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Which European capital cities have the largest Muslim populations by absolute numbers and by percentage?
Executive summary
European capitals with the largest Muslim populations by absolute number are likely those of countries that host the biggest Muslim communities overall — notably Paris (France), Berlin (Germany) and London (United Kingdom) — because France, Germany and the UK are repeatedly reported as holding the largest Muslim populations in Europe (France ~6–7 million; Germany ~5–6 million; UK ~4–5 million) [1] [2]. Capitals with the highest Muslim shares (percentage of city population) are less certain in pan‑European compilations but city‑level reporting and local surveys show very high shares in some cities such as Vienna (41% of state elementary and middle‑school pupils in one 2025 survey) and high school‑age proportions reported for Paris in some studies — though national rules on religion data (e.g., France) complicate direct comparisons [3] [4].
1. Big countries drive capital rankings by absolute numbers
When asking which capitals have the most Muslims in sheer numbers, the dominant factor is the size of the national Muslim population: France, Germany and the UK are consistently cited among the top European countries by Muslim population (France about 6.7 million, Germany about 5–6 million, UK about 4–5 million in 2025 estimates), so their capitals — Paris, Berlin and London — very likely host the largest absolute Muslim populations in Europe even if city‑level official tallies are patchy [1] [2]. Pew and other demographic compilers emphasise that country totals and migration patterns explain much of the distribution across cities [4].
2. Percentages vary drastically and are sensitive to data type
Share (percentage) of a city’s population that is Muslim can differ sharply from absolute numbers, and results depend on what is measured (residents, schoolchildren, or particular neighborhoods) and whether religion is recorded at all. For example, a Vienna municipal survey reported that 41% of state elementary and middle‑school students were Muslim — a high proportion in that cohort — but that figure excludes private and federal schools and does not directly translate to the whole‑city adult population [3]. France legally restricts collection of religion data, complicating direct percentage comparisons for Paris despite estimates used in some studies [3] [4].
3. City estimates are often derived or imputed, not directly counted
Multiple sources rely on national surveys, school rolls, academic studies or projections rather than uniform census questions about religion. Pew’s Europe‑wide projections use fertility, age and migration scenarios to estimate Muslim population shares rather than consistent city censuses [4]. Journalistic compilations and aggregator sites similarly combine national estimates to infer which cities have large Muslim populations; these methods produce useful signals but not exact city counts [1] [2] [5].
4. Regional and historical context changes the picture
In parts of Eastern and Southeastern Europe (Balkans, parts of Russia and the Caucasus) many cities have long‑standing Muslim majorities or large indigenous Muslim communities — an important corrective to the idea that European Muslim populations are entirely recent migrants. Wikipedia and regional studies highlight that Muslim‑majority capitals exist within the Balkans and Caucasus region (e.g., capitals of Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo) though these are smaller in absolute European totals than Paris, Berlin or London [6]. Open Society’s city reports stress local variation across European cities and neighborhoods [7].
5. Beware headline projections and chart misuse
Recent fact‑checking shows some widely circulated graphics that depict rising shares of Muslim schoolchildren or city populations use mixed or inflated inputs; Reuters’ fact check noted that while Vienna’s 41% figure for state schools was confirmed for that subset, the graphic’s broader city projections mixed incompatible sources and sometimes omitted caveats such as exclusions of non‑state schools [3]. Analysts warn that France’s lack of religion data and varying microcensus practices in Germany complicate simple cross‑city rankings [3] [4].
6. What reliable reporting can and cannot tell you
Available sources can point to which countries and therefore which capitals are likely to have the largest Muslim populations in absolute terms (France/Paris, Germany/Berlin, UK/London) and to specific high‑share cases in certain city sectors (Vienna school cohort) [1] [2] [3] [4]. However, available sources do not provide a single, comparable table of all European capitals ranked both by absolute Muslim population and by percentage of city residents; city‑level outcomes often require local surveys, school data or specially‑designed demographic studies and are therefore inconsistent across Europe [3] [4] [7].
If you want, I can: (a) assemble a provisional ranked list of major capitals using the country totals from the sources above and explain the assumptions used; or (b) pull together the specific city‑level studies and surveys (e.g., Vienna, Paris school estimates, London borough data) that are available in the reporting so you can see where high percentages have been measured and how they were collected [1] [2] [3] [7].