# Islam in Serbia

Serbia is a Christian majority country, with Islam being a minority faith representing around 4.2% of the total population (excluding the disputed region of Kosovo, in which Islam is the predominant faith) as per the 2022 census. Islam spread to Serbia during the three centuries of Ottoman rule. The Muslims in Serbia are mostly ethnic Bosniaks, Albanians and significant part of Muslim Roma as well as members of the smaller groups, like ethnic Muslims, Gorani and Serbs (Čitaci).

## Demographics

According to the 2022 census, there were 278,212 Muslims in Serbia (4.2% of the total population. The largest concentration of Muslims in Serbia could be found in the municipalities of Novi Pazar, Tutin, Sjenica and Prijepolje in the Sandžak region, and in the municipalities of Preševo and Bujanovac in the Preševo Valley.
Muslims in Serbia (excluding Kosovo) :
| | census 1921 | census 1921 | census 1991 | census 1991 | census 2002 | census 2002 | census 2011 | census 2011 | census 2022 | census 2022 |
| | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % |
| Muslims | 97,672 | 2.23 | 224,120 | 2.89 | 239,658 | 3.20 | 222,828 | 3.10 | 278,212 | 4.20 |

### Ethnic groups

* Bosniaks and ethnic Muslims, mostly living in the Sandžak region.
* Albanians, mostly living in the Preševo Valley region.
* Muslim Roma, including Balkan Romani speaking and Serbian-speaking groups from southern Serbia, as well as Albanian-speaking groups.
* Gorani, Slavic ethnic group.

### Geographical distribution

The municipality of Novi Pazar is home to Serbia's largest Muslim population, with 82,710 Muslims out of 100,410 inhabitants (82% of its population). The municipality of Tutin has the highest share of Muslims in Serbia, with around 94% of its population being Muslim. The Sjenica Municipality has also a very large Muslim population (79%), followed by the Prijepolje Municipality (45%). Most Albanians, who belong to the Islamic faith, living in Preševo, Bujanovac and Medveđa, boycotted the 2011 census, but statistics from the 2002 census show that Muslims constitute a majority in those municipalities with 89%, 55% and 29% respectively.
| | Population Census 2011 | Population Census 2011 | Population Census 2011 | Population Census 2022 | Population Census 2022 | Population Census 2022 |
| Municipality | Total | Muslims | % | Total | Muslims | % |
| Novi Pazar | 100,410 | 82,710 | 82.4% | 106,720 | 88,493 | 82.9% |
| Preševo | 3,080 | 593 ** | 19.3% | 33,449 | 31,505 | 94,2% |
| Tutin | 31,155 | 29,220 | 93.8% | 33,053 | 30,909 | 93.5% |
| Bujanovac | 18,067 | 4,137 ** | 22.9% | 41,068 | 28,254 | 68.8% |
| City of Belgrade | 1,659,440 | 31,914 | 1.9% | 1,681,405 | 28,210 | 1.7% |
| Sjenica | 26,392 | 20,906 | 79.2% | 24,083 | 18,860 | 78.3% |
| Prijepolje | 37,059 | 16,562 | 44.7% | 32,214 | 15,066 | 46.8% |
| Priboj | 27,133 | 5,793 | 21.4% | 23,514 | 5,119 | 21.8% |
| Novi Sad | 307,760 | 4,601 | 1.5% | 368,967 | 4,870 | 1.3% |
| Požarevac | 75,334 | 2,817 | 3.7% | 68,648 | 3,245 | 4.7% |
| Subotica | 141,554 | 2,756 | 1.9% | 123,952 | 3,238 | 2.6% |
| City of Niš | 260,237 | 2,486 | 1.0% | 249,501 | 2,224 | 0.9% |
| Smederevo | 108,209 | 1,670 | 1.5% | 97,930 | 1,773 | 1.8% |
| Zrenjanin | 123,362 | 1,391 | 1.1% | 105,722 | 1,346 | 1.3% |
| Beočin | 15,726 | 1,374 | 8.7% | 13,875 | 1,156 | 8.3% |
| Nova Varoš | 16,638 | 1,384 | 8.3% | 13,507 | 1,069 | 7.9% |
| Bor | 48,615 | 1,338 | 2.8% | 40,845 | 1,052 | 2.6% |
| Medveđa | 7,438 | 581 ** | 7.8% | 6,360 | 932 | 14,7% |
| Pančevo | 123,414 | 769 | 0.6% | 111,454 | 777 | 0.7% |
| Kragujevac | 179,417 | 665 | 0.4% | 171,186 | 710 | 0.4% |
| Šabac | 115,884 | 760 | 0.7% | 105,432 | 669 | 0.6% |
| Loznica | 79,327 | 724 | 0.9% | 72,062 | 630 | 0.9% |
| Kraljevo | 125,488 | 532 | 0.4% | 110,196 | 479 | 0.4% |
| Prokuplje | 44,419 | 299 | 0.7% | 38,054 | 412 | 1.1% |
| Mali Zvornik | 12,482 | 472 | 3.8% | 11,290 | 362 | 2.9% |
| Mali Iđoš | 12,031 | 232 | 1.9% | 9,983 | 361 | 3.6% |
| Vršac | 52,026 | 253 | 0.5% | 45,462 | 334 | 0.7% |
| Bečej | 37,351 | 206 | 0.6% | 30,681 | 314 | 1.0% |
| Sremska Mitrovica | 79,940 | 240 | 0.3% | 72,580 | 291 | 0.4% |
| Kruševac | 128,752 | 243 | 0.2% | 111,582 | 256 | 0.2% |
| Krupanj | 17,295 | 229 | 1.3% | 17,295 | 229 | 1.3% |
| Bač | 14,405 | 198 | 1.4% | 11,431 | 138 | 1.2% |
| Sombor | 85,903 | 193 | 0.2% | 70,818 | 137 | 0.2% |
| Serbia (total) | 7,186,862 | 222,828 | 3.1% | 6,647,003 | 278,212 | 4.19% |
** The 2011 census was boycotted by the Albanian minority

