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

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. Other smaller schools such as Navayana are scantly followed in India.

By country

Ten countries with the largest Buddhist populations

+ Countries with the largest Buddhist populations as of 2020, according to Pew Research Center Country EstimatedBuddhistpopulation % of Buddhist shareof the country'spopulation % of worldBuddhistpopulation 67,620,000 94.4% 20.9% 53,380,000 3.7% 16.5% 47,210,000 89.1% 14.6% 46,990,000 37.2% 14.5% 22,580,000 23.0% 7.0% 16,240,000 97.1% 5.0% 15,700,000 69.6% 4.8% 9,850,000 19.0% 3.0% 9,550,000 0.7% 2.9% 6,400,000 18.9% 2.0% Subtotal for the ten countries 295,530,000 8.9%a 91.2% Subtotal for the rest of the world 28,660,000 0.6%b 8.8% World total 324,190,000 4.1% 100%

a (% of total of all ten countries)

b (% of rest of world population)

Buddhist population by country in 2010 (Pew Research Center)

+ Buddhist population by country (Pew Research Center) Country/TerritoryPopulation% BuddhistNo. 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 70,000 0.3% < 10,000 80,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 Angola 19,080,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 Argentina 40,410,000 < 0.1% 20,000 3,090,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 110,000 0.1% < 10,000 Australia 22,270,000 2.7% 600,000 Austria 8,390,000 0.2% 20,000 9,190,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 340,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 Bahrain 1,260,000 2.5% 30,000 Bangladesh148,690,000 0.6%1,001,000 270,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 9,600,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 Belgium10,710,000 0.2%30,000 Belize310,000 0.5% < 10,000 8,850,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 60,000 0.5% < 10,000 Bhutan730,000 74.7% 540,000 9,930,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 Botswana2,010,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 Brazil194,950,000 0.1%250,000 Brunei400,0008.6%30,000 Bulgaria7,490,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 Burkina Faso16,470,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 Cambodia14,140,00096.9% 13,690,000 Cameroon19,600,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 Canada34,020,0000.8% 280,000 Chad11,230,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 17,110,000 < 0.1% 10,000 China1,341,340,000 18.2% 244,130,000 46,290,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 Democratic Republic of the Congo65,970,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 Republic of the Congo4,040,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 Costa Rica4,660,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 Côte d'Ivoire19,740,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 Croatia4,400,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 11,260,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 1,100,000 0.2% < 10,000 Czech Republic10,490,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 Denmark5,550,000 0.2% 10,000 70,000 0.1% < 10,000 9,930,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 Egypt < 0.1% < 10,000 El Salvador < 0.1% < 10,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 Ethiopia < 0.1% ? Falkland Islands < 0.1% ? 110,000 0.4% < 10,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 Finland < 0.1% < 10,000 France62,790,000 0.5% 280,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 Germany82,300,000 0.3% 210,000 Ghana < 0.1% < 10,000 Greece < 0.1% < 10,000 180,000 1.1% < 10,000 Guatemala < 0.1% < 10,000 Guinea < 0.1% < 10,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 Honduras7,600,000 0.1% < 10,000 Hong Kong7,050,000 13.2% 930,000 Hungary < 0.1% < 10,000 Iceland320,000 0.4% < 10,000 India1,224,610,000 0.8% 9,250,000 Indonesia 266,535,000 0.71% 2,062,150 Iran < 0.1% < 10,000 Iraq < 0.1% < 10,000 4,470,000 0.2% < 10,000 Israel7,420,000 0.3% 20,000 Italy60,550,000 0.2% 110,000 2,740,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 Japan126,540,000 36.2% 45,820,000 Jordan6,190,000 0.4% 20,000 Kazakhstan16,030,000 0.2% 40,000 Kenya < 0.1% < 10,000 North Korea24,350,000 1.5% 370,000 South Korea48,180,000 22.9% 11,050,000 Kuwait2,740,000 2.8% 80,000 Kyrgyzstan < 0.1% < 10,000 Laos6,200,000 66.1% 4,100,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 Lebanon4,230,000 0.2% < 10,000 Lesotho < 0.1% < 10,000 Liberia < 0.1% < 10,000 Libya6,360,000 0.3% 20,000 Liechtenstein < 0.1% < 10,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 Macau540,000 17.3% 90,000 Madagascar < 0.1% < 10,000 Malawi < 0.1% < 10,000 Malaysia28,400,000 19.8% 5,010,000 Maldives320,000 0.6% < 10,000 Mali < 0.1% < 10,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 Mauritius < 0.1% < 10,000 Mexico < 0.1% < 10,000 Mongolia2,760,000 55.1% 1,520,000 < 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 10,000 1.1% < 10,000 Nepal29,960,000 10.3% 2,420,000 Netherlands16,610,000 0.2% 40,000 250,000 0.6% < 10,000 New Zealand4,370,000 1.1% 52,779 Nicaragua < 0.1% < 10,000 Nigeria158,420,000 < 0.1% 10,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 60,000 10.6% < 10,000 Norway4,880,000 0.6% 30,000 Oman2,780,000 0.8% 20,000 Pakistan173,590,000 < 0.1% 20,000 20,000 0.8% < 10,000 Palestine < 0.1% < 10,000 Panama3,520,000 0.2% < 10,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 29,080,000 0.2% 50,000 Philippines93,260,000 < 0.1% 40,000 Poland < 0.1% < 10,000 10,680,000 0.6% 60,000 3,750,000 0.3% 10,000 Qatar1,760,000 3.1% 50,000 Réunion850,000 0.2% < 10,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 Russia142,960,000 0.1% 170,000 Saudi Arabia 27,450,000 0.3% 90,000 Senegal12,430,000 0.3% < 10,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 Seychelles < 0.1% < 10,000 Sierra Leone 5,870,000 0.3% < 10,000 Singapore5,090,000 33.9% 1,730,000 Slovakia < 0.1% < 10,000 Slovenia < 0.1% < 10,000 540,000 0.3% < 10,000 South Africa50,130,000 0.2% 100,000 Spain < 0.1% < 10,000 Sri Lanka20,860,000 69.3% 14,450,000 Sudan < 0.1% < 10,000 520,000 0.6% < 10,000 Swaziland < 0.1% < 10,000 Sweden9,380,000 0.4% 40,000 Switzerland7,660,000 0.4% 30,000 Taiwan23,220,000 21.3% 4,950,000 Tajikistan < 0.1% < 10,000 Tanzania < 0.1% < 10,000 Thailand69,120,000 93.2% 64,420,000 Togo < 0.1% < 10,000 100,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 Tunisia < 0.1% < 10,000 1,340,000 0.3% < 10,000 Turkey72,750,000 < 0.1% 40,000 Turkmenistan < 0.1% < 10,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 Uganda < 0.1% < 10,000 Ukraine45,450,000 < 0.1% 20,000 United Arab Emirates7,510,000 2.0% 150,000 United Kingdom62,040,000 0.4% 240,000 United States310,380,000 1.2% 3,570,000 Uruguay < 0.1% < 10,000 US Virgin Islands < 0.1% < 10,000 Uzbekistan27,440,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 < 0.1% < 10,000 Venezuela < 0.1% < 10,000 Vietnam87,850,000 16.4% 14,380,000 Yemen < 0.1% < 10,000 Zambia < 0.1% < 10,000 Zimbabwe < 0.1% < 10,000World6,895,890,0007.1%487,540,000

