Buddhism by country

This list of Buddhism by country shows the distribution of the Buddhist religion, practiced by about 500 million people as of the 2010s,[4] representing 7% to 8% of the world's total population.

Percentage of Buddhists by country, according to the Pew Research Center.

Buddhism is the dominant religion in Bhutan, Myanmar, Cambodia, Tibet, Laos, Mongolia, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Large Buddhist populations live in China, Japan, Taiwan, Macau, North Korea, Nepal, Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea. China is the country with the largest population of Buddhists, approximately 244 million or 18.2% of its total population.[1] They are mostly followers of Chinese schools of Mahayana, making this the largest body of Buddhist traditions.

Mahayana, also practised in broader East Asia, is followed by over half of the world's Buddhists.[1] The second largest body of Buddhist schools is Theravada, mostly followed in Southeast Asia.[1] The third largest body of schools Vajrayana, is followed mostly in Tibet, the Himalayan region, Mongolia and parts of Russia,[1] but is disseminated throughout the world. The fourth largest body of Buddhist schools is Navayana, mostly followed in Maharashtra, India.[5][6]

According to scholar Peter Harvey, the number of adherents of Eastern Buddhism (Mahayana) is 360 million, Southern Buddhism (Theravada) 150 million, and Northern Buddhism (Vajrayana) 18.2 million. Seven million additional Buddhists are found outside Asia.[3]

