Muslim Countries in Europe: 10 Amazing Facts and the Ultimate 2026 List
Muslim countries in Europe are fewer than most readers expect, and the answer to "how many" depends on where you draw the border of the continent. Strictly inside Europe, only Kosovo, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina have a Muslim majority or a share close to half. Add the transcontinental states of Turkey, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, plus the self declared state of Northern Cyprus, and most lists reach seven.
This guide gives you a clear, source checked answer. You will find the list of Muslim countries in Europe, a top 10 ranking by Muslim share, a second top 10 by headcount, ten amazing facts, a short history, Quran and hadith guidance and a detailed FAQ. Figures come from the latest national censuses, including Albania in 2023 and Kosovo in 2024, and from Pew Research Center.
It is written by the Islamic Info Center editorial team under Editor in Chief Mohammad Mamun. Where numbers are disputed, we say so plainly, because honest reporting on faith and identity matters.
Quick Answer: How Many Muslim Countries in Europe?
- 3 fully European countries: Kosovo, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- 3 transcontinental countries: Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan.
- 1 de facto state: Northern Cyprus, recognised only by Turkey.
- Largest Muslim population in Europe: Russia, at roughly 16 million by Pew style estimates.
- Europe overall: about 44 to 46 million Muslims, near 6% of the population.
How Many Muslim Countries in Europe? The Honest Answer
There is no single official number, because Europe has no legal border with Asia. The common convention uses the Ural Mountains, the Caucasus watershed and the Turkish Straits. By that rule Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkey each have territory on both continents. That is why every list of Muslim countries in Europe needs a definition first.
Three fully European countries
Kosovo, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina are the core of Muslim Europe. They sit entirely in the Balkans, and Islam there dates to the Ottoman period. If someone asks how many Muslim countries in Europe exist in the strictest sense, the answer is three.
Three transcontinental countries
Turkey, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are Muslim majority, yet most of their land and people are in Asia. Turkey's European slice, called East Thrace, covers about 3% of its land but holds over 15% of its people. Azerbaijan's far north and Kazakhstan's west lie on the European side of the border.
One de facto state
Northern Cyprus, declared in 1983 and recognised only by Turkey, is about 97 to 98% Muslim by estimates. Other states treat it as part of the Republic of Cyprus, so many lists mark it with a note.
The total, by definition
Counting all three groups gives seven. Counting only fully European states gives three. Both answers are correct for their definition, so always check which one a source uses. For the wider picture, read our guide to Muslim countries around the world.
List of Muslim Countries in Europe (2026 Data)
Use this table as your reference list of Muslim countries in Europe. Percentages come from the latest census or estimate available, and the source year is shown.
| Country | Muslim share | Latest data | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kosovo | 93.49% | 2024 census | Fully European |
| Albania | About 50.7% (45.86% Sunni plus 4.81% Bektashi) | 2023 census | Fully European |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 50.7% | 2013 census | Fully European |
| Turkey | About 94 to 99% | Pew and national estimates | Transcontinental |
| Azerbaijan | About 97% | Pew and other estimates | Transcontinental |
| Kazakhstan | About 70% | Estimates | Transcontinental, small European part |
| Northern Cyprus | About 97 to 98% | Sociologist estimates | De facto state |
Sources: INSTAT Albania, Kosovo Agency of Statistics, Bosnia census 2013, Pew Research Center, US State Department religious freedom reports.
Top 10 Muslim Countries in Europe by Muslim Share
Here is our top 10 Muslim countries in Europe, ranked by the share of the population that is Muslim. Estimates overlap at the top, so treat the first three places as approximate. We include a few countries where Muslims are a large minority, because readers often search for them too.
| Rank | Country | Muslim share | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Turkey | About 94 to 99% | Transcontinental |
| 2 | Azerbaijan | About 97% | Transcontinental |
| 3 | Northern Cyprus | About 97 to 98% | De facto state |
| 4 | Kosovo | 93.49% | Fully European |
| 5 | Kazakhstan | About 70% | Transcontinental |
| 6 | Albania | About 50.7% | Fully European |
| 7 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 50.7% | Fully European |
| 8 | North Macedonia | About 32% | Large minority |
| 9 | Montenegro | About 19% | Minority |
| 10 | Bulgaria | About 10% or more | Minority |
1. Turkey
Turkey spans two continents, and Istanbul straddles the Bosporus. Estimates of the Muslim share run from about 94% to 99%. It is officially a secular republic, which shows that a Muslim majority and a legal model are separate questions.
2. Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan is about 97% Muslim, with a Shia majority and a Sunni minority. Only a small northern strip, such as the Qusar district, lies north of the Greater Caucasus on the European side by some definitions.
3. Northern Cyprus
The 2011 census there did not record religion, so the 97 to 98% figure is a sociologist estimate. Turkish Cypriots are generally seen as more secular than people in mainland Turkey. Its population was about 383,000 in 2021.
4. Kosovo
Kosovo is the most Muslim country that lies fully inside Europe. The 2024 census counted 93.49% as Muslim, down from 95.6% in 2011, while Orthodox Christians rose to 2.31%. Serbs boycotted parts of the count in the north.
5. Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is about 70% Muslim, and only the area west of the Ural River, including West Kazakhstan and Atyrau, is in Europe. Most sources treat it as a Central Asian country.
6. Albania
Albania's 2023 census found 45.86% Sunni Muslims and 4.81% Bektashi Muslims, a Sufi order. Together that is about 50.7%. Many headlines say Muslims fell below half because they quote Sunnis alone. About 15.76% of people did not declare a religion.
7. Bosnia and Herzegovina
The 2013 census recorded 50.7% Muslims, 30.75% Orthodox and 15.19% Catholics among 3,531,159 residents. Bosniaks formed 50.11% of the population. Authorities in Republika Srpska rejected the results, so the figure remains politically sensitive.
8. North Macedonia
About 32% of North Macedonia is Muslim according to the 2021 census, mainly in the west of the country. Albanians, Turks and Roma make up much of this community.
9. Montenegro
Roughly 19% of Montenegro is Muslim. The Sandzak border region shared with Serbia has long been a centre of Muslim life in the western Balkans.
10. Bulgaria
Muslims make up about 10% or somewhat more of Bulgaria. Many live in the Rhodope Mountains and in the northeast. Georgia and Russia sit at a similar level, near 10 to 14%.
Top 10 European Countries With the Most Muslims
The second top 10 flips the question and ranks by headcount. Here the leaders are large countries with big native or immigrant Muslim communities, not only Muslim majority states. This is the ranking many people mean when they search for the top 10 Muslim countries in Europe.
| Rank | Country | Muslims (approx.) | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russia | About 16 million | About 11% |
| 2 | Germany | About 5.5 million | About 6.5% |
| 3 | France | About 5.4 to 6.7 million | About 8 to 9% |
| 4 | United Kingdom | About 4.0 million | About 6% |
| 5 | Italy | About 3.0 million | About 5% |
| 6 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | About 1.8 million | 50.7% |
| 7 | Spain | About 1.6 million | About 3% |
| 8 | Kosovo | About 1.5 million | 93.49% |
| 9 | Albania | About 1.2 million | About 50.7% |
| 10 | Netherlands | About 1 million | About 5 to 6% |
Turkey is left out because most of its people live in Asia. Figures are rounded and mix census data with Pew style estimates.
Germany and France are close, and sources disagree on which is larger. The UK figure comes from the 2021 and 2022 censuses, explained in our guide to the Muslim population in UK. For a global comparison, see the Muslim population in world guide, and for Germany's landmark mosque, read about the Cologne Central Mosque.
10 Amazing Facts About Muslim Countries in Europe
- Only three are fully European. Kosovo, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina are the strict answer.
- Kosovo leads inside Europe. Its 93.49% Muslim share is the highest of any country entirely on the continent.
- Albania's share has dropped. It fell from about 58.8% in 2011 to about 50.7% in 2023, counting Bektashi Muslims.
- Bosnia grew more Muslim after war. The share rose from about 40% in 1991 to 50.7% in 2013 as the population changed.
- Russia has the most Muslims. Estimates run from 14 million to 25 million, with Pew style figures near 16 million.
- Two kinds of Muslim Europe exist. In Russia, Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia and Bulgaria, Muslims are native communities. In Western Europe they are mostly recent immigrants and their children.
- Europe is about 6% Muslim. That is roughly 44 to 46 million people, per summaries of Pew data.
- Growth is slower than the headlines. Pew found that no European country's Muslim share rose by 5 points or more between 2010 and 2020.
- Kosovo is very young. Its average age is just under 35, the second youngest in Europe.
- Muslim majority is not one legal system. Turkey is secular, and Kosovo and Albania have no official religion.
