The Number That Proves Most Muslims Aren't Arab

Added: 2026-05-16

[00:00:02]When you picture a Muslim, who do you see? If your mind went to the Middle East, you're in good company. But, here is something most people don't realize that the majority of Muslims in the world aren't Arab. Arabs make up only about one in five Muslims globally. The country with the largest Muslim population isn't in the Middle East.

[00:00:20]It's Indonesia in Southeast Asia. After that come Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. Most Muslims live in Asia, not the Arab world. They speak hundreds of languages, eat different foods, and wear different clothes. What unites them is the Quran, Islam's holy book, which is in Arabic, even when the people reading it aren't. A faith of nearly 2 billion people is bound to be more varied than any single image. Follow for more 60-second explainers.