5 Christian Majority States of India
India is a land of religious diversity, with Hinduism being the primary faith. However, the Hindu and other Dharmic faith populations have experienced a significant decline in recent decades, due to falling fertility rates and conversions.
Simultaneously, the numbers of Muslims and Christians have increased due to conversions and illegal immigration from neighboring countries. This phenomenon has resulted in five Indian states – Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Meghalaya – having Christian majorities. With approximately 26 million followers, or 2.3% of India’s population, Christianity ranks as the third-largest religion in India, according to the 2011 census. This article highlights the five Indian states where Christians form the majority.
Christian Majority States of India:
1. Nagaland
| Year | Christian Population | % Annual Increase | % of Total Population of State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 195,588 | +99.4% | 52.98% |
| 1971 | 344,798 | +76.3% | 66.76% |
| 1981 | 621,590 | +80.3% | 80.21% |
| 1991 | 1,057,940 | +70.2% | 87.47% |
| 2001 | 1,790,349 | +69.2% | 89.97% |
| 2011 | 1,739,651 | -2.8% | 87.93% |
As of 2011, Nagaland had a population of 1,978,502, with Christianity being the predominant religion, accounting for 87.93% of the state’s population. Specifically, the 2011 census recorded 1,745,181 Christians in Nagaland.The Christian faith first took hold in Nagaland with the establishment of the first Naga Church on December 22, 1872, with 28 baptized members. Since then, Christianity has experienced remarkable growth among the Naga people, increasing from just 0.59% of the population in 1901 to the current majority.
Meanwhile, Hinduism and Islam, primarily practiced by Nagaland’s minority communities, account for smaller shares of the population, with 7.7% identifying as Hindu and 1.8% as Muslim, according to the 2011 census.
2. Mizoram
| Year | Christian Population | % Annual Increase | Total Population % of State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 177,563 | – | 90.5% |
| 1961 | 230,509 | +29.8% | 86.64% |
| 1971 | 286,141 | +24.1% | 86.09% |
| 1981 | 413,840 | +44.6% | 83.81% |
| 1991 | 591,342 | +42.9% | 85.73% |
| 2001 | 772,809 | +30.7% | 86.97% |
| 2011 | 956,331 | +23.7% | 87.16% |
Mizoram has a Christian population of 87%, making it the largest and most dominant religion in the state, with the majority being Presbyterian.
According to the 2001 census, other religious groups in Mizoram include Hindus, who account for 3.55%, mostly consisting of Manipuris. Buddhists make up 7.93%, mostly comprised of Chakma settlers. Muslims make up 1.1% of the population. Additionally, there are approximately 8,000 ethnic Mizos who follow Judaism as part of the Bnei Menashe group, who claim ancestral descent from the biblical tribe of Menasseh.
3. Meghalaya
| Year | Christian Population | % Annual Increase | % of Total Population of State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 149,390 | – | 24.67% |
| 1961 | 270,910 | +81.3% | 35.21% |
| 1971 | 475,267 | +75.4% | 46.98% |
| 1981 | 702,854 | +47.9% | 52.62% |
| 1991 | 1,146,092 | +63.1% | 64.58% |
| 2001 | 1,628,986 | +42.1% | 70.25% |
| 2011 | 2,213,027 | +35.9% | 74.59% |
Christianity has grown significantly in Meghalaya, rising from 24.67% of the state’s population in 1951 to 74.59% by 2011, according to census data.
The introduction of Christianity to Meghalaya began in the 19th century during the British colonial era. In the 1830s, the American Baptist Foreign Missionary Society started missionary work in Northeast India, aiming to convert indigenous tribal populations to Christianity. Before the arrival of Christianity, most of Meghalaya’s tribal people practiced animist religions centered around Ka Niam Khasi and Songsarek traditions.
4. Manipur
| Year | Christian Population | % Annual Increase | % of Total Population of State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 68,394 | – | 11.84% |
| 1961 | 152,043 | +122.3% | 19.49% |
| 1971 | 279,243 | +83.7% | 26.03% |
| 1981 | 421,702 | +51.0% | 29.68% |
| 1991 | 626,669 | +48.6% | 34.11% |
| 2001 | 857,285 | +36.8% | 37.37% |
| 2011 | 1,179,043 | +37.5% | 41.29% |
According to the 2011 census, Christianity is the second most followed religion in Manipur, after Hinduism, but recent estimates suggest that the Christian population has surpassed the Hindu population to become the largest religious group in the state.
Protestants, primarily Baptists, outnumber Catholics in Manipur. Christianity has seen significant growth in the state, with the Christian population increasing from 11.84% in 1951 to 41.29% in 2011, according to census data.
5. Arunachal Pradesh
| Year | Christian Population | % Annual Increase | % of Total Population of State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 3,684 | – | 0.79% |
| 1981 | 27,306 | +641.2% | 4.32% |
| 1991 | 89,013 | +226.0% | 10.3% |
| 2001 | 205,548 | +130.9% | 18.72% |
| 2011 | 418,732 | +103.7% | 30.26% |
Christianity is the largest religion in the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, which borders China. According to the 2011 census, Christians constitute 30.26% of the state’s population.
The Roman Catholic Church in Arunachal is the largest Christian denomination with around 180,000 adherents. The Arunachal Baptist Church Council is the second largest with 150,000 baptized members in about 1,200 churches. Christianity has seen inorganic growth in Arunachal Pradesh, with the Christian population more than doubling between 2001 and 2011.
