Index| Group | Where | Number of Adherents |
% of total pop. |
Number of congreg./ churches/ units |
Number of countries |
Year | Source | Quote/ Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buddhism | Saskatchewan | 1,900 | 0.19% | - | - | 1991 | *LINK* web site: "Statistics Canada "; web page: "Population, by religion, 1991 Census " (viewed 9 Jan. 1999); Source: Statistics Canada, Catalogue no. 93-319-XPB. | table: "Population, by religion, 1991 Census " |
| Buddhism | Singapore | 757,025 | 28.30% | - | - | 1989 | *LINK* Library of Congress Country Studies | 2,674,362 [total pop.] (1994). Buddhist, 28.3 percent |
| Buddhism | Singapore | - | 28.00% | - | - | 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 | Singapore | - | 41.00% | - | - | 1998 | "The Only Way " in Christianity Today (Jan. 12, 1998); pg. 37. | Or again, Singapore is "pluralistic " since it is roughly 41% Buddhist, 18% Christian, 17% Muslim, 17% secularist, and 5% Hindu. |
| Buddhism | South Africa - Asians | - | - | - | - | 1986 | Stein, R. Conrad. South Africa (series: Enchantment of the World). Chicago: Childrens Press (1986); pg. 24, 32, 37. | Pg. 24: "estimated 1986 population of South Africa stood at 33,185,000... Using the government-created categories, 71% of the people were black, 17% were white, colored made up 9%, and Asians 3% "; Pg. 34: "Some 800,000 people classified as Asians live in South Africa. Most of them reside in the state of Natal. "; Pg. 37: "The Asians are either Hindu (70%), Muslim (20%)... " |
| Buddhism | South America | 193,200 | - | - | - | 1981 | Popenoe, David. Sociology (5th Ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc. (1983). [Source: 1981 Britannica Book of the Year]; pg. 433. | Table: Membership in the Major Religions of the World " |
| Buddhism | South America | 194,450 | 0.08% | - | - | 1982 | Robertson, Ian. Sociology (2nd ed.); New York, NY: Worth Publishers (1981 2nd edition; updated since 1977 1st ed.). [Orig. source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Book of the Year, 1982]; pg. 405. | Table: "Estimated membership of the principal religions of the world " |
| Buddhism | South Carolina | - | 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 | South Carolina | - | 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 | South Dakota | - | 0.00% | - | - | 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 | South Dakota | - | 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 | Soviet Union | - | - | - | - | 1984 | Time-Life Books. The Soviet Union (series: Library of Nations). Amsterdam: Time-Life Books (1984); pg. 79. | "In Mongolian border areas, financial support for the once-numerous Buddhist priesthood has been withheld, and few priests remain; however, the prayer wheels are in common open use among the faithful. " |
| Buddhism | Sri Lanka | - | 60.00% | - | - | 1970 | Cavendish, Richard (ed.). Man, Myth & Magic: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Supernatural (vol. 4). New York: Marshall Cavendish Corp. (1970); pg. 445. | "Ceylon: Since 1948, an independent state: some 60% of its people ae Buddhists, with a substantial minority of Hindus and smaller numbers of Christians and Muslims... See SINHALESE BUDDHISM " |
| Buddhism | Sri Lanka | - | 67.00% | - | - | 1985 | Barker, Carol. Ananda in Sri Lanka: A Story of Buddhism; London: Hamish Hamilton (1985), frontispiece. | "Today, Buddhism is found in Sri Lanka (where 67% of the population are Buddhists)... " |
| Buddhism | Sri Lanka | 11,481,393 | 69.00% | - | - | 1988 | *LINK* Library of Congress Country Studies | Est. 16,639,695 [Total pop.] (1988). n: Theravada Buddhist, 69 percent; Hindu, 15 percent; Christian, 8 percent; Muslim, 8 percent |
| Buddhism | Sri Lanka | 11,801,070 | 69.00% | - | - | 1990 | Zimmermann, Robert. Sri Lanka (series: "Enchantment of the World "). Chicago: Childrens Press (1992); pg. 18-19. | "The four main religions of the world are represented, though not in equal numbers. 69% of the population is Buddhist; 15%, Hindu; 8%, Muslim; and 8%, Christian. "; Pg. 115: "17,103,000 (1990) " |
