Index| Group | Where | Number of Adherents |
% of total pop. |
Number of congreg./ churches/ units |
Number of countries |
Year | Source | Quote/ Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buddhism | Japan | 42,250,000 | - | 79,000 units |
- | 1940 | Ferm, Vergilius (ed). An Encyclopedia of Religion; Westport, CT: Greenwood Press (1976; 1st ed. pub. 1945 by Philosophical Library); pg. 387. | "The latest available statistics of Japanese Buddhism (1940) report: 42,250,000 adherents, 71,300 temples, 7,700 churches, 56,000 temple heads and 178,000 other priests. These figures cover the 13 main sects and some 50 sub-sects. " |
| Buddhism | Japan | 42,249,228 | - | 79,079 units |
- | 1945 | Ferm, Vergilius (ed). An Encyclopedia of Religion; Westport, CT: Greenwood Press (1976; 1st ed. pub. 1945 by Philosophical Library); pg. 97. | "Truly Japan is the land of Buddhism, where there are 42,249,229 adherents, 71,326 temples and 7,753 churches, where most Buddhist schools still flourish... " |
| Buddhism | Japan | 47,714,868 | 54.86% | - | - | 1953 | Reid, D. "Japanese Religions " in Hinnells, John R. (ed). A Handbook of Living Religions, Penguin Books: New York (1991 reprint; 1st pub. 1984). [Orig. src: Shukyo Nenkan (Religions Yearbook), Ministry of Education & Bureau of Statistics.]; pg. 368. | Table: #s of adherents to major religious traditions "Numbers of people claimed by religious organizations as of 31 Dec. in a given year " [Note: figures consistently exceed pop. of Japan by up to 75% due to overlapping claims of Shinto & Buddhist org.] |
| Buddhism | Japan | 46,000,000 | - | - | - | 1957 | Welles, Sam. The World's Great Religions, New York: Time Incorporated (1957); pg. 57. | "Of the world's many millions of Buddhists, 46 million live in Japan... Japanese Buddhists are very devout, and Japanese Buddhism, reinvigorated by numerous revival and reform movements, holds a stronger position in the life of the people than Buddhism does in China and adjacent areas of the mainland. " |
| Buddhism | Japan | 48,974,840 | 53.37% | - | - | 1958 | Reid, D. "Japanese Religions " in Hinnells, John R. (ed). A Handbook of Living Religions, Penguin Books: New York (1991 reprint; 1st pub. 1984). [Orig. src: Shukyo Nenkan (Religions Yearbook), Ministry of Education & Bureau of Statistics.]; pg. 368. | Table: #s of adherents to major religious traditions "Numbers of people claimed by religious organizations as of 31 Dec. in a given year " [Note: figures consistently exceed pop. of Japan by up to 75% due to overlapping claims of Shinto & Buddhist org.] |
| Buddhism | Japan | 46,000,000 | - | - | - | 1958 | Welles, Sam. The World's Great Religions, New York: Western Publishing Co. (1972). [11th printing; original edition: 1958]; pg. 53. | "Japan's 46 million Buddhists are divided among many sects but are devout and strong in their faith. " |
| Buddhism | Japan | 69,843,368 | 72.64% | - | - | 1963 | Reid, D. "Japanese Religions " in Hinnells, John R. (ed). A Handbook of Living Religions, Penguin Books: New York (1991 reprint; 1st pub. 1984). [Orig. src: Shukyo Nenkan (Religions Yearbook), Ministry of Education & Bureau of Statistics.]; pg. 368. | Table: #s of adherents to major religious traditions "Numbers of people claimed by religious organizations as of 31 Dec. in a given year " [Note: figures consistently exceed pop. of Japan by up to 75% due to overlapping claims of Shinto & Buddhist org.] |
| Buddhism | Japan | - | - | - | - | 1966 | Welty, Paul Thomas. The Asians: Their Heritage and Their Destiny (Revised Edition). Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Co. (1966); pg. 246. | "Buddhism is still a major force in Japan. The monasteries do educational work ranging in level from the kindergarten to the university; the people still flock to the Buddhist temples and priests for funerals and memorial services; and the Buddhist monk remains a common sight. " |
