Parsi Population in the World: Zoroastrians by Country

By PalV's Kasti · Last reviewed: 29 October 2026

The world has roughly 1.1 to 1.2 lakh Zoroastrians, going by the only worldwide country-by-country compilation we could find. FEZANA's 2012 survey, compiled by Roshan Rivetna, gives a world total of 111,691, or 121,962 if Iran's census figure replaces the community estimate for Iran. India has the largest community on census and survey figures: its 2011 census counted 57,264 Parsis/Zoroastrians. Iran comes next, with about 25,000 according to Zoroastrian groups and Iran's Statistical Center, as reported by the US State Department for 2023. Then come the USA (14,405 in FEZANA's 2012 survey), Canada (7,285 in its 2021 census) and England and Wales (4,090 in their 2021 census).

How many Zoroastrians are there in the world?

No government counts Zoroastrians worldwide. The nearest thing we found is FEZANA's table, and FEZANA is open about its limits: it describes the compilation as a "magazine survey" and says it is not an official census. Each country's figure is the best estimate its compilers could get from a named contact.

The table offers two world totals for 2012:

• 111,691, using 15,000 for Iran, the estimate of Esfandiar Ekhtiyari and Mobed Mehraban Firouzgary
• 121,962, using 25,271 for Iran, the figure from the Statistical Center of Iran (SCI)

For 2004 the same table gives a world total of 124,953. One input is now out of date. FEZANA's 2012 figure of 61,000 for India was a projection by Armaity Desai and S. Siva Raju, made while India's 2011 census results were still awaited. The census itself later counted 57,264, so FEZANA's world totals lean slightly high on India.

Which countries have the most Zoroastrians?

On census and FEZANA figures, India ranks first, Iran second and the USA third. The exception is the World Religion Database: its estimate of 64,000 for Iran would put Iran ahead of India's 2011 census count. The table below sets the latest official count we could open beside FEZANA's 2012 estimate.

Country or region	Latest official count we could verify	FEZANA 2012 estimate
India	57,264 (Census 2011)	61,000 (projection)
Iran	25,271 (SCI 2011 census figure, as given by FEZANA)	15,000 (community estimate)
United States	none	14,405
Canada	7,285 (Census 2021)	6,442
United Kingdom	4,090 for England and Wales only (Census 2021)	5,500 (Great Britain)
Australia	none	2,577
Gulf region (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, UAE)	none	1,900
Pakistan	none	1,675
New Zealand	none	1,231
Europe and Central Asia	none	1,000
Singapore	none	372
Hong Kong	none	204
South Africa	none	134
Malaysia	none	43
East Africa	none	37
Sri Lanka	none	37
World	none	111,691 or 121,962

"None" means we found no official census figure that we could open and check. It does not mean the country has no Zoroastrians. FEZANA also lists groups of 5 to 21 people in Japan, Seychelles, China, Thailand and Viet Nam, the Philippines, Ireland, South America, Mexico and Central America, Korea and Indonesia.

How many Zoroastrians live in Iran?

Of all the countries here, Iran has the widest spread of figures in the sources we read. The US State Department's 2023 religious freedom report on Iran puts the community at approximately 25,000, citing Zoroastrian groups and the government-run Statistical Center of Iran. The same report adds that the 2020 World Religion Database estimates 64,000.

FEZANA's 2012 table records both a low and a middle figure. It gives 15,000 as the estimate of Esfandiar Ekhtiyari and Mobed Mehraban Firouzgary, and 25,271 as the SCI figure. Its 2004 figure for Iran, 24,000, came from Mobed Firouzgary and was based on SCI figures.

So anyone asking about the Parsi or Zoroastrian population in Iran gets a range rather than one number: 15,000 on the community estimate FEZANA used, about 25,000 on official figures, and 64,000 on the World Religion Database's estimate.

How many Parsis and Zoroastrians live in India?

India's 2011 census counted 57,264 people under its combined Parsi and Zoroastrian religion entry. The Ministry of Minority Affairs quotes the same figure and says the community fell from 69,601 in Census 2001. For where Parsis live within India, see our main guide to the Parsi population in India, and for the full breakdown of that count, our page on Parsi Census 2011 figures.

How many Zoroastrians live in the USA and Canada?

Canada has a recent official count. For the USA we found no official count in any source we opened.

Canada. Statistics Canada's 2021 Census table records 7,285 Zoroastrians, with a 95 percent confidence interval of 6,908 to 7,682. Ontario had 4,785, British Columbia 1,675 and Alberta 415. Among metropolitan areas, Toronto had 3,895 and Vancouver 1,535. Of the national total, 5,730 were first generation, which Statistics Canada defines as people born outside Canada. FEZANA's 2012 survey of Canada's ten provinces had estimated 6,442, up from 5,975 in 2004.

United States. The US number comes from FEZANA's own survey of the 50 states: 14,405 in 2012, against 10,794 in 2004. That rise of 3,611 people is the biggest increase in numbers for any country in FEZANA's table.

