Muslim population in Italy rises from 2,000 to 2 million within five decades

The number of Muslims in Italy has rocketed from about 2,000 in 1970 to nearly two million at the end of 2015, according to a new study.

The number of Muslims in Italy has rocketed from about 2,000 in 1970 to nearly two million at the end of 2015, according to a new study.

Academics say the number is expected to continue to rise as migrants from Africa and the Middle East continue to arrive.

Islam is the second most common religion in Italy behind Catholicism. Based in Turin, the Centre for New Religions Studies who carried out the study was established in 1988 by religious scholars from European and American universities.