| Buddhism | Japan | 83,278,496 | 82.18% | - | - | 1968 | Reid, D. "Japanese Religions " in Hinnells, John R. (ed). A Handbook of Living Religions, Penguin Books: New York (1991 reprint; 1st pub. 1984). [Orig. src: Shukyo Nenkan (Religions Yearbook), Ministry of Education & Bureau of Statistics.]; pg. 368. | Table: #s of adherents to major religious traditions "Numbers of people claimed by religious organizations as of 31 Dec. in a given year " [Note: figures consistently exceed pop. of Japan by up to 75% due to overlapping claims of Shinto & Buddhist org.] |
| Buddhism | Japan | - | - | - | - | 1970 | Cavendish, Richard (ed.). Man, Myth & Magic: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Supernatural (vol. 11). New York: Marshall Cavendish Corp. (1970); pg. 1492-1494. | "The modern Japanese take religion calmly, even indifferently. Like Christianity in Europe, Buddhism in Japan has left behind a rich heritage of art, architecture, music and literature; but as a vital religious force it is spent. There are new sects that appeal to a vociferous minority; and Zen still exerts an influence over a thinking few. But in general the role of Buddhism in modern Japan is merely to bury the dead and to keep their graves. It may seem paradoxical to say this of a religion that still has a priesthood, possesses scriptures, conducts regular services, maintains magnificent temples and large estates, administers schools and engages in social welfare. But among the intelligent young in Japan it is far more common to find a burning faith in Marxism than in Buddhism. Buddhism has become a matter of rituals, of services and of festivals; it has long since ceased to have an organic life of its own. " |
| Buddhism | Japan | 84,573,824 | 77.52% | - | - | 1973 | Reid, D. "Japanese Religions " in Hinnells, John R. (ed). A Handbook of Living Religions, Penguin Books: New York (1991 reprint; 1st pub. 1984). [Orig. src: Shukyo Nenkan (Religions Yearbook), Ministry of Education & Bureau of Statistics.]; pg. 368. | Table: #s of adherents to major religious traditions "Numbers of people claimed by religious organizations as of 31 Dec. in a given year " [Note: figures consistently exceed pop. of Japan by up to 75% due to overlapping claims of Shinto & Buddhist org.] |
| Buddhism | Japan | 88,020,880 | 76.42% | - | - | 1978 | Reid, D. "Japanese Religions " in Hinnells, John R. (ed). A Handbook of Living Religions, Penguin Books: New York (1991 reprint; 1st pub. 1984). [Orig. src: Shukyo Nenkan (Religions Yearbook), Ministry of Education & Bureau of Statistics.]; pg. 368. | Table: #s of adherents to major religious traditions "Numbers of people claimed by religious organizations as of 31 Dec. in a given year " [Note: figures consistently exceed pop. of Japan by up to 75% due to overlapping claims of Shinto & Buddhist org.] |
| Buddhism | Japan | 90,296,504 | 78.40% | - | - | 1979 | Reid, D. "Japanese Religions " in Hinnells, John R. (ed). A Handbook of Living Religions, Penguin Books: New York (1991) [reprint; 1st pub. 1984]; pg. 379. | "Another survey, conducted in 1979, asked people if they professed any religious faith. Affirmative replies [were] to 33.6%. " Most who said yes identified their faith as Buddhist (78.4%). Only 3.3% identified their faith as Shinto. |
| Buddhism | Japan | 40,000,000 | - | 80,000 units |
- | 1983 | Dolan, Jr., Edward F. & Shan Finney. The New Japan; New York: Franklin Watts (1983); pg. 56. | "Today, Japan's 80,000 Buddhist churches and temples claim about 40 million followers. Both the temples and their members are divided among several branches of Buddhism. " |
