Muslim Mayors in the Western World: The Most Comprehensive Interactive Map
An unprecedented documentation of over 20 cities across Europe and North America where Muslim mayors govern more than 20 million citizens
27,624,126 citizens
Past 10 years (2015-2025)
Across Western nations
Active mayors in 2025
By Country
By Region
Population: 10,850,591
Population: 16,534,045
Population: 239,490
Key Insights
- •Over 27.6 million people are currently governed by Muslim mayors in Western cities
- •The USA leads with 11 cities, concentrated heavily in Michigan
- •London (8.8M) and NYC (8.8M) are the largest cities with Muslim mayors
- •This trend has accelerated since 2015, with multiple "firsts" recorded in recent years
This is the most comprehensive documentation of Muslim mayors in Western democracies, compiled from official government records, electoral databases, and verified news sources. The data spans the past decade (2015-2025) and reveals a significant demographic and political shift across major cities in Europe and North America.
From New York City's Zohran Mamdani (elected November 2025) to London's Sadiq Khan (serving since 2016), Muslim political leadership now governs some of the most populous and influential cities in the Western world. This interactive map allows you to explore each city, understand the scale of this phenomenon, and access verified data about each mayor's term and jurisdiction.
Key Finding
Over 20.9 million people in Western cities are currently governed by Muslim mayors—equivalent to the entire population of Australia or roughly two-thirds of Canada's population.
Growth Over Time (2006-2026)
This chart shows the dramatic growth in both the number of cities with Muslim mayors and the total population governed by them over the past 20 years.
Total Population Under Muslim Mayors
Number of Cities with Muslim Mayors
Key Milestones
Mohamed Khairullah becomes mayor of Prospect Park, NJ - one of the earliest Muslim mayors
Ahmed Aboutaleb becomes mayor of Rotterdam - first major European city
Sadiq Khan elected London mayor - first Muslim mayor of a Western capital (8.8M pop.)
Acceleration: 10+ "first Muslim mayor" milestones recorded across USA and Europe
From ~1.7M (2010) to ~20.9M (2025)
From 2 cities (2010) to 20 cities (2025)
Spread across USA, UK, Netherlands, France, Germany, Belgium
Interactive World Map
Click on any city marker to view detailed information about the mayor, population, and term length
Understanding the Data
The American Phenomenon: Michigan's Muslim Political Hub
The United States leads with 11 cities that have elected Muslim mayors, with a striking concentration in Michigan. The Detroit metropolitan area has become a center of Muslim political power, with Dearborn, Hamtramck, and Dearborn Heights all electing Muslim mayors since 2021.
Hamtramck, Michigan made history in 2021 by becoming the first American city with an all-Muslim city council, followed by the election of Mayor Amer Ghalib. The city's demographic transformation over the past two decades has been dramatic: once predominantly Polish-American, it is now majority-Muslim, primarily Yemeni and Bangladeshi immigrants.
Europe: Major Capital Cities Under Muslim Leadership
Europe's Muslim mayors govern some of the continent's largest cities. Sadiq Khan has led Greater London—population 8.8 million—since 2016, making him the first Muslim mayor of a major Western capital. His tenure spans nearly a decade, with re-elections in 2021 and 2024 demonstrating sustained electoral support.
The Netherlands has been particularly notable, with Ahmed Aboutaleb serving as Mayor of Rotterdam from 2009 to 2024—one of the longest tenures of any Muslim mayor in the West.Ahmed Marcouch continues to serve as Mayor of Arnhem since 2017.
In Germany, Hanover elected Belit Onay as its first Muslim Lord Mayor in 2019. France has seen Muslim mayors in suburban Paris communities, including Trappes and L'ĂŽle-Saint-Denis.
The "First Muslim Mayor" Wave (2019-2025)
The period from 2019 to 2025 has seen an acceleration of "first Muslim mayor" milestones:
- 2019: Belit Onay becomes first Muslim Lord Mayor of Hanover, Germany
- 2020: Sumbul Siddiqui becomes first Muslim mayor in Massachusetts (Cambridge)
- 2020: Farrah N. Khan becomes first Muslim woman to lead Irvine, California
- 2021: Bill Bazzi becomes first Muslim mayor of Dearborn Heights, Michigan
- 2021: Hamtramck elects all-Muslim city council
- 2022: Abdullah Hammoud becomes first Muslim and Arab-American mayor of Dearborn
- 2023: S. M. Fazlul Kabir becomes first Muslim mayor in Maryland (College Park)
- 2025: Zohran Mamdani elected as first Muslim mayor of New York City
- 2025: Amir Omar serving as Muslim mayor of Richardson, Texas
Demographic Context
These elections reflect broader demographic trends in Western nations:
- •The Muslim population in the United States grew from approximately 2.4 million in 2007 to 3.5 million in 2020
- •In the UK, Muslims now comprise approximately 6.5% of the population (4.4 million), up from 4.9% in 2011
- •Several European cities, including Rotterdam, Leicester, and Marseille, have Muslim populations exceeding 20%
- •Michigan's Arab-American population is the largest in the United States, concentrated in the Detroit metro area
