80% of U.S. Muslims say they observe Ramadan by fasting, Pew Research Center survey shows

The Pew Research Center has found that 80% of U.S. Muslims say they observe Ramadan by fasting during daylight hours. More of the U.S.’s 2.15 million Muslim adults say they do this than say that they pray five times a day (42%) or attend mosque weekly (43%). More Muslim women say they observe Ramadan in this way (82%) than say they wear the hijab at least most of the time (43%).

The 82% of Muslim women who say they fast during Ramadan is statistically similar to the 77% of Muslim men who say they do. There was also little difference in the share of this response between Muslims born in the U.S. (79%) and those who are immigrants (80%).

92% of U.S. Muslims who say religion is “very important” in their lives observe the holiday, and among Muslims who say religion is “somewhat important” in their lives, 65% say they fast. However, what is interesting is that even a substantial share (41%) of those who say religion is “not too” or “not at all” important say they fast.

The results were gathered during a 2017 Pew Research Center survey of U.S. Muslims. Research from the Center in 2012 showed that in countries with sizable Muslim populations, more than 90% of Muslim adults fast, “making it the second-most-observed of Islam’s Five Pillars, behind only the shahada, the affirmation of belief in God and the Prophet Muhammad”.

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Sources

Fahmy, D. and Mohamed, B. (2018) ‘Most U.S. Muslims observe Ramadan by fasting during daylight hours’. [online] 15 May. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/05/15/most-u-s-muslims-observe-ramadan-by-fasting-during-daylight-hours/. [Accessed 18 May 2018].