🌏 South Asia
1. Sri Lanka – Theravāda Buddhism (about 70%)
2. Bhutan – Vajrayāna Buddhism (about 75%)
3. Nepal – Mixed (Mahayāna, Vajrayāna, Theravāda) (~10–15%)
4. India – Origin land of Buddhism; small Buddhist population (~1%), but major pilgrimage sites like Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, and Kushinagar.
🌏 Southeast Asia
1. Thailand – Theravāda Buddhism (~93%)
2. Myanmar (Burma) – Theravāda Buddhism (~87%)
3. Cambodia – Theravāda Buddhism (~95%)
4. Laos – Theravāda Buddhism (~67%)
5. Vietnam – Mahāyāna & Theravāda (~15%)
🌏 East Asia
1. China – Mahāyāna & Chan (Zen) Buddhism (~18%)
2. Japan – Mahāyāna (Zen, Pure Land, Nichiren) (~30%)
3. South Korea – Mahāyāna & Seon (~15%)
4. Taiwan – Mahāyāna Buddhism (~35%)
5. Mongolia – Vajrayāna (Tibetan) Buddhism (~50%)
🌏 Central Asia
1. Tibet (China) – Vajrayāna Buddhism (dominant religion)
2. Kalmykia (Russia) – Vajrayāna Buddhism (unique in Europe)
3. Buryatia & Tuva (Russia) – Tibetan Buddhism
🌏 Other Regions
1. Singapore – Mahāyāna (~30%)
2. Malaysia – Mahāyāna & Theravāda (~20%)
3. Indonesia – Small Buddhist minority (~1%), mainly in Java & Sumatra
4. Bangladesh – Theravāda (~1%), mainly among the Chakma people
5. United States – Small but growing Buddhist communities (~1%)
6. Australia – ~2% Buddhists (mostly immigrants from Asia)
Buddhism is mainly practiced in:
South Asia (origin region)
Southeast Asia (Theravāda heartland)
East Asia (Mahāyāna heartland)
Tibet & Mongolia (Vajrayāna heartland)
Here are the estimated global percentages for major religious groups around 2020, based on a Pew Research Center study:
Religion Approximate share of world population
Christianity 28.8%
Islam 25.6%
Hinduism 14.9%
Buddhism 4.1%