Buddhist population by country (Other data) + Buddhist population by country (Other data)Country/territoryPopulation% BuddhistNo. of BuddhistsYearSource47,327,4072022National census25,422,7882.4%615,8002021National census165,158,6160.61%2022National census0.3%2018Other735,5532017National census97.9%2013Other1.1%366,8302011Census4%42,000,0002023Studies2023 approximations of the statistics from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) of the year 2018, as contained in the following analyses:

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.

2.34%100,0002012Other1.1%64,0002018Other270,0002016Other1,210,854,9770.7%8,442,9722011National census0.3%160,000Caritas Italiana67.0%84,336,5392018ACA Religious Yearbook67.2%2020CIA FactbookPercentages calculated using the official total population figure of 126,088,000 as of the end of 2020.4.0%100,0002006Other80.0%455,0002012Government reportUp to 93.0%Other50,279,90089.8%45,185,4492014National census1.2%30,501Other1,861,600Other0.6%866,5002016Other1.5%414,0162007Other4,044,21031.1%1,257,7492020National census20,359,43970.2%14,272,0562011National censusDepartment of Census and Statistics,The Census of Population and Housing of Sri Lanka-2011 0.7%57,0642020Other35.0%8,050,0002006OtherTAIWAN 67,706,04893.5%63,299,1932018National census94.5%63,620,2982015Census5.0%222,2012006OtherUp to 66.7%Other

By region + Buddhism by region in 2010 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 Buddhism in Southeast Asia Buddhism in the West East Asian Buddhism Buddhism and Eastern religions

General: List of religious populations Religions by country

References

External links The US State Department's International Religious Freedom Report 2010 CIA FactBook