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Buddhism by country

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China40.5/
Percentage of Buddhists by country in 2010, according to the Pew Research Center

This list shows the distribution of the Buddhist religion, practiced by about 320 million people, representing 4.1% of the world's total population as of 2020.[1] By sheer numbers, Thailand accounts for the largest portion of the global Buddhist population.[2] It is the state religion in four countries — Cambodia, Myanmar, Bhutan and Sri Lanka.[3] Pew Research Center stated that Buddhism was the only religion to have declined in their 2010 to 2020 report covering the global religious landscape.[4]

Mahayana, the largest branch of Buddhism, is followed by around 53% of Buddhists, mainly centered in East Asia whereas the second-largest branch Theravada is mostly followed in Mainland Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka with around 36% population as of 2010.[5] Other smaller schools such as Navayana are scantly followed in India.[6][7][8]

By country

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Ten countries with the largest Buddhist populations

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Countries with the largest Buddhist populations as of 2020, according to Pew Research Center[9]
Country Estimated Buddhist population % of Buddhist share of the country's population % of world Buddhist population
BERJAYA Thailand 67,620,000 94.4% 20.9%
BERJAYA China 53,380,000 3.7% 16.5%
BERJAYA Myanmar 47,210,000 89.1% 14.6%
BERJAYA Japan 46,990,000 37.2% 14.5%
BERJAYA Vietnam 22,580,000 23.0% 7.0%
BERJAYA Cambodia 16,240,000 97.1% 5.0%
BERJAYA Sri Lanka 15,700,000 69.6% 4.8%
BERJAYA South Korea 9,850,000 19.0% 3.0%
BERJAYA India 9,550,000 0.7% 2.9%
BERJAYA Malaysia 6,400,000 18.9% 2.0%
Subtotal for the ten countries 295,530,000 (% of total of all ten countries) 8.9% 91.2%
Subtotal for the rest of the world 28,660,000 (% of rest of world population) 0.6% 8.8%
World total 324,190,000 4.1% 100%

Buddhist population by country in 2010 (Pew Research Center)

