page_title: Religion in Spain
section_title: Hinduism
hierarchical_section_title: Religion in Spain / Other / Minor religions / Hinduism
caption_attribution_description: English: Hindu temple in Arroyo de la Miel, Benalmádena, Málaga, Spain Español: Templo hindú en Arroyo de la Miel, Benalmádena, Málaga, España
context_page_description: The major religion in Spain has been Catholic Christianity since the Reconquista, with a small minority of other Christian and non-Christian religions and high levels of secularization as of 2020. The Pew Research Center ranked Spain as the 16th out of 34 European countries in levels of religiosity, which is lower than Italy, Portugal and Poland, but much higher than the United Kingdom and the Nordic countries. There is no official religion and religious freedom is protected: the Spanish Constitution of 1978 abolished Catholicism as the official state religion, while recognizing the role it plays in Spanish society.
  Catholicism has been present in the Iberian Peninsula since Roman times. The Spanish Empire spread it to the Philippine islands and Latin America, which are now predominantly Catholic countries. However, since the end of the Francoist dictatorship practical secularization has grown strongly. Only 3% of Spaniards consider religion as one of their three most important values, lower than the 5% European average.
  A Survey published in 2019 by the Pew Research Center found that 54% of Spaniards had a favorable view of Muslims, while 76% had a favorable view about Jews.
context_section_description: Hinduism first arrived in Spain by Sindhi immigrants through British colony of Gibraltar in the early 20th century. There are about 40,000-50,000 Hindus in Spain, about 25,000 from India, 5,000 from Eastern Europe and Latin America and 10,000 Spanish. There are also small communities of Hindus from Nepal (around 200) and Bangladesh (around 500). 
  There are also about 40 Hindu temples/worship-places in Spain. The first Hindu temple in Ceuta city was completed in 2007. There are ISKCON Krishna Temples in Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga, Tenerife and Brihuega along with a Krishna restaurant in Barcelona. Some of Hinduism's shared teaching with Buddhism like reincarnation or karma, have partially syncretized with the cultural mainstream via New Age-style movements.
caption: A Hindu temple in Benalmádena, province of Málaga, opened in 2001.
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