| Buddhism | Japan | 92,065,000 | 76.09% | 84,613 units |
- | 1985 | *LINK* [Orig. source: The International Society for Educational Information, Inc., Tokyo (1998)] | "Figures on religious orgs... in 1985 as reported by religious orgs. to the Agency for Cultural Affairs are as follows: Shinto Buddhism Christianity miscellaneous: Shrines, Temples & Churches: 90,832 84,613 8,616 42,027; Priests, Clergy & Ministers 102,000 269,000 22,000 253,000; Members: 115,602,000 92,065,000 1,688,000 14,444,000 "; "The total membership of all religious organizations exceeds the total population of the nation (121 million). The number of adherents to either Shinto or Buddhism alone comes close to the national population. This results from the fact that the same person is often counted as a member by the Shinto shrine of his neighbor hood and again by the Buddhist temple with which his ancestors became affiliated. (Christian church member ship, in principle, excludes affiliation with other religious groups.) " |
| Buddhism | Japan | - | 38.00% | - | - | 1992 | Goring, Rosemary (ed). Larousse Dictionary of Beliefs & Religions (Larousse: 1994); pg. 581-584. | Table: "Population Distribution of Major Beliefs "; "Figures have been compiled from the most accurate recent available information and are in most cases correct to the nearest 1% " |
| Buddhism | Japan | - | 20.00% | - | - | 1992 | *LINK* web site: "A Brief Survey of Religion in Modern Japan " (1998). By Paul A. Shew, December 1, 1992. (Waseda University, Tokyo) | "In independent surveys where people are asked to state their own religion, there are the approximate results: Shinto 2-3%; Buddhism 20%; Christianity 1-2%; a new religion 10%; no religion 65% " |
| Buddhism | Japan | 90,000,000 | - | - | - | 1992 | Wolff, Michael. Where We Stand: Can America Make it in the Global Race for Wealth, Health, and Happiness? Bantam Books: New York (1992); pg. 205. | "In Japan, although Shintoism claims almost 100 million adherents and Buddhism nearly 90 million (more than the total Japanese population), polls indicate that fewer than 30% of Japanese people have any real religious beliefs. " |
| Buddhism | Japan | - | 13.00% | - | - | 1992 | Wolff, Michael. Where We Stand: Can America Make it in the Global Race for Wealth, Health, and Happiness? Bantam Books: New York (1992); pg. 206-207. | Chart |
| Buddhism | Japan | 95,155,256 | 76.30% | - | - | 1993 | *LINK* Library of Congress Country Studies | 124,711,551 [total pop.] (1993). Shinto 95.8 percent, Buddhist 76.3 percent (most observe both Shinto and Buddhist rites), and 12 percent other religions, including 1.4 percent Christian. |
| Buddhism | Japan | 88,000,000 | 73.33% | - | - | 1994 | Bocking, Brian. A Popular Dictionary of Shinto. Surrey, England: Curzon (1996); pg. 75-76. | "It should be remembered that most of Jinja Honcho's 'Shinto' believers will also be among the 88 million or so who identify themselves in surveys as 'Buddhist' believers in a total population of ca.120 million. " |
| Buddhism | Japan | 90,000,000 | - | - | - | 1994 | *LINK* Japan Information Network website; "Religion and Customs " page. (Viewed 6 Oct. 1999) | "The predominant religion in Japan today is Buddhism, which had a following of 90 million as of the end of 1994. " |
| Buddhism | Japan | - | 58.00% | - | - | 1995 | *LINK* Nance Profiles web site (orig. source: Feb. `95 issue of GLOBAL PRAYER DIGEST); (viewed Aug. 1998; now restricted.) | TOTAL POPULATION IN 1995: 126,319,000. Shinto: 80 percent -- (Overlaps with Buddhist); Buddhist: 58 percent; New Religions: (mostly Buddhist or Shinto offshoots) 24 percent; Muslim: 0.2 percent; Christian: 1.5 percent. |