## Organization

Adherents of Islam in Serbia are organized into two separate bodies: the Islamic Community in Serbia, a branch of the Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Islamic Community of Serbia founded in 2007 which traces its origins to the Principality of Serbia. In 2012, Reis-ul-ulema Mustafa Cerić published a fatwa against Adem Zilkić, the leader of the Islamic Community of Serbia, categorizing his actions as Masjid al-Dirar.
The Islamic Community of Serbia (Islamska zajednica Srbije), with its seat in Belgrade, is administered by Reis-ul-ulema Sead Nasufović. It is divided into:
** The Mešihat of Serbia, with its seat in Belgrade
** The Mešihat of Raška, with its seat in Novi Pazar
** The Mešihat of Preševo, with its seat in Preševo
The Islamic Community in Serbia (Islamska zajednica u Srbiji), with its seat in Novi Pazar, is administered by Mufti Mevlud Dudić, which include:
** The Islamic Community in the Sandžak region or Muftiship of Sandžak, with its seat in Novi Pazar, administered by Mufti Mevlud Dudić.
** The Islamic Community in Vojvodina or Muftiship of Novi Sad, with its seat in Novi Sad, administered by Mufti Fadil Murati.
** Islamic Community in Preševo Valley or Muftiship of Preševo, with its seat in Preševo.
** The Islamic Community in Central Serbia or Muftiship of Belgrade, with its seat in Belgrade.

## Gallery

* Sketches of ordinary Serbian Muslims.
* Ottoman manuscript from Smederevo, 1526
* Organization of the Rijaset of the Islamic Community of Serbia (as of 2007)
* Organization of the Mešihat of the Islamic Community in Serbia, which is part of the Rijaset of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina (as of 2007)