
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[update]. 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. 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.
| Country | Estimated Buddhist population |
% of Buddhist share of the country's population |
% of world Buddhist population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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)
| Country/Territory | Population | % Buddhist | No. of Buddhists |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31,410,000 | < 0.1% | < 10,000 | |
| 3,200,000 | < 0.1% | < 10,000 | |
| 35,470,000 | < 0.1% | < 10,000 | |
| 70,000 | 0.3% | < 10,000 | |
| 80,000 | < 0.1% | < 10,000 | |
| 19,080,000 | < 0.1% | < 10,000 | |
| 40,410,000 | < 0.1% | 20,000 | |
| 3,090,000 | < 0.1% | < 10,000 | |
| 110,000 | 0.1% | < 10,000 | |
| 22,270,000 | 2.7% | 600,000 | |
| 8,390,000 | 0.2% | 20,000 | |
| 9,190,000 | < 0.1% | < 10,000 | |
| 340,000 | < 0.1% | < 10,000 | |
| 1,260,000 | 2.5% | 30,000 | |
| 148,690,000 | 0.6% | 1,001,000 | |
| 270,000 | < 0.1% | < 10,000 | |
| 9,600,000 | < 0.1% | < 10,000 | |
| 10,710,000 | 0.2% | 30,000 | |
| 310,000 | 0.5% | < 10,000 | |
| 8,850,000 | < 0.1% | < 10,000 | |
| 60,000 | 0.5% | < 10,000 | |
| 730,000 | 74.7% | 540,000 | |
| 9,930,000 | < 0.1% | < 10,000 | |
| 2,010,000 | < 0.1% | < 10,000 | |
| 194,950,000 | 0.1% | 250,000 | |
| 400,000 | 8.6% | 30,000 | |
| 7,490,000 | < 0.1% | < 10,000 | |
| 16,470,000 | < 0.1% | < 10,000 | |
| 14,140,000 | 96.9% | 13,690,000 | |
| 19,600,000 | < 0.1% | < 10,000 | |
| 34,020,000 | 0.8% | 280,000 | |
| 11,230,000 | < 0.1% | < 10,000 | |
| 17,110,000 | < 0.1% | 10,000 | |
| 1,341,340,000 | 18.2% | 244,130,000 | |
| 46,290,000 | < 0.1% | < 10,000 | |
| 65,970,000 | < 0.1% | < 10,000 | |
| 4,040,000 | < 0.1% | < 10,000 | |
| 4,660,000 | < 0.1% | < 10,000 | |
| 19,740,000 | < 0.1% | < 10,000 | |
| 4,400,000 | < 0.1% | < 10,000 | |
| 11,260,000 | < 0.1% | < 10,000 | |
| 1,100,000 | 0.2% | < 10,000 | |
| 10,490,000 | < 0.1% | < 10,000 | |
| 5,550,000 | 0.2% | 10,000 | |
| 70,000 | 0.1% | < 10,000 | |
| 9,930,000 | < 0.1% | < 10,000 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| < 0.1% | ? | ||
| < 0.1% | ? | ||
| 110,000 | 0.4% | < 10,000 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| 62,790,000 | 0.5% | 280,000 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| 82,300,000 | 0.3% | 210,000 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| 180,000 | 1.1% | < 10,000 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| 7,600,000 | 0.1% | < 10,000 | |
| 7,050,000 | 13.2% | 930,000 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| 320,000 | 0.4% | < 10,000 | |
| 1,224,610,000 | 0.8% | 9,250,000 | |
| 266,535,000 | 0.71% | 2,062,150 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| 4,470,000 | 0.2% | < 10,000 | |
| 7,420,000 | 0.3% | 20,000 | |
| 60,550,000 | 0.2% | 110,000 | |
| 2,740,000 | < 0.1% | < 10,000 | |
| 126,540,000 | 36.2% | 45,820,000 | |
| 6,190,000 | 0.4% | 20,000 | |
| 16,030,000 | 0.2% | 40,000 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| 24,350,000 | 1.5% | 370,000 | |
| 48,180,000 | 22.9% | 11,050,000 | |
| 2,740,000 | 2.8% | 80,000 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| 6,200,000 | 66.1% | 4,100,000 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| 4,230,000 | 0.2% | < 10,000 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| 6,360,000 | 0.3% | 20,000 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| 540,000 | 17.3% | 90,000 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| 28,400,000 | 19.8% | 5,010,000 | |
| 320,000 | 0.6% | < 10,000 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| 2,760,000 | 55.1% | 1,520,000 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| 47,960,000 | 89.9% | 38,410,000 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| 10,000 | 1.1% | < 10,000 | |
| 29,960,000 | 10.3% | 2,420,000 | |