| Buddhism | Japan | 89,828,504 | 72.00% | 78,002 units |
- | 1995 | *LINK* web site: "Basic Facts Christianity in Japan at a Glance " (1998). 1996, 1997, 1998 Paul Tsuchido Shew. Source: 1995 Shukyo Nenkan (Religious Yearbook), Ministry of Education, Agency for Cultural Affairs, Pg. 30-31. | Table: "Statistics on Religious Organizations in Japan as of December 31, 1995 " |
| Buddhism | Japan | 90,520,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year; pg. 781-783. | Table; "Many Japanese practice both Shintoism and Buddhism, " so many people are double-counted |
| Buddhism | Japan | 93,000,000 | 77.50% | - | - | 1996 | Halverson, Dean C. (ed.) The Compact Guide to World Religions; Colorado Springs, Colorado: International Students Inc. (1996). [Publisher is an Evangelical missionary organization.]; pg. 206. | "Only about 1.5 million of the 120 million Japanese declare themselves Christians. But 112 million adhere to Shinto. Many Japanese see themselves as followers of several religions, for 93 million are also Buddhists! " |
| Buddhism | Japan | 89,650,000 | - | - | - | 1997 | Ash, Russell. The Top 10 of Everything, DK Publishing, Inc.: New York (1997); pg. 160-161. | List: "Top 10 Largest Buddhist Populations in the World "; ( "Including many who also practice Shintoism "); (Rank: 2) |
| Buddhism | Japan | - | 70.00% | - | - | 1997 | Breuilly, Elizabeth, et al. Religions of the World: The Illustrated Guide to Origins, Beliefs, Traditions & Festivals. Facts on File Inc.: New York, NY (1997); pg. 10 to 11. | "There are over 3 million Buddhists worldwide... More than 85% of the population of Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand is Buddhist, as is more than 70% of that in Cambodia, Laos, and Japan. " NOTE: The 3 million figure is obviously a typographical error. |
| Buddhism | Japan | 105,615,544 | 84.00% | - | - | 1997 | *LINK* CIA World Factbook web site (viewed Aug. 1998) | observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including Christian 0.7%); Total population: 125,732,794. |
| Buddhism | Japan | 69,213,192 | - | - | - | 1998 | Ash, Russell. The Top 10 of Everything 1999. New York: DK Publishing (1998); pg. 76. | Table: "Top 10 Largest Buddhist Populations in the World "; Rank: #1 |
| Buddhism | Japan | - | 58.00% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Nazarene web site: Nazarene World Mission Society; (major source: Johnstone's Operation World) | Table "Religions "; "There is considerable overlapping " between Shinto and Buddhism. |
| Buddhism | Japan | - | - | - | - | 1998 | Rutherford, Scott (ed.) East Asia. London: Apa Publications (1998); pg. 281. | "Polls asking Japanese in which religion they believe consistently yield results that total well over 100 percent -- most say they are followers of both Shinto and Budhism. " |
| Buddhism | Japan | - | - | - | - | 1998 | Rutherford, Scott (ed.) East Asia. London: Apa Publications (1998); pg. 284. | "There are today an estimated 56 main divisions, and 170 subdivisions, in Japanese Buddhism. " |
| Buddhism | Japan | - | 72.00% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* web site: "Basic Facts Christianity in Japan at a Glance " (1998). 1996, 1997, 1998 Paul Tsuchido Shew | Table: "Statistical Variences of Religion Affiliation in Japan: Official Membership Statistics vs. Independent Survey Results ": Official organization reporting: Buddhists 72.%; survey of religious preference: 20% |
| Buddhism | Japan | - | 20.00% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* web site: "Basic Facts Christianity in Japan at a Glance " (1998). 1996, 1997, 1998 Paul Tsuchido Shew | Table: "Statistical Variences of Religion Affiliation in Japan: Official Membership Statistics vs. Independent Survey Results ": Official organization reporting: Buddhists 72.%; survey of religious preference: 20% |
