Which European cities have the largest Muslim communities as of 2025?
Executive summary
European cities with the largest Muslim communities are overwhelmingly in Western Europe’s biggest capitals and port/industrial centres—Paris, London, Berlin and Marseille are repeatedly identified in reporting and NGO studies as major urban centres of Muslim life (Open Society lists Paris, London (Waltham Forest/Leicester), Berlin, Marseille among its city case studies) [1]. National-level tallies show Russia, Germany, France, the UK, and Turkey hold the largest absolute Muslim populations in Europe, which helps explain why their principal cities host the biggest urban communities (Wikipedia and secondary summaries note Europe’s Muslim population at roughly 45–46 million as of 2020 and national concentrations in Russia, Turkey and Western Europe) [2] [3].
1. Urban concentration: why capitals and ports dominate
Muslim populations in Western Europe are concentrated in large cities with long histories of migration, industrial jobs and port connections; NGO city studies explicitly profile Amsterdam/Rotterdam, Antwerp, Berlin/Hamburg, Copenhagen, London (Leicester and Waltham Forest), Marseille and Paris, and Stockholm as loci of diverse Muslim communities [1]. These city-level snapshots reflect the macro pattern noted in continent-wide summaries: migration and historical ties concentrate Muslims in major urban centres [2] [1].
2. The leading national hosts that drive city rankings
Any list of European cities with the largest Muslim populations must start from national totals. Reporting and aggregates identify Russia, Turkey, Germany, France and the United Kingdom among countries with the biggest Muslim populations in Europe; those national footprints make Moscow/other Russian regional cities, Istanbul (European side), Berlin, Paris and London natural contenders for the largest Muslim urban populations [2] [3]. Sources stress that absolute city rankings depend on how researchers define “Europe” and whether Turkey’s European territory is counted [2].
3. Paris, London and Berlin: repeated mentions in comparative work
Analyses and NGO research single out Paris and London repeatedly: Paris is widely cited as having the largest number of Muslims in the European Union in past city-comparison charts, and Open Society’s city report series includes Paris and London (Waltham Forest/Leicester) among its case studies [4] [1]. Berlin and Hamburg are likewise named among the German urban centres with significant Muslim communities in city-focused reporting [1] [3].
4. Marseille and the Dutch/Belgian port cities — important regional hubs
Southern and Benelux port cities appear in multiple city-level surveys. Marseille is included in Open Society’s report list and has long been noted as a major urban Muslim centre in France; Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Antwerp are named as key concentrations in Netherlands/Belgium reporting [1] [3]. These cities’ roles reflect colonial-era and labour-migration linkages that anchored communities in ports and industrial districts [1].
5. Data limits: why exact city rankings are contested
Sources stress uncertainty: exact city-by-city counts are rare, censuses use different categories (religion vs. country of origin), and academic/nongovernmental lists often sample selected cities rather than compile exhaustive rankings [2] [1]. Wikipedia and press summaries cite Europe’s Muslim population broadly (about 45–46 million in 2020) but acknowledge gaps in precise urban figures [2]. Open Society explicitly notes its 11-city series is not representative of all Muslim communities across Europe [1].
6. Competing definitions change outcomes
“Largest” can mean absolute number or percentage share; counting the European side of Istanbul or including Russia’s Muslim-majority republics changes rankings dramatically. Some country-level lists put Russia highest by absolute Muslim numbers, which implies large urban Muslim populations beyond the EU; other lists focus only on EU cities, where Paris, London and Berlin rise to the top [2] [3]. Choice of geographic frame therefore determines which cities appear largest.
7. What reporting omits or leaves uncertain
Available sources do not provide a definitive, 2025-ranked list of European cities by Muslim population. The Open Society city reports profile 11 cities but do not claim a full ranking [1]. Wikipedia and journalistic compilations offer national and regional context, but precise 2025 city-by-city counts — standardized across countries — are not found in the current materials [2] [3].
8. How to interpret this for 2025 questions
For a practical answer in late 2025, use a two-step approach: rely on national-scale magnitudes (Russia, Turkey, Germany, France, UK) to identify likely big-city hosts, and consult city-level studies and local census/municipal sources for up-to-date municipal counts. NGO city profiles (Open Society) and comparative articles remain the best available guides to which European cities are known to host the largest and most visible Muslim communities [1] [2].
Limitations: available sources do not provide a single, authoritative 2025 ranking of European cities by Muslim population; much reporting highlights major cities (Paris, London, Berlin, Marseille, Amsterdam/Rotterdam, Antwerp, Stockholm, Copenhagen) but stops short of precise, comparable 2025 figures [1] [2] [3].