Only 7% Indians do yoga daily, 62% Hindus don’t practise it all, Pew survey says

According to a survey by Pew Research Center, Jains and Sikhs are more likely to practise yoga than those from other religious groups, including Hindus.

PM Narendra Modi along with other participants performs yoga during International Day of Yoga in Ranchi in 2019 | PTI Photo| Kamal Kishore

New Delhi: Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to promote yoga, most Indian adults do not practice it, reveals a survey by Pew Research Center, a US-based think tank.

The analysis was part of the report titled ‘Religion in India: Tolerance and Segregation’, published on 29 June, which is Pew Research Center’s most comprehensive and in-depth exploration of Indian public opinion. A total of 29,999 Indian adults were surveyed for the report between 17 November 2019 and 23 March 2020.

According to the survey, only about a third or 35 per cent of Indian adults said they “ever” practice yoga. Of those that do, only 7 per cent practice yoga daily while 6 per cent do so weekly. About 22 per cent of them do yoga monthly or less.

Consequently, 62 per cent or roughly six-in-ten Indians revealed that they never practice yoga. The same percentage of Hindus also never practice yoga.

The survey further revealed that those who do yoga are relatively young and educated, with 56 per cent college graduates noting that they practice it against 33 per cent of those who had “less than college” education.

A modest political divide was also noted, with 38 per cent Indians with a favourable view of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stating that they practiced yoga while 31 per cent of those who viewed the party unfavourably practiced it.

Religion and yoga

Despite yoga’s roots in Hinduism, the Pew survey found that Jains and Sikhs are more likely to practice yoga than those from other religious groups, including Hindus.

According to the survey, 61 per cent Jains said they practice yoga, followed by 50 per cent Sikhs, 38 per cent Indian Buddhists and 36 per cent Hindus.

Fewer than one-third Muslims in India (29 per cent) do yoga, while the percentage stands at 24 per cent for Christians.

The survey further underscored a disconnect between being religious and practicing yoga.

Only 35 per cent of those Indians who said religion is important to them practice yoga while 36 per cent of other Indians do so.

Of the Indians who pray daily, 38 per cent do yoga while 30 per cent of those who don’t pray daily practice it.