FACTBOX: Muslims in Western Europe

(Reuters) - Many of Europe's Muslim women are raising their profiles -- often overcoming discrimination at home as well as in the wider world -- to stake a place in society.

On the streets of London, Paris, Berlin or Rotterdam, a younger generation of self-confident Muslim women is emerging, determined to fuse their European, ethnic and religious identities.

Following are some facts about the more than 12 million Muslims who live in Western Europe, ranging from first-generation immigrants from the Balkans and North Africa to descendents from earlier migrants who arrived in the decades after World War Two.

In many countries, Islam has become the second most common religion and continues to grow, while high rates of birth and migration among Muslims mean their demographic is considerably younger and faster-growing than West European national averages.

Following are details on Muslim populations of both sexes in western Europe in 2006:

AUSTRIA

Austria has around 340,000 Muslims, who make up 4.2 percent of its population. They are predominantly of Turkish descent although there is also a sizeable community from Bosnia.

BELGIUM

Belgium's 380,000 Muslims are mainly of Moroccan and Turkish origin and make up 3.6 percent of the population.

BRITAIN

Britain has about 1.8 million Muslims, mainly of Pakistani or Bangladeshi origin and who make up around 3 percent of the population.

DENMARK

Denmark has 210,000 Muslims, or 3.7 percent of the total population. Most are of Turkish heritage.

FRANCE

France has Europe's largest Muslim population numbering 6.12 million, accounting for around 10 percent of the population. Most Muslims here are of north-African origin.

GERMANY

Germany's 3.2 million Muslims are largely of Turkish origin and account for about 3.7 percent of the population.

GREECE

Greece's estimated 360,000 Muslims are mostly immigrants from Albania and some from north Africa, but they also include up to 120,000 Greek Muslims of Turkish, Roma and Pomak descent.

ITALY

Italy's Muslim community estimates the country has a mixed Muslim population of 1.2-1.4 million, or some 2 percent of the population. A large number are first generation male migrants.

NETHERLANDS

The Netherlands has almost 1 million Muslims, or 5.4 percent of the population -- the second highest density of Muslims in Europe after France. Most are of Moroccan or Turkish origin.

SPAIN

Varying estimates put Spain's Muslim population at anywhere from 750,000 to 1.5 million. The Federation of Spanish Islamic Entities says there are more than 1 million. As in Italy, many are first generation male migrants, mostly from Morocco.

SWEDEN

Sweden's estimated 350,000 Muslims make up more than 4 percent of the country's population.

Sources: Reuters; Islamicpopulation.com; U.S. State Department International Religious Freedom Report 2006