Muslim Majority Regions Inside Other European Countries
Some of the strongest Muslim communities in Europe live inside countries that are not on any list of Muslim countries in Europe. Russia is the biggest example. Muslims are the largest group in Chechnya, Ingushetia, Dagestan, Kabardino Balkaria and Karachay Cherkessia in the North Caucasus. In the Volga region, Tatarstan and Bashkortostan are about half Muslim or more.
Tatars make up about a third of Russia's Muslims, Bashkirs about a tenth and Chechens another tenth. Other regions include western North Macedonia, the Sandzak area shared by Serbia and Montenegro, and the Rhodope Mountains of Bulgaria. Landmarks such as the Kul Sharif Mosque in Kazan show how deep these roots go.
How Islam Reached Europe: A Short History
History explains why Muslim countries in Europe cluster in the east and south. Islam arrived in three main waves, and a fourth wave of migration shaped Western Europe in the twentieth century.
Iberia and Sicily
Muslim rule in Iberia began in 711 and lasted for centuries. Cordoba became a centre of science and philosophy, and knowledge passed from there to cities such as Paris, Bologna and Oxford. Our guide to Islamic history covers this period in more detail.
The Ottoman Balkans
The Ottoman Empire expanded into southeastern Europe in the late Middle Ages. Over time many people in what are now Bosnia, Kosovo and Albania embraced Islam. When the empire ended in 1922 it left a lasting Muslim presence in the Balkans.
The Volga and the Caucasus
Muslim communities have lived along the Volga for over a thousand years, and Islam also took root in the North Caucasus. These communities are native, not migrants. Learn how faith and art grew together in Islamic culture.
Modern migration to Western Europe
After the Second World War, workers and later families came from Turkey, North Africa and South Asia. Their children and grandchildren are now citizens and neighbours across Germany, France, the UK and the Netherlands.
Why Numbers Differ Across Muslim Countries in Europe
If you compare websites, you will see different percentages for the same country. Four reasons explain most gaps.
- Voluntary questions. Many censuses let people skip the religion question. Albania had about 15.76% undeclared in 2023.
- Definitions. Albania's headline changes depending on whether Bektashi Muslims are counted.
- Boycotts and disputes. Parts of northern Kosovo boycotted the 2024 count, and Bosnia's 2013 census is disputed.
- Surveys versus censuses. Pew notes that general surveys are less reliable than censuses for minority shares.
When you quote a figure, name the source and the year. That one habit keeps your writing accurate and trustworthy.
Quran and Hadith Guidance on Nations, Unity and Diversity
Islamic teaching does not rank people by country. It speaks to all of humanity, which is a helpful lens when studying Muslim countries in Europe and the diverse communities within them. The translations below are short paraphrases, so please read the full verses in a trusted translation.
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا
Allah created people as nations and tribes so that they may know one another, and the most honoured before Him is the most conscious of Him.
Quran, Surah Al Hujurat 49:13
وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا
Hold firmly together to the rope of Allah and do not become divided.
Quran, Surah Al Imran 3:103
لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ
There is no compulsion in religion, a principle that protects both Muslim minorities and neighbours of other faiths.
Quran, Surah Al Baqarah 2:256
The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said that believers in their love, mercy and compassion are like one body. When one part suffers, the whole body responds with sleeplessness and fever.
Sahih al Bukhari 6011 and Sahih Muslim 2586
He also taught that none of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.
Sahih al Bukhari 13 and Sahih Muslim 45
Learn more about the Prophet Muhammad and the Five Pillars of Islam that unite Muslims in every country.
Practical Examples: Using This Guide
For travellers
Plan by region, not just by country. In Sarajevo, the Gazi Husrev Beg Mosque shows Ottoman heritage. In Tirana you can visit the Et'hem Bey Mosque, and in Prizren the Sinan Pasha Mosque. In Istanbul the Blue Mosque is a must. Check local timings with our Islamic prayer times finder, and read about the Islamic place of worship before you go.
For students and writers
Quote census data where you can, and separate countries by definition. A school project on Muslim countries in Europe should say whether Turkey and Azerbaijan are included. Name the year of each figure, and avoid mixing Pew projections with census counts in one table.
For communities and families
Share stories as well as statistics. A Bosniak family in Sarajevo, a Tatar student in Kazan and a Turkish German family in Cologne share one faith but live very different lives. Test your knowledge with our Islamic quiz, or browse the Islamic pictures gallery with children.
