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ABSTRACTThe article examines the independent effect of religious minority status on fertility at two levels i.e. cross‐country level of India and Bangladesh and intra‐country level (district) of India. Demographic and health survey data from India (2005–2006) and Bangladesh (2006–2007) are used for the cross‐country comparison and the census of India (2001) for the intra‐country comparison. Minority status is operationalised first as an interaction between country and religion, and second through a religion‐based concentration index. This article finds empirical support for the independent effect of religious minority status on fertility at the cross‐country (India and Bangladesh) and intra‐country (districts of India) level. This article contends that high fertility among religious minorities is a result of vulnerability due to socio‐economic disadvantageous position of minorities in India and Bangladesh. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.