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Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of India's Christians are found in South India, Goa & Bombay. [32] The oldest known Christian group in North India are the Bettiah Christians of Bihar, formed in the early 1700s.
Nearly all Indian Christians (98%) say they believe in God, and Christians in India are more likely than most other religious communities to say they pray daily (77%). Most Indian Christians also attend church weekly (55%), and an overwhelming share give money to a church (89%).
India’s Christian population grew at the slowest pace of the three largest groups in the most recent census decade – gaining 15.7% between 2001 and 2011, a far lower growth rate than the one recorded in the decade following Partition (29.0%).
According to a report by the government, the Christian population in India is estimated to be around 28 million, or 2.3% of the total population. This makes Christianity a minority religion in India, which is primarily Hindu (79.8%) and Muslim (14.2%).
According to the 2011 census, 79.8% of the population of India follows Hinduism, 14.2% Islam, 2.3% Christianity, 1.7% Sikhism, 0.7% Buddhism and 0.4% Jainism. Zoroastrianism, Sanamahism and Judaism also have an ancient history in India, and each has several thousands of Indian adherents.
The analysis focuses on India’s three largest religious groups – Hindus, Muslims and Christians – and also covers Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains when suitable data is available. Population sizes over time come from India’s decennial census.
While many Indian Christians identify as Catholic (37 percent), a variety of other denominations are present in India. For example, 13 percent of Indian Christians are Baptists, 7 percent identify with the Church of North India, and another 7 percent identify with the Church of South India.
There are about 30 million Christians in India. Making up roughly three percent of the population, they make up the third largest religious group in India after Hindus and Muslims. The Indian Christian community includes about 17 million Catholics and 11 million Protestants.
Christians today are the second largest minority in India, after the Muslims. Their number has not shown any increase during the last two decennial censuses. While their presence in Southern and Northeastern States are significant, the northern region of India has a relatively thin presence.
The Church of the East was the earliest form of Christianity, as was adopted by the St Thomas Christians of the Malabar region (present-day Kerala). Later, the Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic & Protestant denominations were introduced; as a result of the arrival of European missionaries and colonisers.