Buddhism by country

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

China40.5/
Percentage of Buddhists by country, according to the Pew Research Center.

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.

Buddhism is the dominant religion in Bhutan, Myanmar, Cambodia, Mainland China, Hong Kong,[5] Japan,[6] Tibet, Laos, Macau,[7] Mongolia, Singapore,[8] Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Kalmykia and Vietnam.[9] Large Buddhist populations live in North Korea, Nepal, India 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 and Sri Lanka.[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.[10][11]

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 Afghanistan 31,410,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Albania Albania 3,200,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Algeria Algeria 35,470,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
 American Samoa 70,000 0.3% < 10,000
 Andorra 80,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Angola Angola 19,080,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Argentina Argentina 40,410,000 < 0.1% 20,000
 Armenia 3,090,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
 Aruba 110,000 0.1% < 10,000
Australia Australia 22,270,000 2.7% 600,000
Austria Austria 8,390,000 0.2% 20,000
 Azerbaijan 9,190,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
 Bahamas 340,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Bahrain Bahrain 1,260,000 2.5% 30,000
Bangladesh Bangladesh 148,690,000 0.5% 720,000 0.6% (2011 census)[12]
 Barbados 270,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
 Belarus 9,600,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Belgium Belgium 10,710,000 0.2% 30,000 0.3% (2018)[13]
Belize Belize 310,000 0.5% < 10,000
 Benin 8,850,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
 Bermuda 60,000 0.5% < 10,000
Bhutan Bhutan 730,000 74.7% 540,000
 Bolivia 9,930,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Botswana Botswana 2,010,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Brazil Brazil 194,950,000 0.1% 250,000
Brunei Brunei 400,000 8.6% 30,000
Bulgaria Bulgaria 7,490,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Burkina Faso Burkina Faso 16,470,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Cambodia Cambodia 14,140,000 97.9% 13,690,000 97.9% (2013)[14]
Cameroon Cameroon 19,600,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Canada Canada 34,020,000 0.8% 280,000 1.1% / 366,830 (2011 Census)[15][16]
Chad Chad 11,230,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
 Chile 17,110,000 < 0.1% 10,000
China China 1,341,340,000 18.2% 244,130,000
 Colombia 46,290,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Democratic Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo 65,970,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo 4,040,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Costa Rica Costa Rica 4,660,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 2.34% / 100,000 (2012)[17]
Ivory Coast Côte d'Ivoire 19,740,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Croatia 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 Czech Republic 10,490,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Denmark Denmark 5,550,000 0.2% 10,000 1.1% / 64,000 (2018)[18]
 Dominica 70,000 0.1% < 10,000
 Dominican Republic < 0.1% < 10,000
 Ecuador < 0.1% < 10,000
Egypt Egypt < 0.1% < 10,000
El Salvador El Salvador < 0.1% < 10,000
 Estonia < 0.1% < 10,000
Ethiopia Ethiopia < 0.1% < 10,000
Falkland Islands Falkland Islands < 0.1% < 10,000
 Federated States of Micronesia 110,000 0.4% < 10,000
 Fiji < 0.1% < 10,000
Finland Finland < 0.1% < 10,000
France France 62,790,000 0.5% 280,000
 French Guiana < 0.1% < 10,000
 French Polynesia < 0.1% < 10,000
Germany Germany 82,300,000 0.3% 210,000 270,000 (2016)[19]
Ghana Ghana < 0.1% < 10,000
Greece Greece < 0.1% < 10,000
 Guam 180,000 1.1% < 10,000
Guatemala Guatemala < 0.1% < 10,000
Guinea Guinea < 0.1% < 10,000
 Guyana < 0.1% < 10,000
 Haiti < 0.1% < 10,000
Honduras Honduras 7,600,000 0.1% < 10,000
Hong Kong Hong Kong 7,050,000 13.2% 930,000
Hungary Hungary < 0.1% < 10,000
Iceland Iceland 320,000 0.4% < 10,000
India India 1,224,610,000 0.8% 9,250,000 0.7% / 8,442,972 (2011 Census)
Indonesia Indonesia 266,535,000 0.8% 2,062,150
Iran Iran < 0.1% < 10,000
Iraq Iraq < 0.1% < 10,000
 Ireland 4,470,000 0.2% < 10,000
Israel Israel 7,420,000 0.3% 20,000
Italy Italy 60,550,000 0.2% 110,000 0.3% / 160,000 (According to Caritas Italiana)[20]