| Buddhism | Japan | - | - | - | - | 2001 | Zuckerman, Phil. "Atheism: Contemporary Rates and Patterns ", chapter in The Cambridge Companion to Atheism, ed. by Michael Martin, Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK (2005) | "According to Demerath (2001:138), 64% do not believe in God and 55% do not believe in Buddha, however a very strong majority have engaged in some form or Shinto, Buddhist, or Japanese folk/cultural ritual, such as visiting a shrine or temple on the previous New Year's Day. " |
| Buddhism | Kansas | - | 0.30% | - | - | 1990 | Kosmin, B. & S. Lachman. One Nation Under God: Religion in Contemporary American Society; Harmony Books: New York (1993); pg. 88-93. | Table 3-1: Religious Composition of State Populations, 1990 (%). Self-identification of religious loyalty, phone survey w/ 113,000 people; by City U. of New York. |
| Buddhism | Kansas | - | 0.00% | - | - | 2001 | *LINK* Kosmin, Barry A.; Egon Mayer; & Ariela Keysar. "American Religious Identity Survey. " 2001. City University of New York. | ARIS: Nationwide phone survey of 50,000 American adults; open-ended question: 'What is your religion, if any?'; Listed in table: "Buddhist "; Actual % between 0 and 0.5%, so sell was left blank. |
| Buddhism | Kansas: Wichita | - | - | 8 units |
- | 1999 | *LINK* Lewis, Brian. "Rise of Buddhism " in Wichita Eagle, 16 Oct. 1999 (v. online). | "In addition to six Southeast Asian Buddhist temples in Wichita that are thriving, two recent Buddhist groups have started and are attracting people who were not born in Buddhist cultures. " [Zen & Tibetan] |
| Buddhism | Kentucky | - | 0.10% | - | - | 1990 | Kosmin, B. & S. Lachman. One Nation Under God: Religion in Contemporary American Society; Harmony Books: New York (1993); pg. 88-93. | Table 3-1: Religious Composition of State Populations, 1990 (%). Self-identification of religious loyalty, phone survey w/ 113,000 people; by City U. of New York. |
| Buddhism | Kentucky | - | 0.00% | - | - | 2001 | *LINK* Kosmin, Barry A.; Egon Mayer; & Ariela Keysar. "American Religious Identity Survey. " 2001. City University of New York. | ARIS: Nationwide phone survey of 50,000 American adults; open-ended question: 'What is your religion, if any?'; Listed in table: "Buddhist "; Actual % between 0 and 0.5%, so sell was left blank. |
| Buddhism | Korea | - | - | - | - | 1392 C.E. | Belke, Thomas J. Juche: A Christian Study of North Korea's State Religion. Bartlesville, OK: Living Sacrifice Books Co. (1999); pg. 113. | "Buddhism roots in Korea date back to its introduction from China around the fourth century. The Buddhist religio dominated Korea during the Silla Dynasty (668-935) and reached its height under the Koryo Dynasty (918-1392). Afterwards, Buddhism suffered a decline. To some extent, Buddhists were even persecuted during the Chosun Dynasty. " |
| Buddhism | Korea | - | - | - | - | 1919 | Belke, Thomas J. Juche: A Christian Study of North Korea's State Religion. Bartlesville, OK: Living Sacrifice Books Co. (1999); pg. 139. | "During the First World War and its aftermath, the embers of nationalism within the Korean people burst into flames and anti-Japanese resistance increased. Christian, Confucian, Buddhist, and Ch'ondogyo leaders jointly decided in favor of a non-violent popular independence movement. " |
| Buddhism | Korea, North | - | - | - | - | 1944 | Belke, Thomas J. Juche: A Christian Study of North Korea's State Religion. Bartlesville, OK: Living Sacrifice Books Co. (1999); pg. 3. | "Before 1945, Korean religion was dominated by a mixture of Confucian thought, Buddhism, and shamanism... " |