| Buddhism | Sri Lanka | - | 69.00% | - | - | 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 | Sri Lanka | 12,489,000 | 69.00% | - | - | 1995 | Gall, Timothy L. (ed). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Culture & Daily Life: Vol. 3 - Asia & Oceania. Cleveland, OH: Eastword Publications Development (1998); pg. 706-707. | "Location: Sri Lanka; Population: 18.1 million... (1995 estimate) "; Pg. 707: "Most, though not all, Sinhalese are Buddhists, who make up 69% of the population. " |
| Buddhism | Sri Lanka | 12,690,000 | - | - | - | 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 | Sri Lanka | 12,540,000 | - | - | - | 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: 6) |
| Buddhism | Sri Lanka | 12,917,613 | 69.00% | - | - | 1997 | *LINK* CIA World Factbook web site (viewed Aug. 1998) | Total population: 18,721,178. Buddhist 69%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 8% |
| Buddhism | Sri Lanka | 12,250,000 | 70.00% | - | - | 1997 | Russell, Malcom B. The Middle East and South Asia 1997 (The World Today Series). Harpers Ferry, West Virginia: Stryker-Post Publications (1997); pg. 204. | Estimates of % of population in principal religions, & est. 1997 total pop. |
| Buddhism | Sri Lanka | 12,950,000 | 70.00% | - | - | 1998 | "Dalai Lama, Evangelical Leader Talk " in Christianity Today (Aug. 10, 1998); pg. 27. | "Sri Lanka, an island nation south of India, where 70 percent of the 18.5 million inhabitants are Buddhists. " |
| Buddhism | Sri Lanka | 13,457,067 | - | - | - | 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: #5 |
| Buddhism | Sri Lanka | 12,300,000 | 69.00% | - | - | 1998 | Gall, Timothy L. (ed). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Culture & Daily Life: Vol. 3 - Asia & Oceania. Cleveland, OH: Eastword Publications Development (1998); pg. 133. | "...Sri Lanka. Buddhism is the religion of the Sinhalese people, and accounts for 69% (12.3 million people) of the island nation's population. They are distributed throughout the country except in the north, where Hindu Tamils are in the majority. " |
| Buddhism | Taiwan | - | 43.00% | - | - | 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 | Taiwan | 9,230,000 | - | - | - | 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 | Taiwan | 5,000,000 | 22.00% | - | - | 1996 | *LINK* web page: "Religions in Taiwan " (Written by Miss C.Y.Li, 1996, TSA); (viewed 4 July 1999). | "The Buddhism is the biggest religious sects and has about 5,000,000 believers. It was introduced to Taiwan by immigrants from Fuchien and Kuangtung Provinces at the end of the Ming Dynasty. " |
| Buddhism | Taiwan | 9,150,000 | - | - | - | 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: 8) |
| Buddhism | Tennessee | - | 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 | Tennessee | - | 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 | Texas | - | 0.20% | - | - | 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 | Texas | - | 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 | Thailand | - | 94.00% | - | - | 1979 | *LINK* Nance Profiles web site (orig. source: OPERATION WORLD 1979); (viewed Aug. 1998; now restricted.) | Total population: 43,300,000. Buddhism 94% with a strong hold on people with Buddhism and Thai nationality closely linked. Considerable animistic practices also found. |
| Buddhism | Thailand | - | 95.00% | - | - | 1986 | Fischer-Schreiber, Ingrid, et al. The Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy & Religion: Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Zen. Shambhala: Boston (English: pub. 1994; orig. German: 1986); pg. 55. | "Today 95 percent of the population [of Thailand] are Buddhists. " |
