Buddhism by country

China40.5/

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 Template:Asof.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It also includes other entities such as some territories.

Buddhism is the state religion in four countries — Cambodia, Myanmar, Bhutan and Sri Lanka.<ref>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/ Template:Webarchive</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Other smaller schools such as Navayana are scantly followed in India.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

By country

Buddhist population by country in 2010 (Pew Research Center)

citation

CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Country/Territory	Population	% Buddhist	No. of Buddhists
Template:Flagicon Afghanistan	31,410,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Albania	3,200,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Algeria	35,470,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu	70,000	0.3%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu	80,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Angola	19,080,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Argentina	40,410,000	< 0.1%	20,000
Template:Flagu	3,090,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu	110,000	0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Australia	22,270,000	2.7%	600,000
Template:Flagicon Austria	8,390,000	0.2%	20,000
Template:Flagu	9,190,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu	340,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Bahrain	1,260,000	2.5%	30,000
Template:Flagicon Bangladesh	148,690,000	0.6%	1,001,000
Template:Flagu	270,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu	9,600,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Belgium	10,710,000	0.2%	30,000
Template:Flagicon Belize	310,000	0.5%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu	8,850,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu	60,000	0.5%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Bhutan	730,000	74.7%	540,000
Template:Flagu	9,930,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Botswana	2,010,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Brazil	194,950,000	0.1%	250,000
Template:Flagicon Brunei	400,000	8.6%	30,000
Template:Flagicon Bulgaria	7,490,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Burkina Faso	16,470,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Cambodia	14,140,000	96.9%	13,690,000
Template:Flagicon Cameroon	19,600,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Canada	34,020,000	0.8%	280,000
Template:Flagicon Chad	11,230,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu	17,110,000	< 0.1%	10,000
Template:Flagicon China	1,341,340,000	18.2%	244,130,000
Template:Flagu	46,290,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Democratic Republic of the Congo	65,970,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Republic of the Congo	4,040,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Costa Rica	4,660,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Côte d'Ivoire	19,740,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Croatia	4,400,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu	11,260,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu	1,100,000	0.2%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Czech Republic	10,490,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Denmark	5,550,000	0.2%	10,000
Template:Flagu	70,000	0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu	9,930,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Egypt		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon El Salvador		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Ethiopia		< 0.1%	?
Template:Flagicon Falkland Islands		< 0.1%	?
Template:Flagu	110,000	0.4%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Finland		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon France	62,790,000	0.5%	280,000
Template:Flagu		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Germany	82,300,000	0.3%	210,000
Template:Flagicon Ghana		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Greece		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu	180,000	1.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Guatemala		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Guinea		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Honduras	7,600,000	0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Hong Kong	7,050,000	13.2%	930,000
Template:Flagicon Hungary		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Iceland	320,000	0.4%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon India	1,224,610,000	0.8%	9,250,000
Template:Flagicon Indonesia	266,535,000	0.71%	2,062,150
Template:Flagicon Iran		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Iraq		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu	4,470,000	0.2%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Israel	7,420,000	0.3%	20,000
Template:Flagicon Italy	60,550,000	0.2%	110,000
Template:Flagu	2,740,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Japan	126,540,000	36.2%	45,820,000
Template:Flagicon Jordan	6,190,000	0.4%	20,000
Template:Flagicon Kazakhstan	16,030,000	0.2%	40,000
Template:Flagicon Kenya		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon North Korea	24,350,000	1.5%	370,000
Template:Flagicon South Korea	48,180,000	22.9%	11,050,000
Template:Flagicon Kuwait	2,740,000	2.8%	80,000
Template:Flagicon Kyrgyzstan		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Laos	6,200,000	66.1%	4,100,000
Template:Flagu		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Lebanon	4,230,000	0.2%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Lesotho		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Liberia		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Libya	6,360,000	0.3%	20,000
Template:Flagicon Liechtenstein		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Macau	540,000	17.3%	90,000
Template:Flagicon Madagascar		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Malawi		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Malaysia	28,400,000	19.8%	5,010,000
Template:Flagicon Maldives	320,000	0.6%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Mali		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Mauritius		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Mexico		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Mongolia	2,760,000	55.1%	1,520,000
Template:Flagu		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Morocco		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Mozambique		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Myanmar (Burma)	47,960,000	89.9%	38,410,000
Template:Flagicon Namibia		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu	10,000	1.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Nepal	29,960,000	10.3%	2,420,000
Template:Flagicon Netherlands	16,610,000	0.2%	40,000
Template:Flagu	250,000	0.6%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon New Zealand	4,370,000	1.1%	52,779
