Buddhism in Southeast Asia - Buddhism in Southeast Asian Countries

Buddhism in Southeast Asian Countries

Currently, there is around 150 -190 million Buddhists in Southeast Asia, making it the second largest religion in the region, after Islam. Thus, around 35 to 38% of the global Buddhist population resides in Southeast Asia.

• Thailand has the largest number of Buddhists with approximately 95% of its population of 67 million adhering to Buddhism, placing it at around 63.75 million.

• Myanmar has around 49 million Buddhists, with 89% of its 57 million citizens practicing Theravada Buddhism. Around 1% of the population, mainly the Chinese, practice Mahayana Buddhism alongside Taoism, but are strongly influenced by Theravada Buddhism.

• Vietnam may have a large number of Buddhists, but the Communist government under-reports the religious adherence of its citizens. It has around 44 million Buddhists, around half its population. The majority of Vietnamese people practice Mahayana Buddhism due to the large amount of Chinese influence.

• 95% of Cambodia's population adheres to Theravada Buddhism, placing its Buddhist population at around 14 million.

• Malaysia has about 20% of its citizens, mainly ethnic Chinese and migrant workers, practicing Buddhism. The Chinese mainly practice Mahayana Buddhism, but due to the efforts of Sinhalese monks, Theravada also enjoys a significant following.

• Communist Laos has around 5 million Buddhists, who form roughly 70% of its population.

• Indonesia has around 4.75 million Buddhists (2% of its population), mainly amongst its Chinese population. Most Indonesian Buddhists adhere to Theravada Buddhism, mainly of the Thai tradition.

• Singapore have around 2 million Buddhists, forming around 33% of their populations respectively. Singapore has the most vibrant Buddhist scene with all three major traditions having large followings. Mahayana Buddhism has the largest presence amongst the Chinese, while many immigrants from countries such as Myanmar, Thailand and Sri Lanka practice Theravada Buddhism.

• Philippines have around the 2% of the total population or around 2 millions. All the important schools of Buddhism are well represented in Philippines although it is predominantly Mahayana School of Buddhism that is practised in the country. Other Schools of Buddhism are also making their presence felt gradually amongst the people. Prime amongst these are - Nichiren Buddhism, Thervada Buddhism and Vajrayana Buddhism.

• Brunei, which has the smallest population in Southeast Asia, has around 13% of its citizens and a significant migrant worker population adhering to Buddhism, at around 65,000.