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Which European city has the highest percentage of Muslim residents relative to its total population?
Executive summary
Available reporting does not name a single European city as definitively having the highest percentage of Muslim residents; instead, sources point to Muslim-majority countries and metropolitan areas with large Muslim populations (for example, Paris metro counted ~2.5 million Muslims) and national-level percentages that vary widely by country and region (Pew estimates 4.9% of the EU+ area in 2016 rising in scenarios to 7.4% by 2050) [1] [2] [3].
1. No single city answer in the sources — national and metro data dominate
No source in the provided set claims a definitive “highest-percentage” European city by Muslim share. The material emphasizes country-level shares, metropolitan counts, or lists of cities with significant Muslim populations rather than a ranked city-by-city percentage that would allow a clean answer [1] [2] [4]. Wikipedia-derived lists and templates point out large Muslim populations in Paris and other Western European cities but do not present a rigorously sourced, comparable percentage ranking across all European cities [1] [4].
2. Paris metropolitan area often cited for the largest Muslim population in absolute terms
Several entries note that Paris and its wider metropolitan area have the largest number of Muslims of any EU city/metro — for example, a figure of about 2.5 million Muslims in the Paris metro area is cited in a city-list context [1] [4]. Those references speak to absolute population counts, not percentage of the city population; absolute numbers do not tell us whether Paris has the highest proportion of Muslims relative to total residents [1] [4].
3. Country and regional patterns matter — Balkans, Caucasus, and parts of Russia have much higher shares
The broader geography of European Islam is uneven: some countries and regions are Muslim-majority or have very high shares (Albania is cited at ~50.7% Muslim; certain Caucasus and Volga-region republics and parts of Russia contain large indigenous Muslim populations) [5]. Those national and subnational patterns mean cities in the Balkans, Caucasus or Russian republics could have higher Muslim percentages than Western European capitals — but the provided sources do not supply city-level percentages to confirm which specific city tops the list [5].
4. Pew’s country-level projections show growth but don’t identify top city by share
Pew Research Center reporting, reproduced in Statista and Wikipedia summaries here, offers country-level estimates and future scenarios (Europe’s Muslim share roughly 4.9% in mid-2016, with scenarios showing higher shares by 2050) [2] [6]. Pew’s work is frequently used to compile country and metro estimates [7], but the specific city-percentage ranking you asked for is not present in these excerpts [2] [7].
5. Existing city lists are patchy, methodologically inconsistent, and sometimes unsourced
Wikipedia’s “List of cities in the European Union by Muslim population” and related templates include tables and claims (for example, that Paris has by far more Muslims than other EU cities) but warn readers about data gaps, mixed methodologies (using proxies like “Asian” population), and unsourced items [1] [4]. That undermines confidence in any single-city claim without careful, transparent, and comparable city-level census or survey data [1] [4].
6. How to get a reliable city-level answer — data, definitions, and comparability
A robust answer would require: (a) clear definition of “Europe” and of which cities/counties are included; (b) consistent definition of “Muslim” (self‑identification vs. descent vs. practice); and (c) comparable, recent city- or municipality-level census or survey figures. The cited sources emphasize the importance of definitions and scenarios (Pew) and flag inconsistent city-level methods on Wikipedia listings [2] [1] [4].
7. Bottom line and recommended next steps
Available sources do not give a single, well-sourced city that holds the highest percentage of Muslim residents relative to its total population. Paris metro is repeatedly cited for the largest absolute Muslim population in EU contexts [1] [4], while higher proportional shares likely exist in cities within Muslim-majority or Muslim-heavy regions (Balkans, Caucasus, parts of Russia), but city-level percentages for those places are not provided in the material here [5] [1]. To answer your question definitively, seek comparable municipal census or large-sample survey data (with methodology notes) for specific cities across Europe — particularly in the Balkans, Caucasus, and Russian republics — or consult the full Pew datasets and national statistical offices referenced by Statista and Wikipedia [2] [6] [1].