Buddhism by country

Percentage of Buddhists by country, according to the Pew Research Center, 2010

This list shows the distribution of the Buddhist religion, practiced by about 320 million, representing 4.1% of the world's total population as of 2020 ^[update] . ^[1] It also includes other entities such as some territories.

Buddhism is the state religion in four countries — Cambodia, Myanmar, Bhutan and Sri Lanka. ^[2]

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 Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka with around 36% population as of 2010. ^[3] Other smaller schools such as Navayana are scantly followed in India. ^{[4] [5]}

By country

Buddhist population by country in 2010 (Pew Research Center)

Buddhist population by country (Pew Research Center) ^[6]

Country/Territory	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	0.6%	1,001,000
Barbados	270,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Belarus	9,600,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Belgium	10,710,000	0.2%	30,000
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
Cameroon	19,600,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Canada	34,020,000	0.8%	280,000
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
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
Dominica	70,000	0.1%	< 10,000
Dominican Republic	9,930,000	< 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
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
Indonesia	266,535,000	0.71%	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
Jamaica	2,740,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Japan	126,540,000	36.2%	45,820,000
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
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
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
Montenegro		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Morocco		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Mozambique		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Myanmar (Burma)	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%	2,420,000
Netherlands	16,610,000	0.2%	40,000
New Caledonia	250,000	0.6%	< 10,000
New Zealand	4,370,000	1.1%	52,779
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
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%	40,000
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
Saudi Arabia	27,450,000	0.3%	90,000
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
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
Tajikistan		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Tanzania		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Thailand	69,120,000	93.2%	64,420,000
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	2.0%	150,000
United Kingdom	62,040,000	0.4%	240,000
United States	310,380,000	1.2%	3,570,000
Uruguay 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
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

Buddhist population by country (Other data)

Buddhist population by country (Other data)

Country/territory	Population	% Buddhist	No. of Buddhists	Year	Source
Argentina	47,327,407			2022	National census
Australia	25,422,788	2.4%	615,800	2021	National census [7]
Bangladesh	165,158,616	0.61%		2022	National census [8]
Belgium		0.3%		2018	Other [9]
Bhutan	735,553			2017	National census
Cambodia		97.9%		2013	Other [10]
Canada		1.1%	366,830	2011	Census [11] [12]
China		4%	42,000,000	2023	Studies [13]
Costa Rica		2.34%	100,000	2012	Other [14]
Denmark		1.1%	64,000	2018	Other [15]
Germany			270,000	2016	Other [16]
India	1,210,854,977	0.7%	8,442,972	2011	National census
Italy		0.3%	160,000		Caritas Italiana [17]
Japan		67.0%	84,336,539	2018	ACA Religious Yearbook [18]
		67.2%		2020	CIA Factbook [19]
Kuwait		4.0%	100,000	2006	Other [20]
Macau		80.0%	455,000	2012	Government report [21]
Mongolia		Up to 93.0%			Other [22]
Myanmar	50,279,900	89.8%	45,185,449	2014	National census [23]
Oman		1.2%	30,501		Other [24]
Philippines			1,861,600		Other [25]
Russia		0.6%	866,500	2016	Other [26]
Saudi Arabia		1.5%	414,016	2007	Other [27]
Singapore	4,044,210	31.1%	1,257,749	2020	National census
Sri Lanka	20,359,439	70.2%	14,272,056	2011	National census [28]
Sweden		0.7%	57,064	2020	Other [29]
Taiwan		35.0%	8,050,000	2006	Other [30]
Thailand	67,706,048	93.5%	63,299,193	2018	National census
		94.5%	63,620,298	2015	Census [31]
United Arab Emirates		5.0%	222,201	2006	Other [32] [33]
Vietnam		Up to 66.7%			Other [34]

By region

Buddhism by region in 2010 ^[6]

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 ^[6]

