has been a large migration of Indians to Saudi Arabia, with the number of Hindus also witnessing a growth.
Hinduism was introduced to Yemen by immigrant Indian and Nepalese workers. Hinduism in Yemen largely goes under the radar, and is only practiced by small congregations scattered around the country. An estimated 150,000 Hindus resided in Yemen in 2010. That number increased to 202,700 in 2020.
Recent archaeological and other evidence suggests Hinduism has had some cultural, economic, political and religious influence in the Philippines. Among these is the 9th century Laguna Copperplate Inscription found in 1989, deciphered in 1992 to be Kawi script with Sanskrit words; the golden Agusan statue discovered in another part of Philippines in 1917 has also been linked to Hinduism.
Hinduism is a minor religion in Iran. As of 2015, there were 39,200 Hindus residing in Iran.
Hinduism is a minority religion in Japan mainly followed by the Indian and Nepali expatriate residents of Japan, who number about 166,550 people as of 2022.
Hinduism is a minority faith in Kenya, constituting 0.13% of the population of Kenya. Due to the efforts of the Hindu Council of Kenya, Kenya is one of only three African countries to recognise Hinduism as a religion. Hindus are free to practise their religion in Kenya, and several Kenyan cities have Hindu temples. The Hindu temples in Kenya are mostly of north and west Indian architectural style.
Hinduism in Uganda arrived when the colonial British Empire brought Hindus along with other Indian workers to its East African colonies in late 19th and early 20th centuries. The largest arrival of Hindu immigrants to Uganda, some educated and skilled but mostly poor and struggling from the famine-prone areas of Punjab and Gujarat, was to help construct the Kenya-Uganda Railway connecting landlocked parts of Uganda and Kenya with the port city of Mombasa. The largest departure of Hindus from Uganda occurred when General Idi Amin expelled them and seized their properties in 1972.
Hinduism in Kazakhstan is represented mainly by the ISKCON followers and by expatriate Hindus from India. The Census in Kazhakhstan doesn't recognize Hinduism. According to an estimate, there are about 500 Hare Krishna devotees in Kazakhstan. There were about 801 Hindus in Kazakhstan in 2010 according to ARDA. As of 2020, there were about 1878 Hindus in Kazakhstan.
Mauritius is the only African Union country where Hinduism is the dominant religion, with about 50% of the population as followers in 2011. Hinduism is the second largest religion in Réunion (6.7%) and Seychelles (2.4%).
Hinduism is a minority faith in Belize. According to 2010 census, 0.2% of Belize population is Hindu.
Hinduism is a minority religion in Sweden practised by 0.13% of the population or 13,000 people out of a population of 10.5 million. Hinduism is practised mainly by persons of Indian origin and non-resident Indians together. A majority of them are Tamils, Punjabis, Bengalis, Gujaratis, Telugu's and Kannadigas.
Hinduism is a major and one of the most-followed religion in Asia, that was more than 26.2% of Asia's total population. In 2020, the total number of Hindus in Asia is more than 1.2 billion. Asia constitute in absolute terms the world's Hindu population and about 99.2% of the world's Hindus live in Asia, with India having the absolute proportion of Hindus having 94% of global Hindu population. Other Asian nations with notable Hinduism population includes, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and United Arab Emirates. Asia is home to the largest Hindu population, mainly in the Indian subcontinent region.
Hinduism is the second-largest religion in Suriname. According to ARDA, there are 129,440 Hindus in Suriname as of 2015, constituting 23.15% of the population. Suriname has the second largest percentage of Hindus in the Western Hemisphere, after Guyana (24.8%).
Hinduism is the third largest religion in Malta after Christianity and Islam. However, it's not recognized as a formal religion. As of the 2021 census, there are 6,411 Hindus in Malta that constituted 1.42% of its population.
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