Studies in Jain Population and Demography

During the ancient and medieval periods of Indian history, Jainism was a widely- spread religion all over the country, perhaps mainly due to royal patronage and/or protection. In modern times however, the number of its adherents has been reduced to minuscule proportions counting as low as about 1.2 million in 1921. Subsequently, the Jain population increased to about 1.6 million in 1951 census, and to about 4.5 million in 2011. Though small in number, today the Jains are to be found in all the states and union territories of India.