| 16,610,000 | 0.2% | 40,000 | |
| 250,000 | 0.6% | < 10,000 | |
| 4,370,000 | 1.1% | 52,779 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| 158,420,000 | < 0.1% | 10,000 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| 60,000 | 10.6% | < 10,000 | |
| 4,880,000 | 0.6% | 30,000 | |
| 2,780,000 | 0.8% | 20,000 | |
| 173,590,000 | < 0.1% | 20,000 | |
| 20,000 | 0.8% | < 10,000 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| 3,520,000 | 0.2% | < 10,000 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| 29,080,000 | 0.2% | 50,000 | |
| 93,260,000 | < 0.1% | 40,000 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| 10,680,000 | 0.6% | 60,000 | |
| 3,750,000 | 0.3% | 10,000 | |
| 1,760,000 | 3.1% | 50,000 | |
| 850,000 | 0.2% | < 10,000 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| 142,960,000 | 0.1% | 170,000 | |
| 27,450,000 | 0.3% | 90,000 | |
| 12,430,000 | 0.3% | < 10,000 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| 5,870,000 | 0.3% | < 10,000 | |
| 5,090,000 | 33.9% | 1,730,000 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| 540,000 | 0.3% | < 10,000 | |
| 50,130,000 | 0.2% | 100,000 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| 20,860,000 | 69.3% | 14,450,000 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| 520,000 | 0.6% | < 10,000 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| 9,380,000 | 0.4% | 40,000 | |
| 7,660,000 | 0.4% | 30,000 | |
| 23,220,000 | 21.3% | 4,950,000 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| 69,120,000 | 93.2% | 64,420,000 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| 100,000 | < 0.1% | < 10,000 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| 1,340,000 | 0.3% | < 10,000 | |
| 72,750,000 | < 0.1% | 40,000 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| 45,450,000 | < 0.1% | 20,000 | |
| 7,510,000 | 2.0% | 150,000 | |
| 62,040,000 | 0.4% | 240,000 | |
| 310,380,000 | 1.2% | 3,570,000 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| 27,440,000 | < 0.1% | < 10,000 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| 87,850,000 | 16.4% | 14,380,000 | |
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| < 0.1% | < 10,000 | ||
| World | 6,895,890,000 | 7.1% | 487,540,000 |
| Country/territory | Population | % Buddhist | No. of Buddhists | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 47,327,407 | 2022 | National census | |||
| 25,422,788 | 2.4% | 615,800 | 2021 | National census | |
| 165,158,616 | 0.61% | 2022 | National census | ||
| 0.3% | 2018 | Other | |||
| 735,553 | 2017 | National census | |||
| 97.9% | 2013 | Other | |||
| 1.1% | 366,830 | 2011 | Census | ||
| 4% | 42,000,000 | 2023 | Studies | ||
| 2.34% | 100,000 | 2012 | Other | ||
| 1.1% | 64,000 | 2018 | Other | ||
| 270,000 | 2016 | Other | |||
| 1,210,854,977 | 0.7% | 8,442,972 | 2011 | National census | |
| 0.3% | 160,000 | Caritas Italiana | |||
| 67.0% | 84,336,539 | 2018 | ACA Religious Yearbook | ||
| 67.2% | 2020 | CIA Factbook | |||
| 4.0% | 100,000 | 2006 | Other | ||
| 80.0% | 455,000 | 2012 | Government report | ||
| Up to 93.0% | Other | ||||
| 50,279,900 | 89.8% | 45,185,449 | 2014 | National census | |
| 5,034,906 | 1.2% | 60.419 | 2022 | National census | |
| 1.2% | 30,501 | Other | |||
| 1,861,600 | Other | ||||
| 0.6% | 866,500 | 2016 | Other | ||
| 1.5% | 414,016 | 2007 | Other | ||
| 4,044,210 | 31.1% | 1,257,749 | 2020 | National census | |
| 20,359,439 | 70.2% | 14,272,056 | 2011 | National census | |
| 0.7% | 57,064 | 2020 | Other | ||
| 35.0% | 8,050,000 | 2006 | Other | ||
| 67,706,048 | 93.5% | 63,299,193 | 2018 | National census | |
| 94.5% | 63,620,298 | 2015 | Census | ||
| 5.0% | 222,201 | 2006 | Other | ||
| 337,886,853 | 1.5% | 5,068,303 | 2022 | National census | |
| Up to 66.7% | Other |
| 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% |
General:
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