Islam in Vietnam 2026: Muslim Population, Mosques & Muslim-Friendly Travel
By Jimmy Nguyen, Founder & Director of Asia Travel Expert Co., Ltd.Last updated: October 2026. Figures are the latest official data available in October 2026 (Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs, the 1 July 2024 survey of ethnic minorities, and the 2019 census), cross-checked against the other sources listed at the end of this guide.
Is Vietnam a Muslim country? No. Vietnam has no state religion and Islam is a small minority faith: the latest official figure from Vietnam’s religious-affairs authority, now the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs, is more than 80,000 Muslims – less than 0.1% of a population of 101.1 million (2024). Most Vietnamese Muslims are Cham, living in An Giang, Ho Chi Minh City and on the south-central coast. Islam is one of 16 officially recognised religions, there are 89 Islamic places of worship, and Vietnam is steadily becoming more Muslim-friendly: it ranked 60th in the Global Muslim Travel Index 2026, has halal-certified restaurants in the main cities, and passed its first halal decree in 2026.
Islam in Vietnam: Key Facts (2026)
| Question | Answer (October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Is Vietnam a Muslim country? | No. Vietnam has no state religion; Islam is a small minority faith |
| Muslims in Vietnam | More than 80,000 (latest official figure, Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs); 70,934 in the 2019 census |
| Share of population | Less than 0.1% of 101.1 million people (1 April 2024) |
| Cham people | 173,135 (survey of 1 July 2024); most Muslims are Cham, but not all Cham are Muslim |
| Main groups | Cham Muslims (Sunni Islam) and Cham Bani |
| Places of worship | 89 Islamic places of worship (64 Sunni, 25 Bani) |
| Largest communities | An Giang, Ho Chi Minh City, Tay Ninh, Dong Nai, and the Bani villages of Khanh Hoa and Lam Dong |
| Mosques in Hanoi | One: Al-Noor Mosque, 12 Hang Luoc Street – the only mosque in northern Vietnam |
| Muslim-friendly ranking | 60th of 150 destinations in the Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2026 |
| Halal law | Decree 127/2026/ND-CP on halal products and services, in force since 1 June 2026 |
Religion in Vietnam: Where Does Islam Fit?
Vietnam recognises 16 religions and 43 religious organisations, with about 27.7 million followers (2023 white paper, still the latest official figure cited by the government in 2026). In the 2019 census, 13.2 million people (13.7% of the population) declared a religion. Islam is a small but long-established minority:
| Religion | Latest official figure (2023 white paper) | 2019 census |
|---|---|---|
| Buddhism | About 14 million | 4,606,543 |
| Catholicism | About 7 million | 5,866,169 |
| Hoa Hao Buddhism | About 1.5 million | 983,079 |
| Protestantism | About 1.2 million | 960,558 |
| Cao Dai | More than 1.1 million | 556,234 |
| Islam | More than 80,000 | 70,934 |
| Brahmanism (Cham Hindu) | Not published separately | 64,547 |
Census figures are lower than religious-affairs figures because the census counts self-declaration, while religious authorities count registered followers.
How Many Muslims Live in Vietnam?
Vietnam has not published a newer official count of Muslims than the figures below. The 2024 mid-term population survey did not report religion, and government media in 2025–2026 still cite the same white-paper figures, so these are the latest official numbers as of October 2026.
- Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs (formerly the Government Committee for Religious Affairs; white paper Religion and Religious Policy in Vietnam, 2023, re-cited by the ministry in 2025): more than 80,000 followers and 89 places of worship – about 30,000 Sunni Muslims with 64 places of worship, and about 50,000 Cham Bani with 25.
- 2019 census (the last census to record religion): 70,934 followers of Islam.
- Cham people, 1 July 2024: 173,135, according to the survey of Vietnam’s 53 ethnic minorities published in July 2025. Most Vietnamese Muslims are Cham, but many Cham follow Bani or Brahmanist (Ahier) traditions.
- Ho Chi Minh City, February 2026: more than 10,000 Muslims, according to the city’s Muslim community meeting.
- US State Department (2023 religious freedom report, the latest edition published): about 80,000 Muslims, roughly 60% Bani and 40% Sunni.