 Jamaica 2,740,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Japan Japan 126,540,000 36.2% 45,820,000 67% or 84,336,539 (2018, ACA Religious Yearbook);[21] less than 20% (2017, JGSS)[22]
Jordan Jordan 6,190,000 0.4% 20,000
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan 16,030,000 0.2% 40,000
Kenya Kenya < 0.1% < 10,000
North Korea North Korea 24,350,000 1.5% 370,000
South Korea South Korea 48,180,000 22.9% 11,050,000
Kuwait Kuwait 2,740,000 2.8% 80,000 4% / 100,000 (2006)[23]
Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan < 0.1% < 10,000
Laos Laos 6,200,000 66.1% 4,100,000
 Latvia < 0.1% < 10,000
Lebanon Lebanon 4,230,000 0.2% < 10,000
Lesotho Lesotho < 0.1% < 10,000
Liberia Liberia < 0.1% < 10,000
Libya Libya 6,360,000 0.3% 20,000
Liechtenstein Liechtenstein < 0.1% < 10,000
 Lithuania < 0.1% < 10,000
 Luxembourg < 0.1% < 10,000
Macau Macau 540,000 17.3% 90,000 80% / 455,000 (2012 govt. report)[24]
Madagascar Madagascar < 0.1% < 10,000
Malawi Malawi < 0.1% < 10,000
Malaysia Malaysia 28,400,000 19.8% 5,010,000
Maldives Maldives 320,000 0.6% < 10,000
Mali Mali < 0.1% < 10,000
 Malta < 0.1% < 10,000
 Martinique < 0.1% < 10,000
Mauritius Mauritius < 0.1% < 10,000
Mexico Mexico < 0.1% < 10,000
Mongolia Mongolia 2,760,000 55.1% 1,520,000 Up to 93%[25]
 Montenegro < 0.1% < 10,000
Morocco Morocco < 0.1% < 10,000
Mozambique Mozambique < 0.1% < 10,000
Myanmar Myanmar (Burma) 47,960,000 89.9% 38,410,000 87.9% (Census 2014)[26]
Namibia Namibia < 0.1% < 10,000
 Nauru 10,000 1.1% < 10,000
Nepal Nepal 29,960,000 10.3% 3,080,000
Netherlands Netherlands 16,610,000 0.2% 40,000
 New Caledonia 250,000 0.6% < 10,000
New Zealand New Zealand 4,370,000 1.6% 70,000
Nicaragua Nicaragua < 0.1% < 10,000
Nigeria Nigeria 158,420,000 < 0.1% 10,000
 Northern Mariana Islands 60,000 10.6% < 10,000
 North Macedonia < 0.1% < 10,000
Norway Norway 4,880,000 0.6% 30,000
Oman Oman 2,780,000 0.8% 20,000 1.20% / 30,501[27]
Pakistan Pakistan 173,590,000 < 0.1% 20,000
 Palau 20,000 0.8% < 10,000
State of Palestine Palestine < 0.1% < 10,000
Panama 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 Philippines 93,260,000 < 0.1% 80,000 46,558 (2010 census)[28]
Poland Poland < 0.1% < 10,000
 Portugal 10,680,000 0.6% 60,000
 Puerto Rico 3,750,000 0.3% 10,000
Qatar Qatar 1,760,000 3.1% 50,000
Réunion Réunion 850,000 0.2% < 10,000
 Romania < 0.1% < 10,000
Russia Russia 142,960,000 0.1% 170,000 0.6% / 866,500 (2016)[29]
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia 27,450,000 0.3% 90,000 1.5% / 414,016 (2007)[30]
Senegal Senegal 12,430,000 0.3% < 10,000
 Serbia < 0.1% < 10,000
Seychelles Seychelles < 0.1% < 10,000
Sierra Leone Sierra Leone 5,870,000 0.3% < 10,000
Singapore Singapore 5,090,000 33.9% 1,730,000
Slovakia Slovakia < 0.1% < 10,000
Slovenia Slovenia < 0.1% < 10,000
 Solomon Islands 540,000 0.3% < 10,000
South Africa South Africa 50,130,000 0.2% 100,000
 Spain < 0.1% < 10,000
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka 20,860,000 69.3% 14,450,000 70.2% / 14,222,844 (2011 census)[31]
Sudan Sudan < 0.1% < 10,000
 Suriname 520,000 0.6% < 10,000
Eswatini Swaziland < 0.1% < 10,000
Sweden Sweden 9,380,000 0.4% 40,000
Switzerland Switzerland 7,660,000 0.4% 30,000
Taiwan Taiwan 23,220,000 21.3% 4,950,000 35% / 8,050,000 (2006)[32]
Tajikistan Tajikistan < 0.1% < 10,000
Tanzania Tanzania < 0.1% < 10,000
Thailand Thailand 69,120,000 93.2% 64,420,000 94.5% / 63,620,298 (2015 census)[33]
Togo Togo < 0.1% < 10,000
 Tonga 100,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Tunisia Tunisia < 0.1% < 10,000
 Trinidad and Tobago 1,340,000 0.3% < 10,000
Turkey Turkey 72,750,000 < 0.1% 40,000
Turkmenistan Turkmenistan < 0.1% < 10,000
 Tuvalu < 0.1% < 10,000
Uganda Uganda < 0.1% < 10,000
Ukraine Ukraine 45,450,000 < 0.1% 20,000
United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates 7,510,000 2% 150,000 5% / 222,201 (2006)[34][35]
United Kingdom United Kingdom 62,040,000 0.4% 240,000
United States United States 310,380,000 1.2% 3,570,000
 Uruguay < 0.1% < 10,000
United States Virgin Islands US Virgin Islands < 0.1% < 10,000
Uzbekistan Uzbekistan 27,440,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
 Vanuatu < 0.1% < 10,000
Venezuela Venezuela < 0.1% < 10,000
Vietnam Vietnam 87,850,000 16.4% 14,380,000 Up to two-thirds[36]
Yemen Yemen < 0.1% < 10,000
Zambia Zambia < 0.1% < 10,000
Zimbabwe 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 Research 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 70.2% 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:

External links[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "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. ^ a b 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. ^ Planet, Lonely. "Religion & Belief in Hong Kong, China". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  6. ^ "ASIA SOCIETY: THE COLLECTION IN CONTEXT". www.asiasocietymuseum.org. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  7. ^ "Religion in Macau - Festivals and Places of Worship - Holidify". www.holidify.com. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  8. ^ Kuah, Khun Eng (1991). "State and Religion: Buddhism and NationalBuilding in Singapore". Pacific Viewpoint. 32 (1): 24–42. doi:10.1111/apv.321002. ISSN 2638-4825.
  9. ^ "Vietnam Buddhism".
  10. ^ "Manu Moudgil, Dalits Are Still Converting to Buddhism, but at a Dwindling Rate, The Quint, 17.06.17".
  11. ^ Moudgil, Manu (July 2017). "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.
  12. ^ "Official Census Results 2011 page xiii" (PDF). Bangladesh Government. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 September 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ The World Factbook
  15. ^ "Religions in Canada—Census 2011". Statistics Canada/Statistique Canada. 8 May 2013.
  16. ^ "North America :: Canada — The World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. 14 December 2021.
  17. ^ "Buddhism in Costa Rica". The Costa Rican News. 2012. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  18. ^ "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
  19. ^ "Mitgliederzahlen: Buddhismus" (in German). Remid.de. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  20. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). www.db.caritas.glauco.it. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 November 2007. Retrieved 11 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  21. ^ 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.
  22. ^ Iwai, Noriko (11 October 2017). Measuring religion in Japan: ISM, NHK and JGSS (PDF) (Report). JGSS Research Center.
  23. ^ "International Religious Freedom Report: Kuwait".
  24. ^ "state.gov". Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  25. ^ "Mongolia". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  26. ^ 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.
  27. ^ "The UK's Leading SEO Company for SME & Enterprise". Archived from the original on 30 September 2007.
  28. ^ https://psa.gov.ph/sites/default/files/2015%20PSY%20PDF.pdf
  29. ^ "ФСО доложила о межконфессиональных отношениях в РФ". ZNAK. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  30. ^ "International Religious Freedom Report: Saudi Arabia". 14 September 2007.
  31. ^ Department of Census and Statistics,The Census of Population and Housing of Sri Lanka-2011
  32. ^ [1]
  33. ^ "Population by religion, region and area, 2015" (PDF). NSO. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 December 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  34. ^ "International Religious Freedom Report: United Arab Emirates".
  35. ^ "Country Profiles". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007.
  36. ^ 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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