By country
Buddhist population by country
Country/Territory Pew estimates (2010)[1] Other estimates
Population % Buddhist No. of Buddhists
Afghanistan 31,410,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Albania 3,200,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Algeria 35,470,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
 American Samoa 70,000 0.3% < 10,000
 Andorra 80,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Angola 19,080,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Argentina 40,410,000 < 0.1% 20,000
 Armenia 3,090,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
 Aruba 110,000 0.1% < 10,000
Australia 22,270,000 2.7% 600,000
Austria 8,390,000 0.2% 20,000
 Azerbaijan 9,190,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
 Bahamas 340,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Bahrain 1,260,000 2.5% 30,000
Bangladesh 148,690,000 0.5% 720,000 0.6% (2011 census)[7]
 Barbados 270,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
 Belarus 9,600,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Belgium 10,710,000 0.2% 30,000 0.3% (2018)[8]
Belize 310,000 0.5% < 10,000
 Benin 8,850,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
 Bermuda 60,000 0.5% < 10,000
Bhutan 730,000 74.7% 540,000
 Bolivia 9,930,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Botswana 2,010,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Brazil 194,950,000 0.1% 250,000
Brunei 400,000 8.6% 30,000
Bulgaria 7,490,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Burkina Faso 16,470,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Cambodia 14,140,000 96.9% 13,690,000 97.9% (2013)[9]
Cameroon 19,600,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Canada 34,020,000 0.8% 280,000 1.1% / 366,830 (2011 Census)[10][11]
Chad 11,230,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
 Chile 17,110,000 < 0.1% 10,000
China 1,341,340,000 18.2% 244,130,000
 Colombia 46,290,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Democratic Republic of the Congo 65,970,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Republic of the Congo 4,040,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Costa Rica 4,660,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 2.34% / 100,000 (2012)[12]
Côte d'Ivoire 19,740,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Croatia 4,400,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
 Cuba 11,260,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
 Cyprus 1,100,000 0.2% < 10,000
Czech Republic 10,490,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Denmark 5,550,000 0.2% 10,000 1.1% / 64,000 (2018)[13]
 Dominica 70,000 0.1% < 10,000
 Dominican Republic < 0.1% < 10,000
 Ecuador < 0.1% < 10,000
Egypt < 0.1% < 10,000
El Salvador < 0.1% < 10,000
 Estonia < 0.1% < 10,000
Ethiopia < 0.1% < 10,000
Falkland Islands < 0.1% < 10,000
 Federated States of Micronesia 110,000 0.4% < 10,000
 Fiji < 0.1% < 10,000
Finland < 0.1% < 10,000
France 62,790,000 0.5% 280,000
 French Guiana < 0.1% < 10,000
 French Polynesia < 0.1% < 10,000
Germany 82,300,000 0.3% 210,000 270,000 (2016)[14]
Ghana < 0.1% < 10,000
Greece < 0.1% < 10,000
 Guam 180,000 1.1% < 10,000
Guatemala < 0.1% < 10,000
Guinea < 0.1% < 10,000
 Guyana < 0.1% < 10,000
 Haiti < 0.1% < 10,000
Honduras 7,600,000 0.1% < 10,000
Hong Kong 7,050,000 13.2% 930,000
Hungary < 0.1% < 10,000
Iceland 320,000 0.4% < 10,000
India 1,224,610,000 0.8% 9,250,000 0.7% / 8,442,972 (2011 Census)
Indonesia 239,870,000 0.7% 1,720,000
Iran < 0.1% < 10,000
Iraq < 0.1% < 10,000
 Ireland 4,470,000 0.2% < 10,000
Israel 7,420,000 0.3% 20,000
Italy 60,550,000 0.2% 110,000 0.3% / 160,000 (According to Caritas Italiana)[15]
 Jamaica 2,740,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Japan 126,540,000 36.2% 45,820,000 67% or 84,336,539 (2018, ACA Religious Yearbook);[16] less than 20% (2017, JGSS)[17]
Jordan 6,190,000 0.4% 20,000
Kazakhstan 16,030,000 0.2% 40,000
Kenya < 0.1% < 10,000
North Korea 24,350,000 1.5% 370,000
South Korea 48,180,000 22.9% 11,050,000
Kuwait 2,740,000 2.8% 80,000 4% / 100,000 (2006)[18]
Kyrgyzstan < 0.1% < 10,000
Laos 6,200,000 66.1% 4,100,000
 Latvia < 0.1% < 10,000
Lebanon 4,230,000 0.2% < 10,000
Lesotho < 0.1% < 10,000
Liberia < 0.1% < 10,000
Libya 6,360,000 0.3% 20,000
Liechtenstein < 0.1% < 10,000
 Lithuania < 0.1% < 10,000
 Luxembourg < 0.1% < 10,000
Macau 540,000 17.3% 90,000 80% / 455,000 (2012 govt. report)[19]
Madagascar < 0.1% < 10,000
Malawi < 0.1% < 10,000
Malaysia 28,400,000 19.8 % 5,010,000
Maldives 320,000 0.6% < 10,000
Mali < 0.1% < 10,000
 Malta < 0.1% < 10,000
 Martinique < 0.1% < 10,000
Mauritius < 0.1% < 10,000
Mexico < 0.1% < 10,000
Mongolia 2,760,000 55.1% 1,520,000 Up to 93%[20]
 Montenegro < 0.1% < 10,000
Morocco < 0.1% < 10,000
Mozambique < 0.1% < 10,000
Myanmar (Burma) 47,960,000 80.1% 38,410,000 87.9% (Census 2014)[21]
Namibia < 0.1% < 10,000
 Nauru 10,000 1.1% < 10,000
Nepal 29,960,000 10.3% 3,080,000
Netherlands 16,610,000 0.2% 40,000
 New Caledonia 250,000 0.6% < 10,000
New Zealand 4,370,000 1.6% 70,000
Nicaragua < 0.1% < 10,000
Nigeria 158,420,000 < 0.1% 10,000
 Northern Mariana Islands 60,000 10.6% < 10,000
 North Macedonia < 0.1% < 10,000
Norway 4,880,000 0.6% 30,000
Oman 2,780,000 0.8% 20,000 1.20% / 30,501[22]
Pakistan 173,590,000 < 0.1% 20,000
 Palau 20,000 0.8% < 10,000
Palestine < 0.1% < 10,000
Panama 3,520,000 0.2% < 10,000
 Papua New Guinea < 0.1% < 10,000
 Paraguay < 0.1% < 10,000
 Peru 29,080,000 0.2% 50,000
Philippines 93,260,000 < 0.1% 80,000 46,558 (2010 census)[23]
Poland < 0.1% < 10,000
 Portugal 10,680,000 0.6% 60,000
 Puerto Rico 3,750,000 0.3% 10,000
Qatar 1,760,000 3.1% 50,000
Réunion 850,000 0.2% < 10,000
 Romania < 0.1% < 10,000
Russia 142,960,000 0.1% 170,000 0.6% / 866,500 (2016)[24]
Saudi Arabia 27,450,000 0.3% 90,000 1.5% / 414,016 (2007)[25]
Senegal 12,430,000 0.3% < 10,000
 Serbia < 0.1% < 10,000
Seychelles < 0.1% < 10,000
Sierra Leone 5,870,000 0.3% < 10,000
Singapore 5,090,000 33.9% 1,730,000
Slovakia < 0.1% < 10,000
Slovenia < 0.1% < 10,000
 Solomon Islands 540,000 0.3% < 10,000
South Africa 50,130,000 0.2% 100,000
 Spain < 0.1% < 10,000
Sri Lanka 20,860,000 69.3% 14,450,000 70.2% / 14,222,844 (2011 census)[26]
Sudan < 0.1% < 10,000
 Suriname 520,000 0.6% < 10,000
Swaziland < 0.1% < 10,000
Sweden 9,380,000 0.4% 40,000
Switzerland 7,660,000 0.4% 30,000
Taiwan 23,220,000 21.3% 4,950,000 35% / 8,050,000 (2006)[27]
Tajikistan < 0.1% < 10,000
Tanzania < 0.1% < 10,000
Thailand 69,120,000 93.2% 64,420,000 94.5% / 63,620,298 (2015 census)[28]
Togo < 0.1% < 10,000
 Tonga 100,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Tunisia < 0.1% < 10,000
 Trinidad and Tobago 1,340,000 0.3% < 10,000
Turkey 72,750,000 < 0.1% 40,000
Turkmenistan < 0.1% < 10,000
 Tuvalu < 0.1% < 10,000
Uganda < 0.1% < 10,000
Ukraine 45,450,000 < 0.1% 20,000
United Arab Emirates 7,510,000 2% 150,000 5% / 222,201 (2006)[29][30]
United Kingdom 62,040,000 0.4% 240,000
United States 310,380,000 1.2% 3,570,000
 Uruguay < 0.1% < 10,000
US Virgin Islands < 0.1% < 10,000
Uzbekistan 27,440,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
 Vanuatu < 0.1% < 10,000
Venezuela < 0.1% < 10,000
Vietnam 87,850,000 16.4% 14,380,000 Up to two-thirds[31]
Yemen < 0.1% < 10,000
Zambia < 0.1% < 10,000
Zimbabwe < 0.1% < 10,000
World 6,895,890,000 7.1% 487,540,000

