Buddhist Countries 2023

One of the world’s most widely practiced faiths is Buddhism. From 563 BC to 480 BC, a man named Siddhartha Gautama (sometimes referred to as Gautama Buddha or just Buddha) lived in India, giving rise to what is now known as Buddhism.

Reincarnation is a belief held by Buddhists, who follow the religion. Buddhists believe that achieving Nirvana, or enlightenment, would end the cycle of birth and death.

They think that death is not the end but rather the beginning of a new life. The majority of the world’s Buddhists live in East and Southeast Asia, although the faith has adherents throughout the globe.

Buddhism may play a variety of functions in people’s life. Buddhism is a religion for certain people. For others, it’s a belief system they adhere to. Others turn to Buddhism as a method of self-discovery and enlightenment in their daily lives.

According to a study referenced in a Pew Research Center article from 2019, many Asians may adhere to Buddhist rituals and practices, but many do not consider themselves Buddhists.

According to some estimates, as many as 506 million people throughout the globe follow Buddhism, making up around 6.6% of the world’s total population.

Ten of the world’s most Buddhist countries, according to Pew Research 2020:

1. Cambodia — 96.80%
2. Thailand — 92.60%
3. Myanmar — 79.80%
4. Bhutan — 74.70%
5. Sri Lanka — 68.60%
6. Laos — 64.00%
7. Mongolia — 54.50%
8. Japan — 33.20%
9. Singapore — 32.30%
10. South Korea — 21.90%

There are at least 55 percent Buddhists in each of the first seven countries on this list, making them countries with a majority of Buddhists. Taiwan, Malaysia, China, Macau (China), Vietnam, Hong Kong (China), the Northern Mariana Islands, and Nepal have a sizable Buddhist population.

Many countries have large Buddhist communities that are not the majority of the population. Thus figures may be deceiving. About half of the world’s Buddhists live in China, where the population is estimated at 254 million.

Many Chinese people practice Buddhism, making it the country’s most popular religion. Even though more than half of China’s population is Buddhist, the nation is not regarded as a Buddhist one. A good example of this may be seen in the following list.

There are more Buddhists in the following countries than in any other, according to Pew Research 2020:

1. China — 254,700,000
2. Thailand — 66,120,000
3. Myanmar — 41,440,000
4. Japan — 41,380,000
5. Cambodia — 15,690,000
6. Vietnam — 15,560,000
7. Sri Lanka — 15,440,000
8. South Korea — 10,950,000
9. India — 10,140,000
10. Malaysia — 5,220,000

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