• Religion:  

Religion: Buddhism What is Primary Religion?

Population of Adherents

502,009,000

% of World Population

6.5 %

People Groups

683

Unreached Groups

534 (78.2 %)

Map Notes
Click column headings for sorting ▲▼
Progress Scale: ●●●●●   
☀
 = Frontier peoples
Photo People Group Country Population Primary Language Primary Religion Progress
Scale 		% Christian
Adherent 		%
Evangelical 		Scripture
Status 		Est. Workers
Needed * ▲
Kampuchea Krom Cambodia 280,000 Khmer Buddhism ● 1.20 % 0.60 % Complete Bible 6
Palaung, Pale Myanmar (Burma) 292,000 Palaung, Ruching Buddhism ☀ 0.10 % 0.06 % New Testament 6
Batgama Sri Lanka 375,000 Sinhala Buddhism ● 1.48 % Complete Bible 7
Deaf Thailand 349,000 Thai Sign Language Buddhism ● 1.10 % Bible Portions 7
Kui Thailand 421,000 Kuay Buddhism ● 2.00 % 0.41 % Complete Bible 8
Dawei, Tavoyan Myanmar (Burma) 457,000 Tavoyan Buddhism ☀ 0.10 % 0.04 % Unspecified 9
Tai Nua, Chinese Shan China 494,000 Tai Nua Buddhism ● 0.19 % 0.17 % Bible Portions 10
Phu Thai Thailand 491,000 Phu Thai Buddhism ● 0.60 % 0.10 % Translation Started 10
Amdo, Hbrogpa China 750,000 Tibetan, Amdo Buddhism ☀ 0.05 % 0.05 % New Testament 15
Tibetan Gtsang China 766,000 Tibetan, Central Buddhism ☀ 0.02 % 0.01 % Complete Bible 15
Tai Lue China 811,000 Lu Buddhism ● 0.50 % 0.33 % New Testament 16
Vietnamese Cambodia 825,000 Vietnamese Buddhism ● 3.00 % 0.17 % Complete Bible 17
Pa-O Myanmar (Burma) 864,000 Pa'o Buddhism ● 1.70 % 0.30 % New Testament 17
Japanese United States 839,000 Japanese Buddhism ● 1.50 % 0.50 % Complete Bible 17
Burakumin Japan 887,000 Japanese Buddhism ● 0.50 % 0.20 % Complete Bible 18
Tibetan, Central China 949,000 Tibetan, Central Buddhism ☀ 0.04 % 0.03 % Complete Bible 19
Han Chinese, Mandarin Myanmar (Burma) 979,000 Chinese, Mandarin Buddhism ● 2.00 % 1.40 % Complete Bible 20
Mon Myanmar (Burma) 1,143,000 Mon Buddhism ● 0.90 % 0.82 % Complete Bible 23
Khmer Vietnam 1,313,000 Khmer Buddhism ● 3.00 % 1.87 % Complete Bible 26
Khmer, Northern Thailand 1,458,000 Khmer, Northern Buddhism ● 2.00 % 1.33 % Complete Bible 29
Khampa Eastern China 1,613,000 Tibetan, Khams Buddhism ☀ 0.05 % 0.01 % New Testament 32
Rakhine Myanmar (Burma) 2,699,000 Rakhine Buddhism ☀ 0.10 % 0.05 % Bible Portions 54
Lao Laos 3,398,000 Lao Buddhism ● 3.50 % 2.00 % Complete Bible 68
Tai Man, Shan Myanmar (Burma) 4,523,000 Shan Buddhism ● 0.90 % 0.82 % Complete Bible 90
Thai, Southern Thailand 5,099,000 Thai, Southern Buddhism ● 0.90 % 0.25 % Bible Portions 102
Totals: 683 Peoples   502,009,000     534 ●       5,834
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Disclaimers:
  1. Joshua Project data is drawn from many sources and of varying accuracy depending on source and editorial decisions. Populations are scaled to the current year. Other data may have varying ages. We welcome suggested updates.
  2. A displayed zero can mean true zero, a very small rounded number or sometimes unknown. Blanks mean an unknown value.
  3. The data is sometimes not as precise as it appears. Values for %Christian Adherent and %Evangelical (which determine unreached status) are often informed estimates, some more accurate than others. We recommend against using %Christian Adherent and %Evangelical to calculate absolute numbers.
  4. Joshua Project may be able to provide more information than what is published on this site. Please contact us.
  5. On-the-ground reality may vary from what is presented here. Before making travel plans based on data presented here, please confirm with other sources to the extent possible.
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