By region
Buddhism by region in 2010[1]
Region Estimated total population Estimated Buddhist population %
Asia-Pacific 4,054,990,000 481,290,000 11.9%
North America 344,530,000 3,860,000 1.1%
Europe 742,550,000 1,330,000 0.2%
Middle East-North Africa 341,020,000 500,000 0.1%
Latin America-Caribbean 590,080,000 410,000 <0.1%
Total 6,895,890,000 487,540,000 7.1%

Ten countries with the largest Buddhist populations
Countries with the largest Buddhist populations as of 2010, according to Pew Resarch Center[1]
Country Estimated Buddhist population % of the total population of the country % of world Buddhist population
China 244,130,000 18.2% 50.1%
Thailand 64,420,000 93.2% 13.2%
Japan 45,820,000 36.2% 9.4%
Myanmar 38,410,000 87.90% 7.9%
Sri Lanka 14,450,000 69.3% 3.0%
Vietnam 14,380,000 16.4% 2.9%
Cambodia 13,690,000 96.9% 2.8%
South Korea 11,050,000 22.9% 2.3%
India 9,250,000 0.8% 1.9%
Malaysia 5,010,000 19.8% 1.0%
Subtotal for the ten countries 460,620,000 (% of total of all ten countries) 15.3% 94.5%
Subtotal for the rest of the world 26,920,000 (% of rest of world population) 0.4% 5.5%
World total 487,540,000 7.1% 100%

