Islam in Bulgaria

Islam is the largest minority religion in Bulgaria. According to the 2011 Census, the total number of Muslims in the country stood at 577,139, corresponding to 7.8% of the population. The Muslim population of Bulgaria, which is made up of Turks, Bulgarians and Gypsies, lives mainly in parts of northeastern Bulgaria (mainly in Razgrad, Targovishte, Shumen and Silistra Provinces) and in the Rhodope Mountains (mainly in Kardzhali Province).

According to the census results for ethnicity, Muslims in Bulgaria were divided into the following groups in 2011:

Most of the Muslims in Bulgaria, a total of 546,004 people, are Sunni Muslims, the form of Islam which was espoused during the reign of the Ottoman Empire. Shi'a sects such as the Alians, Kizilbashi and the Bektashi also are present, however. About 27,407 Shi'a Muslims live mainly in the Razgrad, Sliven and Silistra provinces. It should be noted that 31.1% of the overall Bulgarian population did not state a religion during the 2011 census and respectively 10% did not wish to answer the question on ethnic group. In the voluntary census section of self-determination 14,698 persons of the Turkish ethnic group have pointed the answer "no religion", and 39,529 have not stated their religion.

Though the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is a small sect in Bulgaria, their practice as Ahmadi Muslims is debarred due to the disagreement in belief between the majority Muslims.

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