| Buddhism | Korea, North | - | 2.00% | - | - | 1992 | Goring, Rosemary (ed). Larousse Dictionary of Beliefs & Religions (Larousse: 1994); pg. 581-584. | Table: "Population Distribution of Major Beliefs "; "Figures have been compiled from the most accurate recent available information and are in most cases correct to the nearest 1% " |
| Buddhism | Korea, North | 2,253,200 | - | - | - | 1998 | Ash, Russell. The Top 10 of Everything 1999. New York: DK Publishing (1998); pg. 76. | Table: "Top 10 Largest Buddhist Populations in the World "; Rank: #10 |
| Buddhism | Korea, North | - | - | - | - | 1999 | Belke, Thomas J. Juche: A Christian Study of North Korea's State Religion. Bartlesville, OK: Living Sacrifice Books Co. (1999); pg. 113. | "The combination of the Japanese occupation, allied bombing, severe anti-Buddhist religious persecution, and two generations of Juche indoctrination have significantly reduced Buddhism's influence on North Koreans... Only a token number of Buddhist temples are permitted to emphasize Juche's respect for Korea's ancient historical roots. The Korean Buddhists' Federation, like those for Chondokyo and Christianity, serves to provide a endorsement by 'religionists' for Kim Jong Il's sacred Juche cause of national reunification... Buddhist monks are not allowed to worship at North Korean temples... " |
| Buddhism | Korea, North | 400,000 | 1.67% | - | - | 1999 | Nash, Amy K. North Korea (series: Major World Nations), Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers (1999); pg. 9, 111. | Pg. 9: "Population: 24 million "; Pg. 111: "Religious groups do still exist in the country. About 3 million North Koreans are Chundoists, 400,000 are Buddhists, 200,000 worship Christian faiths, and another 3 million follow some other form of traditional worship. " |
| Buddhism | Korea, South | 7,507,059 | 20.23% | 7,244 units |
- | 1983 | *LINK* web site: "Little Korea "; web page: "Religion " (viewed 22 Jan. 1999) | Table: "Status of Religions " (as of 1983); 3 columns: "churches ", "clergymen ", "followers "; presumably this is from a government survey or census. |
| Buddhism | Korea, South | 5,800,000 | - | - | - | 1986 | *LINK* Nance Profiles web site (orig. source: 2/5/86 issue of GLOBAL PRAYER DIGEST); (viewed Aug. 1998; now restricted.) | "PRAY FOR THE 5,800,000 BUDDHISTS OF SOUTH KOREA. " |
| Buddhism | Korea, South | 11,000,000 | - | 9,231 units |
- | 1991 | *LINK* web site: "A Window on Korea "; web page: "Buddhism in Korea " (viewed 23 Jan. 1999) | "Buddhism has the largest following of all Korea's religions. As of 1991, there were 26 Buddhist sects and 9,231 temples with more than 11 million followers in Korea. Chogyejong is the largest of the sects. It is headquartered in Chogyesa Temple in Seoul and has 24 regional centers across the country. " |
| Buddhism | Korea, South | - | 18.00% | - | - | 1992 | Goring, Rosemary (ed). Larousse Dictionary of Beliefs & Religions (Larousse: 1994); pg. 581-584. | Table: "Population Distribution of Major Beliefs "; "Figures have been compiled from the most accurate recent available information and are in most cases correct to the nearest 1% " |
| Buddhism | Korea, South | 13,380,000 | 30.00% | - | - | 1994 | *LINK* Web site: "Council for World Mission "; web page: "Presbyterian Church of Korea (PCK) " (viewed 31 May 1999). | "Population (1994 United Nations estimate): 44.6 million... Main religions: Christianity (20%), Buddhism (30%), Shamanism (5%), Confucianism (5%), non-religious and culturalised Confucianism (40%)... " |
| Buddhism | Korea, South | 11,010,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year; pg. 781-783. | Table: "Religion ": Divided by nations, with 2 columns: "Religious affiliation " & "1996 pop. " [of that religion]. Based on best avail. figures, whether census data, membership figures or estimates by analysts, as % of est. 1996 midyear pop. |
