Buddhism_by_country

Buddhism by country

Buddhism in the world

This list of Buddhism by country shows the distribution of the Buddhist religion, practiced by about 535 million people as of the 2010s,^[4] representing 7% to 8% of the world's total population. It also includes other entities such as some territories.

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

Buddhism is the official religion in four countries, Bhutan, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka.^[5] The religion also holds a special status in two countries, Thailand and Laos.

Buddhism is the majority religion in Bhutan, Myanmar, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Mongolia, and Laos. It is also the most followed religion in certain nations or territories without any majority religion, such as Mainland China, Hong Kong,^[6] Japan,^[7] Tibet, Macau,^[8] Singapore,^[9] Taiwan, Kalmykia, and Vietnam.^[10] Large Buddhist populations live in North Korea, Nepal, India and South Korea. China has 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 and Sri Lanka.^[1] The third largest body of schools Vajrayana, is followed mostly in Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, 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.^[11]^[12]

By country

More information Country/Territory, Most recent national census data ...

Buddhist population by country
Country/Territory	Most recent national census data				Pew estimates (2010)^[1]			Other estimates
Country/Territory	Population	% Buddhist	No. of Buddhists	Census Year	Population	% Buddhist	No. of Buddhists	Other estimates
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	47,327,407			2022	40,410,000	< 0.1%	20,000
Armenia					3,090,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Aruba					110,000	0.1%	< 10,000
Australia	25,422,788	2.4%	615,800	2021^[13]	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	165,158,616	0.61%		2022^[14]	148,690,000	0.5%	720,000
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)^[15]
Belize					310,000	0.5%	< 10,000
Benin					8,850,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Bermuda					60,000	0.5%	< 10,000
Bhutan	735,553			2017	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	97.9%	13,690,000	97.9% (2013)^[16]
Cameroon					19,600,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Canada					34,020,000	0.8%	280,000	1.1% / 366,830 (2011 Census)^[17]^[18]
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	18.3% / 254,700,000 (2020)^[19]
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)^[20]
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)^[21]
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%	<
Falkland Islands						< 0.1%	¿?
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)^[22]
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	1,210,854,977	0.7%	8,442,972	2011	1,224,610,000	0.8%	9,250,000
Indonesia					266,535,000	0.8%	2,062,150
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)^[23]
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);^[24] less than 20% (2017, JGSS)^[25]
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)^[26]
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 government report)^[27]
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%^[28]
Montenegro						< 0.1%	< 10,000
Morocco						< 0.1%	< 10,000
Mozambique						< 0.1%	< 10,000
Myanmar (Burma)	50,279,900	89.8%	45,185,449	2014^[29]	47,960,000	89.9%	38,410,000
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
North Macedonia						< 0.1%	< 10,000
Northern Mariana Islands					60,000	10.6%	< 10,000
Norway					4,880,000	0.6%	30,000
Oman					2,780,000	0.8%	20,000	1.20% / 30,501^[30]
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	2%	1,861,600	1,861,600^[31]
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)^[32]
Saudi Arabia					27,450,000	0.3%	90,000	1.5% / 414,016 (2007)^[33]
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	4,044,210	31.1%	1,257,749	2020	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	20,359,439	70.2%	14,272,056	2011^[34]	20,860,000	69.3%	14,450,000
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)^[35]
Tajikistan						< 0.1%	< 10,000
Tanzania						< 0.1%	< 10,000
Thailand	67,706,048	93.5%	63,299,193	2018	69,120,000	93.2%	64,420,000	94.5% / 63,620,298 (2015 census)^[36]
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)^[37]^[38]
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^[39]
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

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This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Buddhism_by_country, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

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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%

Buddhism_by_country

Buddhism by country

By country

By region

Ten countries with the largest Buddhist populations

See also

References

External links

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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	94.5%	13.2%
Japan	45,820,000	36.2%	9.4%
Myanmar	38,410,000	87.9%	7.9%
Vietnam	14,910,000	14.9%	2.9%
Sri Lanka	14,450,000	70.2%	3.0%
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%