LONDON (Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The Muslim population in Britain currently stands at 2.8 million or 4.6 per cent of the total population of the British Isles, according to official figures.
In absolute terms, Britain has the third largest Muslim community on the European continent, after Germany (4,119,000) and France (3,574,000). In percentage terms, Britain is in ninth position, after Belgium (6.0 percent), France (5.7 percent), Austria (5.7 percent), Switzerland (5.7 percent), The Netherlands (5.5 percent), Germany (5.0 percent), Sweden (4.9 percent) and Greece (4.7 percent).
British Muslims account for 16.8 percent of all Muslims in Western Europe. According to the LFS (Labour Force Survey) data, the Muslim population in Britain grew from 1,870,000 in 2004 to 2,422,000 in 2008, an increase of more than 500,000.
During those four years, Britain’s Muslim population multiplied 10 times faster than the rest of society. By contrast, the number of Christians in the country fell by more than 2 million during the same period.
Among the Muslim community, Muhammad is now the most popular name for baby boys in Britain, which reflect the growing influence of Islam. The name Muhammad has overtaken Jack, which had topped the list for the past 14 years but has now been relegated to third spot.
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