Where Do Muslims Live in Vietnam?
| Province or city | Muslims | Places of worship | Latest data |
|---|---|---|---|
| An Giang (Chau Doc, Tan Chau, An Phu) | 11,167 | 28 | 2020 |
| Ho Chi Minh City | More than 10,000 | 14 | 2026 |
| Tay Ninh | 4,219 | 7 mosques | 2020 |
| Dong Nai | 2,838 | 2 | Not stated |
| Hanoi | About 650 | 1 (Al-Noor) | 2026 study |
Most Cham Bani live in the former provinces of Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan, which became part of Khanh Hoa and Lam Dong after Vietnam’s provincial merger on 1 July 2025. For the history, culture and daily life of these communities, read our sister guide Vietnamese Muslims: the Cham Muslims and Cham Bani.
Who Are Vietnam’s Muslims? A Short Overview
- Cham Muslims (Sunni Islam) – the largest group practising mainstream Islam, mainly in An Giang, Ho Chi Minh City and Tay Ninh. They follow the Shafi’i school, as in Malaysia and Indonesia.
- Cham Bani – a local form of Islam blended with Cham traditions, practised on the south-central coast; Bani religious life is led by clergy rather than daily mosque prayer by all followers.
- Other Muslims – descendants of Indian, Malay and Indonesian Muslims in Ho Chi Minh City, a small number of ethnic Vietnamese (Kinh) converts, and foreign Muslim residents, especially in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Islam reached the Cham kingdom of Champa through trade with the Muslim world; older claims that 11th-century Arabic tombstones prove Muslims lived in Champa by 1039 are now disputed by historians. Islam spread among the Cham from the 15th to the 17th centuries, and Cham Muslims later settled in the Mekong Delta.
Mosques to Visit in Vietnam
| Mosque | Location | Why visit |
|---|---|---|
| Al-Noor Mosque | 12 Hang Luoc, Hanoi Old Quarter | The only mosque in northern Vietnam, built in the late 19th century |
| Saigon Central Mosque (Jamia Al-Muslimin) | 66 Dong Du, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City | Completed in 1935 by Indian Muslims; the easiest mosque to visit in Saigon |
| Jamiul Anwar Mosque | Alley 157 Duong Ba Trac, Ho Chi Minh City | Heart of a Cham neighbourhood; Ramadan food market every year |
| Masjid Mubarak | Chau Giang, Chau Doc, An Giang | Founded in 1750 and rebuilt in 1965; one of the oldest mosques in Vietnam |
| Jamiul Azhar Mosque | Chau Phong, Tan Chau, An Giang | A large Cham mosque on the Hau River |
Muslim visitors are welcome at all these mosques for prayer. Non-Muslim visitors should dress modestly and visit outside prayer times. See our guides to Al-Noor Mosque in Hanoi and the mosques of Ho Chi Minh City, and our Chau Doc Cham Muslim village guide.
Is Vietnam Muslim-Friendly? What Travellers Should Know
- Global ranking: Vietnam ranked 60th of 150 destinations in the Mastercard–CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index 2026 (66th in 2025, 79th in 2024), and 25th among destinations outside the OIC.
- Muslim visitors are growing: Vietnam welcomed about 574,000 visitors from Malaysia in 2025 (+15.8%). In the first nine months of 2026, arrivals from Malaysia rose 18.1% and from Indonesia 25.5%.
- Halal food: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang all have halal-certified restaurants; see our guides to halal food in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Halong Bay and Sapa. Outside these areas, halal restaurants are rare.
- Airport prayer rooms: Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi) has a prayer room on level 2 of international terminal T2, airside near gate 37, with separate areas for men and women. Tan Son Nhat (Ho Chi Minh City) has the Jasmine Halal Lounge with prayer rooms, and Da Nang International Airport has a prayer room.
- Safety and dress: Vietnam is generally safe for travellers. There are no restrictions on wearing hijab or praying in public, and Muslim visitors are welcomed. Expect curiosity rather than hostility in rural areas.
- Alcohol and pork are common in Vietnamese food, so learn a few phrases such as không ăn thịt lợn (no pork) and không có rượu (no alcohol).
Halal in Vietnam Today: Laws and Standards
- Decree 127/2026/ND-CP on quality management and development of halal products and services, signed on 6 April 2026 and in force since 1 June 2026. It also tasks the tourism ministry with promoting Vietnam as a Muslim-friendly destination.
- TCVN 14230:2024 – national standard for Muslim-friendly tourism services (accommodation, tours and guides).
- TCVN 14581:2025 – halal requirements for restaurants and catering; TCVN 12944:2020 – general requirements for halal food.
- HALCERT – the national halal certification centre under the Ministry of Science and Technology, launched on 24 April 2024. Several private bodies, such as Halal Vietnam (HVN), also certify restaurants and cruises.
- Decision 10/QD-TTg (14 February 2023) – the government plan to develop Vietnam’s halal industry to 2030.