How these communities took shape is covered in our article on the Zoroastrian diaspora.

How many Zoroastrians live in the UK, Australia and Pakistan?

United Kingdom. The census for England and Wales counted 4,090 Zoroastrians as at Census Day, 21 March 2021, almost unchanged from the 4,105 counted in the 2011 census. Both counts cover England and Wales only. FEZANA's 2012 estimate for Great Britain was 5,500.

Australia and New Zealand. FEZANA's 2012 survey put the figure at 2,577 across seven Australian states and 1,231 in New Zealand. We could not open an official census count for either country, so treat both as survey estimates.

Pakistan. FEZANA's 2012 estimate was 1,675, down from 2,121 in 2004. The US State Department's 2023 report on Pakistan says the 2023 census results place Parsis (Zoroastrians) among several groups that together make up less than 5 percent of the population. It gives no separate number for Parsis.

Uzbekistan. The State Department's 2023 report on Uzbekistan cites Boston University's World Religion Database for a figure of 1,000 Zoroastrians.

Is the world Zoroastrian population growing or shrinking?

On FEZANA's numbers it is shrinking overall, but not in every country. The 2012 total of 111,691 was 13,262 lower than the 2004 total of 124,953, a fall of 10.6 percent in eight years. Much of that fall rests on Iran, and the two Iran figures are not like for like: the 2004 figure was based on SCI numbers, while the 2012 figure of 15,000 is a community estimate. FEZANA's alternative 2012 total of 121,962, which uses the SCI figure for Iran, is still below 2004, though by far less.

In FEZANA's table India went from 69,601 to 61,000, a drop of 12.4 percent. Pakistan fell 21.0 percent and the Gulf region 13.6 percent. India's own census tells the same story for India: 69,601 in 2001 and 57,264 in 2011.

Several diaspora communities grew. Between 2004 and 2012 FEZANA recorded rises of 33.5 percent in the USA, 7.8 percent in Canada, 36.8 percent in New Zealand and 129.6 percent in Singapore, while Australia stayed almost flat at minus 0.9 percent.

The reasons behind the fall, especially among Parsis in India, are covered in our article on Parsi population decline.

Why do sources give such different Zoroastrian population numbers?

Because they measure different things.

A census figure is an official count for one territory on one date. Examples are India's 57,264 in 2011, Canada's 7,285 in 2021, and the 4,090 counted in England and Wales on 21 March 2021.

A community survey like FEZANA's adds up the best figure available for each country, whether that is a census result, a state-by-state survey or one community member's estimate. FEZANA itself cautions that the data it received "may be inconsistent, inaccurate and incomplete".

A third set of numbers comes from the World Religion Database, which the US State Department quotes in its country reports. Its 2020 estimate for Iran is 64,000, against about 25,000 from official and community sources.

The categories differ too. India's census table uses one combined Parsi and Zoroastrian entry, while the Canadian and England and Wales tables use "Zoroastrian". When you see a single neat world number, check which of these methods produced it.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Parsi population in the world?

The fullest worldwide compilation, FEZANA's 2012 survey, gives 111,691 Zoroastrians, or 121,962 if Iran's census figure is used. FEZANA calls it a magazine survey, not a census. India has the largest community, with 57,264 Parsis/Zoroastrians counted in Census 2011, followed by Iran, the USA, Canada and the UK.

Which country has the largest Zoroastrian population?

India, on census and survey figures. Its 2011 census counted 57,264 Parsis/Zoroastrians. Iran is second, with about 25,000 according to the Statistical Center of Iran and Zoroastrian groups, although the World Religion Database estimates 64,000. The USA is third, with 14,405 in FEZANA's 2012 survey.

How many Zoroastrians are there in Iran?

Figures range from 15,000 to 64,000. FEZANA's 2012 survey gives a community estimate of 15,000 and a Statistical Center of Iran figure of 25,271. The US State Department's 2023 report says about 25,000, citing Zoroastrian groups and the Statistical Center, and notes a World Religion Database estimate of 64,000.

How many Zoroastrians live in the United States?

FEZANA's survey of all 50 states found 14,405 Zoroastrians in 2012, up from 10,794 in 2004, a rise of 33.5 percent. We found no official US government count. Because the figure comes from a community survey, treat it as an estimate rather than a census number.

How many Zoroastrians are there in Canada?

Canada's 2021 Census recorded 7,285 Zoroastrians, with a 95 percent confidence interval of 6,908 to 7,682. Ontario had 4,785 and British Columbia 1,675, while Toronto had 3,895 and Vancouver 1,535. According to Statistics Canada, 5,730 of the total were first generation, meaning born outside Canada.

Is the number of Zoroastrians in the world decreasing?

On FEZANA's figures, yes. Its world total fell from 124,953 in 2004 to 111,691 in 2012, though the gap is much smaller if Iran's census figure is used. India's census separately shows a fall from 69,601 Parsis in 2001 to 57,264 in 2011, while the USA, Canada and New Zealand grew.

Cover image: Photo by Nothing Ahead on Pexels.