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. It also includes other entities such as some territories.
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] Macau,[7] Japan,[8] Singapore,[9] Taiwan, Vietnam,[10] and Kalmykia in Russia. 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]
^ abcde"Global Religious Landscape: Buddhists". Pew Research Center. 18 December 2012. Archived from the original on 28 January 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
^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.
^Harvey, Peter (2013). An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices (2nd ed.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. p. 5. ISBN 978-0-521-67674-8. Archived from the original on 14 January 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
^Estimates include: 488 million (Pew 2012),[1] 495 million (Johnson & Grim 2013),[2] and 535 million (Harvey 2013).[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
^Planet, Lonely. "Religion & Belief in Hong Kong, China". Lonely Planet. Archived from the original on 16 April 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
^"Religion in Macau – Festivals and Places of Worship – Holidify". holidify.com. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
^"ASIA SOCIETY: THE COLLECTION IN CONTEXT". asiasocietymuseum.org. Archived from the original on 16 April 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
^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.
^"Vietnam Buddhism". Archived from the original on 16 April 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
^"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.
^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.
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