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Buddhist population by country (Pew Research Center)
Country/Territory 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
BERJAYA American Samoa 70,000 0.3% < 10,000
BERJAYA 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
BERJAYA Armenia 3,090,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
BERJAYA 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
BERJAYA Azerbaijan 9,190,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
BERJAYA Bahamas 340,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Bahrain Bahrain 1,260,000 2.5% 30,000
Bangladesh Bangladesh 148,690,000 0.6% 1,001,000
BERJAYA Barbados 270,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
BERJAYA Belarus 9,600,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Belgium Belgium 10,710,000 0.2% 30,000
Belize Belize 310,000 0.5% < 10,000
BERJAYA Benin 8,850,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
BERJAYA Bermuda 60,000 0.5% < 10,000
Bhutan Bhutan 730,000 74.7% 540,000
BERJAYA 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 96.9% 13,690,000
Cameroon Cameroon 19,600,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Canada Canada 34,020,000 0.8% 280,000
Chad Chad 11,230,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
BERJAYA Chile 17,110,000 < 0.1% 10,000
China China 1,341,340,000 18.2% 244,130,000
BERJAYA 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
Ivory Coast Côte d'Ivoire 19,740,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Croatia Croatia 4,400,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
BERJAYA Cuba 11,260,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
BERJAYA 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
BERJAYA Dominica 70,000 0.1% < 10,000
BERJAYA Dominican Republic 9,930,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
BERJAYA Ecuador < 0.1% < 10,000
Egypt Egypt < 0.1% < 10,000
El Salvador El Salvador < 0.1% < 10,000
BERJAYA Estonia < 0.1% < 10,000
Ethiopia Ethiopia < 0.1% ?
Falkland Islands Falkland Islands < 0.1% ?
BERJAYA Federated States of Micronesia 110,000 0.4% < 10,000
BERJAYA Fiji < 0.1% < 10,000
Finland Finland < 0.1% < 10,000
France France 62,790,000 0.5% 280,000
BERJAYA French Guiana < 0.1% < 10,000
BERJAYA French Polynesia < 0.1% < 10,000
Germany Germany 82,300,000 0.3% 210,000
Ghana Ghana < 0.1% < 10,000
Greece Greece < 0.1% < 10,000
BERJAYA Guam 180,000 1.1% < 10,000
Guatemala Guatemala < 0.1% < 10,000
Guinea Guinea < 0.1% < 10,000
BERJAYA Guyana < 0.1% < 10,000
BERJAYA 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
Indonesia Indonesia 266,535,000 0.71% 2,062,150
Iran Iran < 0.1% < 10,000
Iraq Iraq < 0.1% < 10,000
BERJAYA 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
BERJAYA Jamaica 2,740,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Japan Japan 126,540,000 36.2% 45,820,000
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
Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan < 0.1% < 10,000
Laos Laos 6,200,000 66.1% 4,100,000
BERJAYA 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
BERJAYA Lithuania < 0.1% < 10,000
BERJAYA Luxembourg < 0.1% < 10,000
Macau Macau 540,000 17.3% 90,000
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
BERJAYA Malta < 0.1% < 10,000
BERJAYA 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
BERJAYA 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
Namibia Namibia < 0.1% < 10,000
BERJAYA Nauru 10,000 1.1% < 10,000
Nepal Nepal 29,960,000 10.3% 2,420,000
Netherlands Netherlands 16,610,000 0.2% 40,000
BERJAYA New Caledonia 250,000 0.6% < 10,000
New Zealand New Zealand 4,370,000 1.1% 52,779
Nicaragua Nicaragua < 0.1% < 10,000
Nigeria Nigeria 158,420,000 < 0.1% 10,000
BERJAYA North Macedonia < 0.1% < 10,000
BERJAYA Northern Mariana Islands 60,000 10.6% < 10,000
Norway Norway 4,880,000 0.6% 30,000
Oman Oman 2,780,000 0.8% 20,000
Pakistan Pakistan 173,590,000 < 0.1% 20,000
BERJAYA Palau 20,000 0.8% < 10,000
Palestine Palestine < 0.1% < 10,000
Panama Panama 3,520,000 0.2% < 10,000
BERJAYA Papua New Guinea < 0.1% < 10,000
BERJAYA Paraguay < 0.1% < 10,000
BERJAYA Peru 29,080,000 0.2% 50,000
Philippines Philippines 93,260,000 < 0.1% 40,000
Poland Poland < 0.1% < 10,000
BERJAYA Portugal 10,680,000 0.6% 60,000
BERJAYA 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
BERJAYA Romania < 0.1% < 10,000
Russia Russia 142,960,000 0.1% 170,000
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia 27,450,000 0.3% 90,000
Senegal Senegal 12,430,000 0.3% < 10,000
BERJAYA 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
BERJAYA Solomon Islands 540,000 0.3% < 10,000
South Africa South Africa 50,130,000 0.2% 100,000
SpainSpain < 0.1% < 10,000
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka 20,860,000 69.3% 14,450,000
Sudan Sudan < 0.1% < 10,000
BERJAYA 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
Tajikistan Tajikistan < 0.1% < 10,000
Tanzania Tanzania < 0.1% < 10,000
Thailand Thailand 69,120,000 93.2% 64,420,000
Togo Togo < 0.1% < 10,000
BERJAYA Tonga 100,000 < 0.1% < 10,000
Tunisia Tunisia < 0.1% < 10,000
BERJAYA 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
BERJAYA 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 2.0% 150,000
United Kingdom United Kingdom 62,040,000 0.4% 240,000
United States United States 310,380,000 1.2% 3,570,000
Uruguay 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
BERJAYA Vanuatu < 0.1% < 10,000
Venezuela Venezuela < 0.1% < 10,000
Vietnam Vietnam 87,850,000 16.4% 14,380,000
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

Buddhist population by country (Other data)

