Jammu and Kashmir consists of three regions: (a) the Kashmir Valley, which accounts for 54.9% of the population of Jammu and Kashmir, and 15.7% of the area; 96.4% of the Valley’s population is Muslim; (b) the Jammu Division, which accounts for 42.9% of the population of Jammu and Kashmir, and 25.9% of its area; 62.5% of Jammu’s population is Hindu, and 33.5% Muslim; (c) and Ladakh, which accounts for 2.8% of the population of Jammu and Kashmir and 58.4% of its area; Muslims constitute 46.6% of the population of Ladakh, Buddhists 39.7%, and Hindus, 12.1%. Overall, in the state, Muslims constitute 68.31% of the population, Hindus 28.43%, Sikhs 1.87% and Buddhists 0.89%. Jammu and Kashmir is one of the two administrative divisions of India with a Muslim-majority population (the other being Lakshadweep).
On 5 August 2019, the Government of India repealed the special status accorded to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Indian constitution. The Parliament of India also passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, which will reorganise the state into two union territories – Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.[28] The new union territories are planned to come into effect on 31 October 2019.[29]