E/CN.4/1997/91/Add.1 page 6 18. Recent statistical data on minorities could not be obtained. However, the main minorities, in descending order of strength, were Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Zoroastrians (Parsis). The Indian authorities communicated to the Special Rapporteur a population profile table (see table 1) indicating the results of the 1971, 1981 and 1991 censuses of the Hindu, Muslim, Sikhs and other populations residing outside Jammu and Kashmir and revealing changes in their numbers over the years. It reveals that by far the largest minority is the Muslim community, whose growth rate is exponential. 19. The authorities state that the most recent census in Jammu and Kashmir took place in 1981; no census could be carried out in 1991 owing to local conditions. The table of the 1991 results accompanied by an information note was communicated by the Indian authorities (see table 2). Table 1 Population profile Census year Community (India, excluding Jammu and Kashmir) Composition % Increase from 1971 to 1991 % 1971 1981 1991 Hindus 452 032 338 547 849 033 687 646 721 82 52.12 Muslims 58 378 140 71 668 988 101 596 057 12.11 74.03 Sikhs 10 273 018 12 944 471 16 259 744 1.94 58.28 Others 22 859 524 26 837 968 33 081 466 3.94 44.71 Total 543 543 020 659 300 460 838 583 988 Table 2 . 54.28 Population of Jammu and Kashmir 1981 Census Region Religious denomination Kashmir Hindus 1 24 078 Muslims Sikhs Christians Ladakh Jammu Total 3 538 18 02 832 19 30 448 30 76 033 61 883 8 04 637 38 30 448 33 177 334 1 00 164 1 33 675 466 237 7 778 8 481