Islam in Europe
by percentage of country population[1]
  90–100%
  70–90%
  50–70%
 Bosnia and Herzegovina
  30–40%
 North Macedonia
  10–20%
  5–10%
  4–5%
  2–4%
  1–2%
  < 1%
Bajrakli Mosque in Belgrade
Faculty for Islamic studies in Novi Pazar
Halal restaurant in Belgrade
Halal shop in Belgrade

Serbia is a Christian majority country, with Islam being a minority faith representing around 4.2% of the total population (excluding the disputed region of Kosovo, in which Islam is the predominant faith) as per 2022 census.[2] Islam spread to Serbia during the three centuries of Ottoman rule. The Muslims in Serbia are mostly ethnic Bosniaks, Albanians and significant part of Muslim Roma as well as members of the smaller groups, like ethnic Muslims, Gorani and Serbs (Čitaci).[3]

Demographics

According to 2022 census, there were 278,212 Muslims in Serbia (4.2% of total population. Largest concentration of Muslims in Serbia could be found in the municipalities of Novi Pazar, Tutin, Sjenica and Prijepolje in the Sandžak region, and in the municipalities of Preševo and Bujanovac in the Preševo Valley.

Muslims in Serbia (excluding Kosovo)
census 1921[4] census 1991 census 2002 census 2011 census 2022
Number  % Number  % Number  % Number  % Number  %
Muslims 97,672 2.23 224,120 2.89 239,658 3.20 222,828 3.10 278,212 4.20

Ethnic groups

Geographical distribution

The municipality of Novi Pazar is home to Serbia's largest Muslim population, with 82,710 Muslims out of 100,410 inhabitants (82% of its population). The municipality of Tutin has the highest share of Muslims in Serbia, with around 94% of its population being Muslim. Sjenica Municipality has also a very large Muslim population (79%), followed by Prijepolje Municipality (45%). Most Albanians, who belong to the Islamic faith, living in Preševo, Bujanovac and Medveđa boycotted the 2011 census, but statistics from the 2002 Census shows that Muslims constitute a majority in those municipalities with 89% and 55%, respectively and in Medveđa they numbered around 29% of the population.[5]

Population Census 2011 Population Census 2022
Municipality Total Muslims [6]  % Total Muslims[7]  %
Novi Pazar 100,410 82,710 82.4% 106,720 88,493 82.9%
Preševo 3,080 593 ** 19.3% 33,449 31,505 94,2%
Tutin 31,155 29,220 93.8% 33,053 30,909 93.5%
Bujanovac 18,067 4,137 ** 22.9% 41,068 28,254 68.8%
City of Belgrade 1,659,440 31,914 1.9% 1,681,405 28,210 1.7%
Sjenica 26,392 20,906 79.2% 24,083 18,860 78.3%
Prijepolje 37,059 16,562 44.7% 32,214 15,066 46.8%
Priboj 27,133 5,793 21.4% 23,514 5,119 21.8%
Novi Sad 307,760 4,601 1.5% 368,967 4,870 1.3%
Požarevac 75,334 2,817 3.7% 68,648 3,245 4.7%
Subotica 141,554 2,756 1.9% 123,952 3,238 2.6%
City of Niš 260,237 2,486 1.0% 249,501 2,224 0.9%
Smederevo 108,209 1,670 1.5% 97,930 1,773 1.8%
Zrenjanin 123,362 1,391 1.1% 105,722 1,346 1.3%
Beočin 15,726 1,374 8.7% 13,875 1,156 8.3%
Nova Varoš 16,638 1,384 8.3% 13,507 1,069 7.9%
Bor 48,615 1,338 2.8% 40,845 1,052 2.6%
Medveđa 7,438 581 ** 7.8% 6,360 932 14,7%
Pančevo 123,414 769 0.6% 111,454 777 0.7%
Kragujevac 179,417 665 0.4% 171,186 710 0.4%
Šabac 115,884 760 0.7% 105,432 669 0.6%
Loznica 79,327 724 0.9% 72,062 630 0.9%
Kraljevo 125,488 532 0.4% 110,196 479 0.4%
Prokuplje 44,419 299 0.7% 38,054 412 1.1%
Mali Zvornik 12,482 472 3.8% 11,290 362 2.9%
Mali Iđoš 12,031 232 1.9% 9,983 361 3.6%
Vršac 52,026 253 0.5% 45,462 334 0.7%
Bečej 37,351 206 0.6% 30,681 314 1.0%
Sremska Mitrovica 79,940 240 0.3% 72,580 291 0.4%
Kruševac 128,752 243 0.2% 111,582 256 0.2%
Krupanj 17,295 229 1.3% 17,295 229 1.3%
Bač 14,405 198 1.4% 11,431 138 1.2%
Sombor 85,903 193 0.2% 70,818 137 0.2%
Serbia (total) 7,186,862 222,828 3.1% 6,647,003 278,212 4.19%

** Census 2011 boycotted by Albanian minority

Organization

Adherents of Islam in Serbia are organized into two separate bodies: the Islamic Community in Serbia subordinate to the Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Islamic Community of Serbia founded in 2007 which traces its origins to the Principality of Serbia.[8] In 2012, the reis-ul-ulema Mustafa Cerić of Bosnia published a fatwa against Adem Zilkić, leader of the Islamic Community of Serbia, categorizing his actions as Masjid al-Dirar.[9]

The Islamic Community of Serbia (Islamska zajednica Srbije), with seat in Belgrade, is administered by reis-ul-ulema Sead Nasufović.[10] It is divided into:

The Islamic Community in Serbia (Islamska zajednica u Srbiji), with seat in Novi Pazar, is administered by mufti Mevlud Dudić,[11] which include:

    • Islamic Community in Sandzak region or Muftiship of Sandžak, with seat in Novi Pazar, administered by mufti Mevlud Dudić.
    • Islamic Community in Vojvodina or Muftiship of Novi Sad, with seat in Novi Sad, administered by mufti Fadil Murati.
    • Islamic Community in Preševo Valley or Muftiship of Preševo, with seat in Preševo.
    • Islamic Community in Central Serbia or Muftiship of Belgrade, with seat in Belgrade.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Religious Composition by Country, 2010-2050". Pew Research Center. 12 April 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  2. ↑ https://popis2022.stat.gov.rs/en-us/5-vestisaopstenja/news-events/20230616-st/?a=0&s=0
  3. ↑ "Čitaci | Hrvatska enciklopedija".
  4. ↑ "[Projekat Rastko] Svetlana Radovanovic - Demographic Growth and Ethnodemographic Changes in the Republic of Serbia". www.rastko.rs.
  5. ↑ https://brill.com/previewpdf/book/edcoll/9789004184763/Bej.9789004184756.i-712_040.xml
  6. ↑ "Religious composition of Serbia 2011".
  7. ↑ "Претрага дисеминационе базе". data.stat.gov.rs. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  8. ↑ "Zilkić ponovo izabran" (in Serbian). Radio Television of Serbia. 13 February 2010. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  9. ↑ "Reakcije na fetvu protiv reisa IZ Srbije" (in Bosnian). Al Jazeera Balkans. 14 November 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  10. ↑ "Islamska zajednica Srbije: Sead Nasufović novi reis-l-ulema". www.novosti.rs (in Serbian (Latin script)). Retrieved 2020-05-19.
  11. ↑ "POSLE OSAM GODINA SUKOBA Zilkić pozvao Dudića da se ujedine u jednu Islamsku zajednicu" (in Serbian). Blic. 22 March 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
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