[edit]
Buddhist population by country (Other data)
Country/territory Population % Buddhist No. of Buddhists Year Source
BERJAYA Argentina 47,327,407 2022 National census
BERJAYA Australia 25,422,788 2.4% 615,800 2021 National census[10]
BERJAYA Bangladesh 165,158,616 0.61% 2022 National census[11]
BERJAYA Belgium 0.3% 2018 Other[12]
BERJAYA Bhutan 735,553 2017 National census
BERJAYA Cambodia 97.9% 2013 Other[13]
BERJAYA Canada 1.1% 366,830 2011 Census[14][15]
BERJAYA China 4% 42,000,000 2023 Studies[16]
BERJAYA Costa Rica 2.34% 100,000 2012 Other[17]
BERJAYA Denmark 1.1% 64,000 2018 Other[18]
BERJAYA Germany 270,000 2016 Other[19]
BERJAYA India 1,210,854,977 0.7% 8,442,972 2011 National census
BERJAYA Italy 0.3% 160,000 Caritas Italiana[20]
BERJAYA Japan 67.0% 84,336,539 2018 ACA Religious Yearbook[21]
67.2% 2020 CIA Factbook[22]
BERJAYA Kuwait 4.0% 100,000 2006 Other[23]
BERJAYA Macau 80.0% 455,000 2012 Government report[24]
BERJAYA Mongolia Up to 93.0% Other[25]
BERJAYA Myanmar 50,279,900 89.8% 45,185,449 2014 National census[26]
BERJAYA Oman 1.2% 30,501 Other[27]
BERJAYA Philippines 1,861,600 Other[28]
BERJAYA Russia 0.6% 866,500 2016 Other[29]
BERJAYA Saudi Arabia 1.5% 414,016 2007 Other[30]
BERJAYA Singapore 4,044,210 31.1% 1,257,749 2020 National census
BERJAYA Sri Lanka 20,359,439 70.2% 14,272,056 2011 National census[31]
BERJAYA Sweden 0.7% 57,064 2020 Other[32]
BERJAYA Taiwan 35.0% 8,050,000 2006 Other[33]
BERJAYA Thailand 67,706,048 93.5% 63,299,193 2018 National census
94.5% 63,620,298 2015 Census[34]
BERJAYA United Arab Emirates 5.0% 222,201 2006 Other[35][36]
BERJAYA Vietnam Up to 66.7% Other[37]

By region

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Buddhism by region in 2010[38]
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%

See also

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General:

References

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  1. Fahmy, Conrad Hackett, Marcin Stonawski, Yunping Tong, Stephanie Kramer, Anne Shi and Dalia (9 June 2025). "How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020". Pew Research Center. Retrieved 10 June 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. Fahmy, Conrad Hackett, Marcin Stonawski, Yunping Tong, Stephanie Kramer, Anne Shi and Dalia (9 June 2025). "Buddhist population change". Pew Research Center. Retrieved 21 November 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. Mitchell, T. (2022, April 26). Many countries favor specific religions. Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project. https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2017/10/03/many-countries-favor-specific-religions-officially-or-unofficially/ Archived 20 September 2023 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Fahmy, Conrad Hackett, Marcin Stonawski, Yunping Tong, Stephanie Kramer, Anne Shi and Dalia (9 June 2025). "Buddhist population change". Pew Research Center. Retrieved 28 October 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. Johnson, Todd M.; Grim, Brian J. (2013). The World's Religions in Figures: An Introduction to International Religious Demography (PDF). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell. p. 36. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
  6. "Manu Moudgil, Dalits Are Still Converting to Buddhism, but at a Dwindling Rate, The Quint, 17.06.17". 17 June 2017. Archived from the original on 29 July 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  7. 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". indiaspend.com. Archived from the original on 15 September 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  8. Darian, Jean C. (1977). "Social and Economic Factors in the Rise of Buddhism". Sociological Analysis. 38 (3). Oxford University Press: 226–231. doi:10.2307/3709803. JSTOR 3709803.
  9. Fahmy, Conrad Hackett, Marcin Stonawski, Yunping Tong, Stephanie Kramer, Anne Shi and Dalia (9 June 2025). "Buddhist population change". Pew Research Center. Retrieved 23 November 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. "Religious affiliation in Australia | Australian Bureau of Statistics". abs.gov.au. 7 April 2022. Archived from the original on 19 November 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  11. "Census 2022: Number of Muslims increased in the country". dhakatribune.com. 27 July 2022. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
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  16. 2023 approximations of the statistics from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) of the year 2018, as contained in the following analyses:
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  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, archived from the original on 19 May 2020, retrieved 26 August 2019 via GESIS
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  20. "Archived copy" (PDF). 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. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 December 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  22. Japan - Country. CIA, Government of the United States.
    • Shinto: 70.5%
    • Buddhism: 67.2%
    • Christianity: 1.5%
    • Other: 5.9%
    Percentages calculated using the official total population figure of 126,088,000 as of the end of 2020."Population Estimates Monthly Report - December 1, 2020 (Final estimates)".
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  32. Willander, Erika (2020). Ett mångreligiöst Sverige i förändring. Bromma: Myndigheten för stöd till trossamfund. ISBN 978-91-983453-5-3.
  33. TAIWAN Archived 12 January 2022 at the Wayback Machine
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