Template:Flagicon Nicaragua		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Nigeria	158,420,000	< 0.1%	10,000
Template:Flagu		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu	60,000	10.6%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Norway	4,880,000	0.6%	30,000
Template:Flagicon Oman	2,780,000	0.8%	20,000
Template:Flagicon Pakistan	173,590,000	< 0.1%	20,000
Template:Flagu	20,000	0.8%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Palestine		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Panama	3,520,000	0.2%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu	29,080,000	0.2%	50,000
Template:Flagicon Philippines	93,260,000	< 0.1%	40,000
Template:Flagicon Poland		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu	10,680,000	0.6%	60,000
Template:Flagu	3,750,000	0.3%	10,000
Template:Flagicon Qatar	1,760,000	3.1%	50,000
Template:Flagicon Réunion	850,000	0.2%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Russia	142,960,000	0.1%	170,000
Template:Flagicon Saudi Arabia	27,450,000	0.3%	90,000
Template:Flagicon Senegal	12,430,000	0.3%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Seychelles		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Sierra Leone	5,870,000	0.3%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Singapore	5,090,000	33.9%	1,730,000
Template:Flagicon Slovakia		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Slovenia		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu	540,000	0.3%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon South Africa	50,130,000	0.2%	100,000
Template:FlagiconSpain		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Sri Lanka	20,860,000	69.3%	14,450,000
Template:Flagicon Sudan		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu	520,000	0.6%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Swaziland		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Sweden	9,380,000	0.4%	40,000
Template:Flagicon Switzerland	7,660,000	0.4%	30,000
Template:Flagicon Taiwan	23,220,000	21.3%	4,950,000
Template:Flagicon Tajikistan		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Tanzania		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Thailand	69,120,000	93.2%	64,420,000
Template:Flagicon Togo		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu	100,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Tunisia		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu	1,340,000	0.3%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Turkey	72,750,000	< 0.1%	40,000
Template:Flagicon Turkmenistan		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Uganda		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Ukraine	45,450,000	< 0.1%	20,000
Template:Flagicon United Arab Emirates	7,510,000	2.0%	150,000
Template:Flagicon United Kingdom	62,040,000	0.4%	240,000
Template:Flagicon United States	310,380,000	1.2%	3,570,000
Template:Flagicon Uruguay		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon US Virgin Islands		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Uzbekistan	27,440,000	< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagu		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Venezuela		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Vietnam	87,850,000	16.4%	14,380,000
Template:Flagicon Yemen		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon Zambia		< 0.1%	< 10,000
Template:Flagicon 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
Template:Flag	47,327,407			2022	National census
Template:Flag	25,422,788	2.4%	615,800	2021	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Flag	165,158,616	0.61%		2022	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Flag		0.3%		2018	Other<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Template:Flag	735,553			2017	National census
Template:Flag		97.9%		2013	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Flag		1.1%	366,830	2011	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Flag		4%	42,000,000	2023	Studies<ref name="religion20232">2023 approximations of the statistics from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) of the year 2018, as contained in the following analyses: {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }} 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. Template:Cite journal Template:Cite journal</ref>
Template:Flag		2.34%	100,000	2012	Other<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Flag		1.1%	64,000	2018	Other<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
Template:Flag			270,000	2016	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Flag	1,210,854,977	0.7%	8,442,972	2011	National census
Template:Flag		0.3%	160,000		Caritas Italiana<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Flag		67.0%	84,336,539	2018	ACA Religious Yearbook<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
		67.2%		2020	CIA Factbook<ref>Template:Cite bookTemplate:Ubl Percentages calculated using the official total population figure of 126,088,000 as of the end of 2020.{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Flag		4.0%	100,000	2006	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Flag		80.0%	455,000	2012	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Flag		Up to 93.0%			citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Flag	50,279,900	89.8%	45,185,449	2014	National census<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Template:Flag		1.2%	30,501		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Flag			1,861,600		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Flag		0.6%	866,500	2016	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Flag		1.5%	414,016	2007	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Flag	4,044,210	31.1%	1,257,749	2020	National census
Template:Flag	20,359,439	70.2%	14,272,056	2011	National census<ref>Department of Census and Statistics,The Census of Population and Housing of Sri Lanka-2011 Template:Webarchive</ref>
Template:Flag		0.7%	57,064	2020	Other<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Template:Flag		35.0%	8,050,000	2006	Other<ref>TAIWAN Template:Webarchive</ref>
Template:Flag	67,706,048	93.5%	63,299,193	2018	National census
		94.5%	63,620,298	2015	Census<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Flag		5.0%	222,201	2006	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Flag		Up to 66.7%			Other<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

By region

Buddhism by region in 2010<ref name=":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<ref name=":1" />

Country	Estimated Buddhist population	% of the total population of the country	% of world Buddhist population
Template:Flag	244,130,000	18.2%	50.1%
Template:Flag	64,420,000	94.5%	13.2%
Template:Flag	45,820,000	36.2%	9.4%
Template:Flag	38,410,000	87.9%	7.9%
Template:Flag	14,910,000	14.9%	2.9%
Template:Flag	14,450,000	70.2%	3.0%
Template:Flag	13,690,000	96.9%	2.8%
Template:Flag	11,050,000	22.9%	2.3%
Template:Flag	9,250,000	0.8%	1.9%
Template:Flag	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

External links

• The US State Department's International Religious Freedom Report 2010
• CIA FactBook Template:Webarchive
• Template:Usurped