See also

Other religions:

General:

References
  1. "Global Religious Landscape: Buddhists". Pew Research Center. 18 December 2012.
  2. Johnson, Todd M.; Grim, Brian J. (2013). The World's Religions in Figures: An Introduction to International Religious Demography (PDF). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 34–37. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
  3. Harvey, Peter (2013). An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices (2nd ed.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. p. 5. ISBN 9780521676748. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
  4. Estimates include: 488 million (Pew 2012),[1] 495 million (Johnson & Grim 2013),[2] and 535 million (Harvey 2013).[3]
  5. "Manu Moudgil, Dalits Are Still Converting to Buddhism, but at a Dwindling Rate, The Quint, 17.06.17".
  6. Moudgil, Manu. "Conversion To Buddhism Has Brought Literacy, Gender Equality And Well-Being To Dalits – IndiaSpend-Journalism India -Data Journalism India-Investigative Journalism-IndiaSpend". www.indiaspend.com.
  7. "Official Census Results 2011 page xiii" (PDF). Bangladesh Government. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 September 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  8. Eurobarometer 90.4: Attitudes of Europeans towards Biodiversity, Awareness and Perceptions of EU customs, and Perceptions of Antisemitism. European Commission. Retrieved 9 August 2019 – via GESIS.
  9. The World Factbook
  10. "Religions in Canada—Census 2011". Statistics Canada/Statistique Canada.
  11. "North America :: Canada — The World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov.
  12. "Buddhism in Costa Rica". The Costa Rican News. 2012. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  13. "Eurobarometer 90.4 (December 2018): Attitudes of Europeans towards Biodiversity, Public Perception of Illicit Tobacco Trade, Awareness and Perceptions of EU customs, and Perceptions of Antisemitism", Special Eurobarometer, European Union: European Commission, 2018, retrieved 26 August 2019 – via GESIS
  14. "Mitgliederzahlen: Buddhismus" (in German). Remid.de. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  15. https://web.archive.org/web/20071129184319/http://www.db.caritas.glauco.it/caritastest/informiamoci/Riviste_e_pubblicazioni/Sussidi2007/Libri/dossierimmigrazione2007/materiale/panorama_multireligioso.pdf
  16. 宗教年鑑 令和元年版 [Religious Yearbook 2019] (PDF) (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan. 2019. p. 35.
  17. Iwai, Noriko (11 October 2017). Measuring religion in Japan: ISM, NHK and JGSS (PDF) (Report). JGSS Research Center.
  18. "International Religious Freedom Report: Kuwait".
  19. "state.gov". Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  20. "Mongolia". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  21. Department of Population Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population MYANMAR (July 2016). The 2014 Myanmar Population and Housing Census Census Report Volume 2-C. Department of Population Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population MYANMAR. pp. 12–15.
  22. https://web.archive.org/web/20070930152448/http://www.religiousintelligence.co.uk/country/?CountryID=36
  23. https://psa.gov.ph/sites/default/files/2015%20PSY%20PDF.pdf
  24. "ФСО доложила о межконфессиональных отношениях в РФ". ZNAK. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  25. "International Religious Freedom Report: Saudi Arabia".
  26. Department of Census and Statistics,The Census of Population and Housing of Sri Lanka-2011
  28. "Population by religion, region and area, 2015" (PDF). NSO. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 December 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  29. "International Religious Freedom Report: United Arab Emirates".
  30. "Country Profiles". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007.
  31. Zatko, Martin; Emmons, Ron (12 July 2012). The Rough Guide to Vietnam. Rough Guides UK. ISBN 978-1-4093-5936-4.
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