Trends to Watch in Muslim Countries in Europe
Pew's 2025 report shows that Europe's Christian share fell from 74.6% to 67.1% between 2010 and 2020, while the unaffiliated grew. France and the UK lost Christian majorities. In the Balkans, the latest censuses show slightly lower Muslim shares in Albania and Kosovo, which analysts link to generational change and urban secularisation.
In Western Europe, Muslim shares rose in several countries through migration and higher average fertility, but not by more than 5 points. Expect the next censuses to refine the picture, and expect debates over definitions to continue.
Frequently Asked Questions About Muslim Countries in Europe
How many Muslim countries are there in Europe?
Strictly inside Europe there are three: Kosovo, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Counting transcontinental Turkey, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, plus Northern Cyprus, most lists reach seven.
What is the list of Muslim countries in Europe?
The usual list is Kosovo, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Northern Cyprus. The first three are fully European, the next three straddle two continents, and Northern Cyprus is a de facto state.
Which is the most Muslim country in Europe?
Among countries fully inside Europe, Kosovo leads with 93.49% in its 2024 census. If transcontinental states count, Turkey and Azerbaijan have shares of roughly 94 to 99%.
Is Turkey one of the Muslim countries in Europe?
Turkey is transcontinental. About 3% of its land, East Thrace, is in Europe and holds over 15% of its people. Most lists include it, but many geographers class it as mainly Asian.
Is Albania a Muslim majority country?
Narrowly. The 2023 census counted 45.86% Sunni and 4.81% Bektashi Muslims, about 50.7% together. Headlines saying Muslims fell below half usually count Sunnis alone, and 15.76% did not declare a religion.
Is Bosnia and Herzegovina a Muslim country?
Bosnia has a Muslim plurality at the halfway mark. The 2013 census recorded 50.7% Muslims, but the state is multi ethnic and has no official religion. Some local authorities disputed the census.
Is Kosovo a Muslim country?
Kosovo is Muslim majority, with 93.49% in the 2024 census, but its constitution is secular and it has no official religion. Orthodox Christians are 2.31% and Catholics 1.75%.
Which European country has the most Muslims?
Russia has the largest Muslim population in Europe, about 16 million by Pew style estimates. Other sources give figures from 14 million to 25 million, so the exact number is debated.
What percentage of Europe is Muslim?
Europe has roughly 44 to 46 million Muslims, about 6% of its population, including Russia. The share is much higher in the Balkans and much lower in Central and Eastern Europe.
What are the top 10 Muslim countries in Europe?
By Muslim share: Turkey, Azerbaijan, Northern Cyprus, Kosovo, Kazakhstan, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Bulgaria. By headcount, Russia, Germany and France lead.
Is Northern Cyprus a Muslim country?
Northern Cyprus is about 97 to 98% Sunni Muslim by estimates, but it is recognised as a state only by Turkey. Most countries regard it as part of the Republic of Cyprus.
Why do websites give different numbers?
Sources use different years, definitions and methods. Censuses may skip religion, boycotts can leave gaps, and Pew style models estimate where counts are missing. Always check the source and the year.
Final Thoughts on Muslim Countries in Europe
The real story of Muslim countries in Europe is one of variety. Kosovo, Albania and Bosnia show native Muslim communities shaped by Ottoman history, while Russia, Germany, France and the UK host large communities with very different roots. Use the tables above as a starting point, check the original sources, and keep learning with our guides on the Islam religion, Islamic names and the 99 Names of Allah. May Allah guide us all to what is best.
Enjoyed this guide? Test what you learned.
Take the Islamic QuizRelated reading on Islamic Info Center
- Muslim Countries: 50 Amazing Facts and the Ultimate List
- Muslim Population in World: 10 Amazing Facts
- Muslim Population in UK: 7 Amazing Facts
- Muslim Population in U.S.: 10 Amazing Facts
Sources and Further Reading
- Pew Research Center, Religion in Europe, 2025
- Pew Research Center, Muslim population change, 2010 to 2020
- INSTAT Albania, Main results of the 2023 census
- Prishtina Insight, Kosovo 2024 census results
- RFE/RL, Bosnia census results
- Minority Rights Group, Bosniaks in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- US State Department, religious freedom report, area administered by Turkish Cypriots
- Quran 49:13, Sahih al Bukhari 6011 and Sahih Muslim 2586
Population figures are estimates and may change as new censuses and surveys are released. This article is for general education and is not a religious ruling. Last checked: November 2026.