| Buddhism | Korea, South | 10,920,000 | - | - | - | 1997 | Ash, Russell. The Top 10 of Everything, DK Publishing, Inc.: New York (1997); pg. 160-161. | List: "Top 10 Largest Buddhist Populations in the World "; (Rank: 7) |
| Buddhism | Korea, South | 21,595,940 | 47.00% | - | - | 1997 | *LINK* CIA World Factbook web site (viewed Aug. 1998) | Christianity 49%, Buddhism 47%, Confucianism 3%, pervasive folk religion (shamanism), Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way), and other 1%; Total population: 45,948,811. |
| Buddhism | Korea, South | 12,456,290 | - | - | - | 1998 | Ash, Russell. The Top 10 of Everything 1999. New York: DK Publishing (1998); pg. 76. | Table: "Top 10 Largest Buddhist Populations in the World "; Rank: #6 |
| Buddhism | Korea, South | - | 27.50% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Nazarene web site: Nazarene World Mission Society; (major source: Johnstone's Operation World) | Table "Religions " |
| Buddhism | Korea, South | - | - | - | - | 1998 | Rutherford, Scott (ed.) East Asia. London: Apa Publications (1998); pg. 210. | "Buddhism. When it comes to the arts and innovative thought, Buddhism stands out as one of the most important of this country's [Korea's] cultural fountainheads... The Mahayana school of Buddhism, with its acceptance of local deities as a means of drawing the masses to temples for an eventual study of more orthodox doctrines and practices, proved to the liking of the Koreans. Buddhism is Korea's largest single religion. One may find Buddhist influence in modern-day Korea subtle but pervasive. In the thought patterns of Koreans, for example, the principle of karma allows many to take a passive view of the world. " |
| Buddhism | Laos | - | 75.00% | - | - | 1979 | *LINK* Nance Profiles web site (orig. source: OPERATION WORLD -1979 edition); (viewed Aug. 1998; now restricted.) | Total pop.: 3,400,000. Buddhists 75% -- but a thin veneer over the older animistic religions. |
| Buddhism | Laos | - | 58.00% | - | - | 1992 | Goring, Rosemary (ed). Larousse Dictionary of Beliefs & Religions (Larousse: 1994); pg. 581-584. | Table: "Population Distribution of Major Beliefs "; "Figures have been compiled from the most accurate recent available information and are in most cases correct to the nearest 1% " |
| Buddhism | Laos | - | - | - | - | 1994 | *LINK* Library of Congress Country Studies | 1994 approximately 4.7 million [total pop.]. Provision for religious freedom in constitution; almost all Laotians Buddhist. Theravada Buddhism predominant among Lao Loum and some Lao Theung; animist beliefs widespread. |
| Buddhism | Laos | 2,900,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year; pg. 781-783. | Table: "Religion ": Divided by nations, with 2 columns: "Religious affiliation " & "1996 pop. " [of that religion]. Based on best avail. figures, whether census data, membership figures or estimates by analysts, as % of est. 1996 midyear pop. |
| Buddhism | Laos | - | 70.00% | - | - | 1997 | Breuilly, Elizabeth, et al. Religions of the World: The Illustrated Guide to Origins, Beliefs, Traditions & Festivals. Facts on File Inc.: New York, NY (1997); pg. 10 to 11. | "There are over 3 million Buddhists worldwide... More than 85% of the population of Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand is Buddhist, as is more than 70% of that in Cambodia, Laos, and Japan. " NOTE: The 3 million figure is obviously a typographical error. |
| Buddhism | Laos | 3,070,175 | 60.00% | - | - | 1997 | *LINK* CIA World Factbook web site (viewed Aug. 1998) | Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40%; Total pop.: 5,116,959. |
