Fewer Muslims in the Netherlands than Dutch think: study

By Janene Pieters on December 15, 2016 - 08:05
Burka_with_modern_accerrories
Woman wearing a burka (Picture: Wikimedia Commons/Paolo Bottazzi). Woman wearing a burka (Picture: Wikimedia Commons/Paolo Bottazzi)

Dutch people think that there are far more Muslims living in the Netherlands than is actually the case, according to a study by Ipsos Mori in 40 European countries, RTL Nieuws reports. 

In the Netherlands, residents estimate that 19 percent of the current population is Muslim - nearly 1 in five people. The actual percentage is much lower - currently only 6 percent of the population have Islam as their religion. The Dutch estimate that by 2020, 26 percent of the population will be Muslim. In reality its only 7 percent.

The Dutch are not alone in their fear of Islamization, as populist politicians like Geert Wilders like to call it. The French think that 31 percent of their population are Muslim, compared to the reality of 7.5 percent. They think that by 2020 their population wil b 40 percent Muslim, compared to the reality of 8 percent. 

The Italians, Germans and Belgians are also wrong in their estimation. All three countries think that about 20 percent of their population are Muslims, while the reality ranges between 4 percent in Italy and 7 percent in Belgium. The British think that 15 percent of their population is Muslim, while only 5 percent is. 

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