Complete List of Cities
Browse, search, and filter all cities with Muslim mayors documented from 2015-2025
New York City, NY
USAMayor: Zohran Mamdani
Term: Elected Nov 2025 (term starts 2026)
First Muslim NYC mayor
Photo: Photo: Kara McCurdy
London (Greater London)
UKMayor: Sadiq Khan
Term: 2016–present
First Muslim mayor of a major Western capital
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Calgary, AB
CanadaMayor: Naheed Nenshi
Term: 2010–2021
First Muslim mayor of a major Canadian city; won World Mayor prize 2014
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Birmingham
UKMayor: Muhammad Afzal
Term: 2021–2022
Fifth Muslim Lord Mayor of Birmingham
Amsterdam
NetherlandsMayor: Femke Halsema
Term: 2018–present
First female mayor of Amsterdam
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Amsterdam
NetherlandsMayor: Eberhard van der Laan
Term: 2010–2017
Former mayor of Amsterdam
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Rotterdam
NetherlandsMayor: Ahmed Aboutaleb
Term: 2009–2024
First Muslim mayor of a major Dutch city
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Bradford
UKMayor: Naveeda Ikram
Term: 2011–2012
First Muslim woman Lord Mayor in UK
Bradford
UKMayor: Mohammed Ajeeb
Term: 1985–1986
First Muslim Lord Mayor in Britain (historic)
Hanover (Hannover)
GermanyMayor: Belit Onay
Term: 2019–present
First Muslim Lord Mayor of Hanover
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Bristol
UKMayor: Marvin Rees
Term: 2016–2024
First directly elected Black mayor in Europe
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Leicester
UKMayor: Abdul Razak Osman
Term: 2012–2013
First Muslim Lord Mayor of Leicester
Newham (London Borough)
UKMayor: Rokhsana Fiaz
Term: 2018–present
Directly elected borough mayor
Sandwell
UKMayor: Syeda Khatun
Term: 2024–2025
First female Muslim mayor of Sandwell
Tower Hamlets (London Borough)
UKMayor: Lutfur Rahman
Term: 2010–2015; 2022–present
Directly elected borough mayor
Irvine, CA
USAMayor: Farrah N. Khan
Term: 2020–2024
First Muslim woman to lead Irvine
Brighton & Hove
UKMayor: Mohammed Asaduzzaman
Term: 2024–2025
First Muslim mayor of Brighton & Hove
Liverpool, NSW
AustraliaMayor: Ned Mannoun
Term: 2012–2016; 2021–present
First Muslim mayor in Australia; re-elected 2024
Arnhem
NetherlandsMayor: Ahmed Marcouch
Term: 2017–present
Moroccan-Dutch Muslim mayor
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Richardson, TX
USAMayor: Amir Omar
Term: 2025–present
Muslim mayor of Richardson
Cambridge, MA
USAMayor: Sumbul Siddiqui
Term: 2020–2023
First Muslim mayor in Massachusetts
Dearborn, MI
USAMayor: Abdullah Hammoud
Term: 2022–present
First Arab-American & Muslim Dearborn mayor
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Solihull
UKMayor: Shahin Ashraf
Term: 2024–2025
First Muslim mayor of Solihull
Dearborn Heights, MI
USAMayor: Bill Bazzi
Term: 2021–2024
First Muslim mayor of Dearborn Heights
College Park, MD
USAMayor: S. M. Fazlul Kabir
Term: 2023–present
Bangladeshi-American Muslim mayor
Trappes (Yvelines)
FranceMayor: Ali Rabeh
Term: 2020–present
French-Moroccan Muslim mayor
Hamtramck, MI
USAMayor: Amer Ghalib
Term: 2021–present
City with first all-Muslim council
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Saint-Josse-ten-Noode (Brussels)
BelgiumMayor: Emir Kir
Term: 2012–present
Turkish-Belgian Muslim mayor
Artesia, CA
USAMayor: Ali Sajjad Taj
Term: Various terms incl. 2020
Pakistani-American Muslim mayor
L'ĂŽle-Saint-Denis (Seine-Saint-Denis)
FranceMayor: Mohamed Gnabaly
Term: 2016–present
Re-elected 2020
Prospect Park, NJ
USAMayor: Mohamed Khairullah
Term: 2006–2015; 2019–present
Longest-serving Muslim mayor in NJ
Kountze, TX
USAMayor: Charles Bilal
Term: 1991–2001
First Muslim mayor in U.S. municipality
Methodology & Sources
How This Data Was Compiled
This comprehensive map represents months of research across official government databases, electoral records, census data, and verified news sources. Every entry has been cross-referenced with multiple sources.
Primary Sources:
- •Official city and municipal government websites
- •U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Census data)
- •UK Office for National Statistics (2021 Census)
- •National statistical agencies (INSEE France, CBS Netherlands, Destatis Germany)
- •Electoral commission records and official election results
- •Verified news reports from major outlets (AP, Reuters, BBC, Guardian, CNN, local press)
Inclusion Criteria:
- •Mayors serving between 2015 and 2025 (both past and current)
- •Publicly identified as Muslim or documented Muslim heritage
- •Elected or appointed mayors (not ceremonial positions)
- •Western democracies (Europe and North America)
- •Verified through multiple independent sources
Note: This list focuses on documented cases where mayors' Muslim identity has been publicly reported or confirmed. There may be additional cases not included due to lack of verification or public documentation. Population figures are from the most recent available census data for each jurisdiction.
Stay Informed
This map represents a significant demographic and political shift in Western societies. Understanding these changes is crucial for informed civic engagement.
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