Ramadan and Eid in Vietnam
Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin around 8 February 2027, just after Vietnamese New Year (Tet, 6 February 2027), with Eid al-Fitr around 9–10 March 2027, depending on the moon sighting. Eid is not a public holiday, but mosques hold Eid prayers, and the Cham community around Jamiul Anwar Mosque in Ho Chi Minh City runs a Ramadan food market for iftar. Cham Bani observe their own month of Ramưwan. Read more in our Ramadan in Vietnam guide.
Travel Vietnam with a Muslim-Friendly Local Operator
We plan private tours with halal meals reserved in advance: browse our Vietnam Muslim highlight tours, Northern, Central and Southern Vietnam Muslim tours, or contact us for a private itinerary.
Frequently Asked Questions about Islam in Vietnam
1. Is Vietnam a Muslim country?
No. Vietnam has no state religion and most Vietnamese follow no organised religion. Islam is one of 16 officially recognised religions, followed by about 80,000 people, less than 0.1% of the population.
2. What percentage of Vietnam is Muslim?
Less than 0.1%. The latest official figure is more than 80,000 Muslims (Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs) in a population of 101.1 million counted on 1 April 2024. The 2019 census, the last count to record religion, found 70,934 followers of Islam.
3. Is Vietnam Muslim-friendly?
Increasingly. Vietnam ranked 60th of 150 destinations in the Global Muslim Travel Index 2026, up from 66th in 2025. Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang have halal-certified restaurants, and a 2026 decree promotes Vietnam as a Muslim-friendly destination.
4. Is Vietnam safe for Muslim tourists?
Yes. Vietnam is generally a safe country for travellers, there are no restrictions on wearing hijab or praying, and Muslim visitors are welcomed. The main challenge is food: outside the big cities, halal restaurants are rare, so plan meals in advance.
5. How many mosques are there in Vietnam?
Official figures list 89 Islamic places of worship: 64 for Sunni Muslims and 25 for Cham Bani. Most are in An Giang and Ho Chi Minh City; Hanoi has one mosque, Al-Noor.
6. What is the oldest mosque in Vietnam?
Masjid Mubarak in Chau Giang, near Chau Doc in An Giang, founded in 1750, is one of the oldest mosques in Vietnam. Al-Noor in Hanoi and the Saigon Central Mosque date from the late 19th century and 1935.
7. Is Eid a public holiday in Vietnam?
No. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are not public holidays, but mosques in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and An Giang hold Eid prayers. Ramadan 2027 is expected to start around 8 February 2027.
8. Berapa jumlah orang Islam di Vietnam?
Angka rasmi terkini daripada Kementerian Hal Ehwal Etnik dan Agama Vietnam ialah lebih 80,000 orang Islam, iaitu kurang daripada 0.1% daripada 101.1 juta penduduk (2024). Bancian penduduk 2019 mencatatkan 70,934 penganut Islam. Kebanyakan umat Islam di Vietnam ialah orang Cham di An Giang dan Ho Chi Minh City.
9. Apakah Vietnam mesra Muslim?
Ya, semakin mesra Muslim. Vietnam berada di tempat ke-60 daripada 150 destinasi dalam Global Muslim Travel Index 2026. Terdapat restoran halal yang diperakui di Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City dan Da Nang, serta masjid di bandar-bandar utama.
Sources
- General Statistics Office of Vietnam – 2019 Population and Housing Census (religion and ethnicity results); 2024 mid-term population survey (population at 1 April 2024).
- Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs and National Statistics Office – survey of the socio-economic situation of 53 ethnic minorities, 1 July 2024 (published July 2025).
- Tuoi Tre (Phu Nu) – Ho Chi Minh City Muslim community meeting, 6 February 2026.
- Government Committee for Religious Affairs – religion overview booklet (data to 31 December 2021, published August 2023); White Paper on Religion 2023.
- VOV, August 2026 – 16 religions, 43 organisations, 27.7 million followers.
- Quan ly Nha nuoc journal, September 2023 – Islam by province.
- US Department of State – 2023 Report on International Religious Freedom: Vietnam.
- Decree 127/2026/ND-CP (6 April 2026); TCVN 14230:2024; TCVN 14581:2025; HALCERT launch, VTV, April 2024.
- Mastercard–CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index 2024–2026.
- Vietnam National Authority of Tourism arrivals data, January 2026 and October 2026.
- Noi Bai International Airport – prayer room at terminal T2.
- Haw, S. (2017), “Islam in Champa and the making of factitious history”, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society.
- Wikipedia: Islam in Vietnam.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors (credited in each caption).