| Buddhism | Thailand | - | 95.00% | - | - | 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 | Thailand | 56,880,000 | - | - | - | 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 | Thailand | 58,140,000 | 95.00% | - | - | 1996 | Gall, Timothy L. (ed). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Culture & Daily Life: Vol. 3 - Asia & Oceania. Cleveland, OH: Eastword Publications Development (1998); pg. 758-759. | "The Thai population reached 61.2 million in 1996... "; Pg. 759: "More than95% of Thais are Buddhists, and regional people adhere to their own religious traditions of Theravada buddhism. The mix of Theravada Buddhism, Hinduism, and animism is the core of Thai beliefs, cosmology, and cultures... " |
| Buddhism | Thailand | 55,480,000 | - | - | - | 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: 3) |
| Buddhism | Thailand | - | 85.00% | - | - | 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 | Thailand | 56,478,276 | 95.00% | - | - | 1997 | *LINK* CIA World Factbook web site (viewed Aug. 1998) | Total population: 59,450,818 (1997 est.). Buddhism 95%, Muslim 3.8%, Christianity 0.5%, Hinduism 0.1%, other 0.6% (1991) |
| Buddhism | Thailand | 59,722,460 | - | - | - | 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: #2 |
| Buddhism | Thailand | - | 93.50% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Nazarene web site: Nazarene World Mission Society; (major source: Johnstone's Operation World) | Table "Religions " |
| Buddhism | Tibet | - | - | - | - | 700 C.E. | Dalai Lama of Tibet. My Land and My People. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co. (1962); pg. 239-240. | "It was King Lho-Tho-Ri-Nyen-Tsen of Tibet who first introduced Buddhism to the country, well over a thousand years ago. It spread steadily, and in the couse of time many renowned Pandits of India came to Tibet and translated texts of Sutras and Tantras with their commentaries. " |
| Buddhism | Tibet | - | - | - | - | 750 C.E. | Welty, Paul Thomas. The Asians: Their Heritage and Their Destiny (Revised Edition). Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Co. (1966); pg. 77. | "During the eighth century, Buddhist missionaries introduced Buddhism into Tibet where it took a mixed form called Tantrism. " |
| Buddhism | Tibet | - | - | - | - | 1966 | Rutherford, Scott (ed.) East Asia. London: Apa Publications (1998); pg. 45. | "By the beginning of the Cultural Revolution in 1966, it seemed as if the Red Guards were intent on completely eradicating Buddhism. The autonomous Tibet was hard-hit by these excesses. Only a few important monasteries and cultural objects could be protected, and completely or only only partly preserved. " |
| Buddhism | Tibet | - | - | - | - | 1981 | Crim, Keith (ed.). The Perennial Dictionary of World Religions. San Francisco: Harper Collins (1989). Reprint; originally pub. as Abingdon Dictionary of Living Religions, 1981; pg. 135-136. | "At present, with China and Tibet under the control of the People's Republic of China, Buddhism is no longer a living force in those countries. The Sangha has been decimated and the monasteries converted to museum pieces. " |
| Buddhism | USA | - | - | - | - | 1865 | Melton, J. Gordon & Robert L. Moore. The Cult Experience: Responding to the New Religious Pluralism. New York: The Pilgrim Press (1984 [3rd printing; 1st printing 1982]). [Orig. source: Lewis Lancaster, "Buddhism in the United States, " International Buddhist Forum Quarterly, introductory issue, Sept. 1977, pg. 26-29.]; pg. 8. | "One scholar has argued that there were actually more Buddhists in America [in 1865] than today... " |
| Buddhism | USA | - | - | 1 unit |
- | 1898 | Mead, Frank S. (revised by Samuel S. Hill), Handbook of Denominations in the United States (9th Ed.), Abingdon Press: Nashville, Tenn. (1990); pg. 69. | "The first buddhist temple in the U.S. was consecrated in San Francisco in 1898. The Buddhist Mission of North America began at that time and was incorporated in 1944 as Buddhist Churches of America, the administrative organization for Jodo Shinshu Buddhism in the continental U.S. " |
| Buddhism | USA | 30,000 | 0.00% | - | - | 1900 | 1996 Britannica Book of the Year | Table: Non-Christian Religious Adherents in the United States |
