Total population | |
---|---|
27 million | |
Regions with significant populations | |
India | 20,815,730 |
United States | 500,000–700,000 |
Canada | 468,673 |
United Kingdom | 432,429 |
Malaysia | 100,000 |
Australia | 72,000 |
Italy | 70,000 |
Thailand | 70,000 |
Pakistan | 50,000 |
United Arab Emirates | 50,000 |
Philippines | 30,000 |
New Zealand | 19,191 |
Germany | 10,000–20,000 |
Singapore | 15,000 |
Languages | |
Punjabi (Gurmukhi script) | |
Religion | |
Sikhism |
A Sikh (/siːk, sɪk/; Punjabi: ਸਿੱਖ sikkh [sɪkkʰ]) is a follower of Sikhism, a panentheistic religion which originated during the 15th century in the Punjab region of Northwestern Indian subcontinent. The term "Sikh" has its origin in the Sanskrit words शिष्य (śiṣya; disciple, student) or शिक्ष (śikṣa; instruction). A Sikh, according to Article I of the Sikh Rehat Maryada (the Sikh code of conduct), is "any human being who faithfully believes in One Immortal Being; ten Gurus, from Guru Nanak to Guru Gobind Singh; Guru Granth Sahib; the teachings of the ten Gurus and the baptism bequeathed by the tenth Guru".
"Sikh" properly refers to adherents of Sikhism as a religion, not an ethnic group. However, because Sikhism has seldom sought converts, most Sikhs share strong ethno-religious ties. Many countries, such as the United Kingdom, therefore recognize Sikh as a designated ethnicity on their censuses. The American non-profit organization United Sikhs has fought to have Sikh included on the U.S. census as well, arguing that Sikhs "self-identify as an 'ethnic group' " and believe "that they are more than just a religion."