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%

See also

• Buddhism in Southeast Asia
• Buddhism in the West
• East Asian Buddhism
• Buddhism and Eastern religions

General:

• List of religious populations
• Religions by country

References

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.
2. 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
3. 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.
4. "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.
5. 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.
6. "Global Religious Landscape: Buddhists". Pew Research Center. 18 December 2012. Archived from the original on 28 January 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
7. "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.
8. "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.
9. Eurobarometer 90.4: Attitudes of Europeans towards Biodiversity, Awareness and Perceptions of EU customs, and Perceptions of Antisemitism. European Commission. Archived from the original on 13 March 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2019– via GESIS.
10. "The World Factbook". Archived from the original on 10 June 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
11. "Religions in Canada—Census 2011". Statistics Canada/Statistique Canada. 8 May 2013. Archived from the original on 19 December 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
12. "North America :: Canada – The World Factbook". Central Intelligence Agency. 14 December 2021. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
13. 2023 approximations of the statistics from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) of the year 2018, as contained in the following analyses:
    • "Measuring Religion in China" (PDF). Pew Research Center. 30 August 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 September 2023. "Measuring Religions in China". 30 August 2023. Archived from the original on 30 September 2023. A compilation of statistics from reliable surveys held throughout the 2010s and early 2020s, with an emphasis on the CFPS 2018.
    • the 2010s and early 2020s, with an emphasis on the CFPS 2018.
    • Wenzel-Teuber, Katharina (2023). "Statistics on Religions and Churches in the People's Republic of China – Update for the Year 2022" (PDF). Religions & Christianity in Today's China. XIII. China Zentrum: 18–44. ISSN   2192-9289. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 June 2023.
    • Zhang, Chunni; Lu, Yunfeng; He, Sheng (2021). "Exploring Chinese folk religion: Popularity, diffuseness, and diversities" (PDF). Chinese Journal of Sociology. 7 (4). SAGE Publications: 575–592. doi:10.1177/2057150X211042687. ISSN   2057-150X. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 October 2023.
14. "Buddhism in Costa Rica". The Costa Rican News. 2012. Archived from the original on 16 December 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
15. "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
16. "Mitgliederzahlen: Buddhismus" (in German). Remid.de. Archived from the original on 13 May 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
17. "Archived copy" (PDF). db.caritas.glauco.it. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 November 2007. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
18. 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.
19. 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)".
20. "International Religious Freedom Report: Kuwait". Archived from the original on 10 October 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
21. "state.gov". Archived from the original on 22 January 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
22. "Mongolia". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 7 February 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
23. 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. Archived from the original on 27 April 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
24. "The UK's Leading SEO Company for SME & Enterprise". Archived from the original on 30 September 2007.
25. "The International Day of Vesak | Philippines". Archived from the original on 1 January 2023. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
26. "ФСО доложила о межконфессиональных отношениях в РФ". ZNAK. Archived from the original on 16 April 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
27. "International Religious Freedom Report: Saudi Arabia". 14 September 2007. Archived from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
28. Department of Census and Statistics,The Census of Population and Housing of Sri Lanka-2011 Archived 7 January 2019 at the Wayback Machine
29. Willander, Erika (2020). Ett mångreligiöst Sverige i förändring. Bromma: Myndigheten för stöd till trossamfund. ISBN   978-91-983453-5-3.
30. TAIWAN Archived 12 January 2022 at the Wayback Machine
31. "Population by religion, region and area, 2015" (PDF). NSO. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 December 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
32. "International Religious Freedom Report: United Arab Emirates". Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
33. "Country Profiles". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007.
34. Zatko, Martin; Emmons, Ron (12 July 2012). The Rough Guide to Vietnam. Rough Guides UK. ISBN   978-1-4093-5936-4. Archived from the original on 14 January 2023. Retrieved 11 September 2021.

External links

• The US State Department's International Religious Freedom Report 2010
• CIA FactBook Archived 10 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine
• adherents.com ^{[ usurped ]}