Mauritius is home to the highest percentage of Hindus in all of Africa

Science · Published 20 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Mauritius is a religiously diverse nation where Hinduism is the dominant faith, practiced by nearly half the population. This unique demographic landscape, shaped by colonial history and indentured labor, creates a society where the state actively subsidizes multiple major religions, reflecting a constitutional commitment to religious freedom and pluralism.

The religious composition of Mauritius is a direct reflection of its complex history. Hinduism, now the largest faith at 47.9% of the population according to the 2022 census, arrived primarily through Indian indentured laborers brought to the island following the abolition of slavery. This makes Mauritius the country with the third-highest percentage of Hindus globally, trailing only Nepal and India. Meanwhile, Christianity was introduced by the Dutch, though it was the French who later mandated the baptism of slaves in 1723. By the 2011 census, Christians made up 31.7% of the population, with Roman Catholics accounting for the vast majority of that group.

Islam is the third-largest religion, practiced by 18.2% of Mauritians. The community is predominantly Sunni, with roots tracing back to merchants from Gujarat and laborers from Bihar. The island's religious architecture, such as the Jummah Mosque in Port Louis, reflects this long-standing presence. Beyond these major groups, the island hosts smaller communities of Buddhists, Baháʼís, Sikhs, and a small but growing Jewish population. The state manages this diversity through a system of subsidies, providing financial support to major religious groups proportional to their census numbers, while maintaining a constitutional prohibition against religious discrimination.

The government's approach to religious life is highly structured. In addition to subsidies, the state grants tax-exempt status to registered religious organizations. Public holidays are carefully curated to reflect the island's pluralism, including Hindu festivals like Maha Shivaratree, Christian observances like Christmas, and the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr. This institutionalized tolerance is reflected in the country's high standing for religious freedom, scoring a perfect 4 out of 4 in 2023. Whether through the annual vigil of Maha Shivaratri or the historic mosques of Port Louis, the island's religious fabric remains a central pillar of its national identity.

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