Which European capital has the largest Muslim population in absolute numbers as of 2025?
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Executive summary
France is widely reported in 2024–2025 sources to have the largest absolute Muslim population of any European country — commonly estimated in the range of about 6–7 million — with Germany and the United Kingdom following (estimates cited: France ~6–7m; Germany ~5–6m; UK ~4–5m) [1] [2] [3]. Broader regional work from Pew and other compilers confirms Europe’s Muslim population is tens of millions (roughly 45–46 million in recent aggregated estimates) and that these national rankings are driven by migration histories and long‑standing communities [4] [5] [1].
1. National totals vs. capital-city populations — a critical distinction
Most available reporting and datasets in the search results discuss national counts (France, Germany, UK) rather than the Muslim population of individual capital cities; therefore sources show which countries have the largest Muslim populations but do not directly give absolute Muslim counts for individual European capitals (available sources do not mention capital‑level totals) [2] [1] [3].
2. Why France is named the leader in absolute numbers
Multiple recent overviews and compilations list France as having the largest absolute Muslim population in Europe — often put at roughly 6–7 million in 2025 summaries — which places it ahead of Germany and the UK on absolute national counts [1] [2]. These estimates appear in journalism and aggregator pieces that synthesize Pew, national statistics and other demographic research [1] [2].
3. What Pew and demographic research say about Europe overall
Pew Research and long‑form demographic studies show Europe’s Muslim population as a substantial minority (estimates around 45–46 million in the broader continent in recent years) and project continuing growth driven by younger age structures and higher fertility in many Muslim communities, plus migration — context that explains why national totals can differ substantially across countries [5] [4].
4. Capitals with large Muslim communities — qualitative snapshots from city reports
City‑level work (Open Society Foundations’ city studies) documents concentrated Muslim communities in major cities: Paris and its suburbs, London (Leicester and Waltham Forest called out in city reports), Berlin and Hamburg, Amsterdam and Rotterdam, and Marseille are consistently listed as having significant Muslim populations within countries [6]. Those reports are qualitative and policy‑oriented snapshots, not national statistical tallies [6].
5. Estimates vary by source and methodology — why numbers differ
Sources draw on differing bases: national censuses, surveys, Pew projections, and media compilations — each treats religion, self‑identification, immigrant status and second/third generation differently. That produces spread between, for example, Statista/Pew historical estimates and later 2025 blog or media summaries [2] [5] [1]. Analysts note underreporting in censuses and changing religious identification, which increases uncertainty [7] [4].
6. Competing viewpoints and limits of current reporting
Some sources emphasize Russia as Europe’s single country with the largest Muslim population when geographic definitions of “Europe” include large parts of Russia and its Muslim republics; other sources focus on EU/Western Europe where France is often ranked first [8] [1]. The search set includes statements that “Russia will continue to be the European country with the largest Muslim population” [8] while other 2025 summaries list France as country leader [1]. This reflects differing geographic scopes and methodologies [8] [1].
7. The narrow answer to your original question — largest Muslim population of a European capital by absolute number
Available search results do not provide a clear, sourced absolute ranking for individual European capitals (they report national totals and city‑case studies but not a definitive 2025 city population table). Therefore I cannot assert which single European capital had the largest Muslim population in absolute numbers in 2025 using only these sources; city‑level absolute counts are not provided in the results at hand (available sources do not mention capital‑level absolute counts) [6] [2] [1].
8. What to consult next for a definitive city answer
To resolve this precisely, consult: national statistical offices’ recent city/municipal population breakdowns by religion or origin (France’s INSEE, UK ONS, Germany’s statistical offices, Russia’s census bodies), targeted city surveys (e.g., Greater London Authority research, INSEE Île‑de‑France studies, municipal reports for Paris, Berlin), or consolidated peer‑reviewed demographic tabulations that include city‑level religion data. None of these specific primary city tallies appear in the current set of sources (available sources do not mention those city datasets) [6] [2] [1].
Limitations: this summary relies only on the provided search results; I do not infer or import data beyond them. When national totals and city snapshots conflict, that reflects real methodological and definitional disputes visible in the sources [8] [1] [6].