| Buddhism | USA | 70,000 | - | - | - | 1946 | Wuthnow, Robert. The Restructuring of American Religion: Society and Faith Since World War II, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press (1988); pg. 20. | [In USA at close of World War II (1946): "...another 300,000 were Jehovah's Witnesses; 225,000 were Christian Scientists; nearly 200,000 were Spiritualists; and 70,000 were Buddhists. " |
| Buddhism | USA | 73,000 | - | - | - | 1951 | Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970; Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of Census (1975); pg. 391. | Table: "Membership of Religious Bodies, 1890 to 1970, & by Major Groups: 1951 to 1970 " |
| Buddhism | USA | 73,000 | - | - | - | 1952 | Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970; Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of Census (1975); pg. 391. | Table: "Membership of Religious Bodies, 1890 to 1970, & by Major Groups: 1951 to 1970 " |
| Buddhism | USA | 63,000 | - | - | - | 1953 | Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970; Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of Census (1975); pg. 391. | Table: "Membership of Religious Bodies, 1890 to 1970, & by Major Groups: 1951 to 1970 " |
| Buddhism | USA | 63,000 | - | - | - | 1954 | Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970; Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of Census (1975); pg. 391. | Table: "Membership of Religious Bodies, 1890 to 1970, & by Major Groups: 1951 to 1970 " |
| Buddhism | USA | 63,000 | - | - | - | 1955 | Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970; Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of Census (1975); pg. 391. | Table: "Membership of Religious Bodies, 1890 to 1970, & by Major Groups: 1951 to 1970 " |
| Buddhism | USA | 63,000 | - | - | - | 1956 | Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970; Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of Census (1975); pg. 391. | Table: "Membership of Religious Bodies, 1890 to 1970, & by Major Groups: 1951 to 1970 " |
| Buddhism | USA | 10,000 | - | - | - | 1957 | Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970; Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of Census (1975); pg. 391. | Table: "Membership of Religious Bodies, 1890 to 1970, & by Major Groups: 1951 to 1970 " |
| Buddhism | USA | 10,000 | - | - | - | 1958 | Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970; Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of Census (1975); pg. 391. | Table: "Membership of Religious Bodies, 1890 to 1970, & by Major Groups: 1951 to 1970 " |
| Buddhism | USA | 20,000 | - | - | - | 1959 | Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970; Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of Census (1975); pg. 391. | Table: "Membership of Religious Bodies, 1890 to 1970, & by Major Groups: 1951 to 1970 " |
| Buddhism | USA | 20,000 | - | - | - | 1960 | Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970; Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of Census (1975); pg. 391. | Table: "Membership of Religious Bodies, 1890 to 1970, & by Major Groups: 1951 to 1970 " |
| Buddhism | USA | 60,000 | - | - | - | 1961 | Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970; Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of Census (1975); pg. 391. | Table: "Membership of Religious Bodies, 1890 to 1970, & by Major Groups: 1951 to 1970 " |
| Buddhism | USA | 60,000 | - | - | - | 1962 | Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970; Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of Census (1975); pg. 391. | Table: "Membership of Religious Bodies, 1890 to 1970, & by Major Groups: 1951 to 1970 " |
| Buddhism | USA | 60,000 | - | - | - | 1963 | Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970; Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of Census (1975); pg. 391. | Table: "Membership of Religious Bodies, 1890 to 1970, & by Major Groups: 1951 to 1970 " |
| Buddhism | USA | 110,000 | - | - | - | 1964 | Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970; Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of Census (1975); pg. 391. | Table: "Membership of Religious Bodies, 1890 to 1970, & by Major Groups: 1951 to 1970 " |
