• Religion:  

Religion: Buddhism What is Primary Religion?

Population of Adherents

501,315,000

% of World Population

6.3 %

People Groups

686

Unreached Groups

533 (77.7 %)

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 * ▼
Tibetan Gtsang China 759,000 Tibetan, Central Buddhism ☀ 0.02 % 0.01 % Complete Bible 15
Bai, Southern China 671,000 Bai, Southern Buddhism ● 0.13 % 0.13 % Bible Portions 13
Phu Thai Thailand 504,000 Phu Thai Buddhism ● 0.60 % 0.10 % Translation Started 10
Tai Nua, Chinese Shan China 490,000 Tai Nua Buddhism ● 0.19 % 0.17 % Bible Portions 10
Kui Thailand 432,000 Kuay Buddhism ● 2.00 % 0.41 % Complete Bible 9
Dawei, Tavoyan Myanmar (Burma) 455,000 Tavoyan Buddhism ☀ 0.10 % 0.04 % Unspecified 9
Batgama Sri Lanka 388,000 Sinhala Buddhism ● 1.48 % Complete Bible 8
Deaf Thailand 358,000 Thai Sign Language Buddhism ● 1.10 % Bible Portions 7
Palaung, Pale Myanmar (Burma) 291,000 Palaung, Ruching Buddhism ☀ 0.10 % 0.06 % Complete Bible 6
Khmer Krom Cambodia 281,000 Khmer Buddhism ● 1.20 % 0.60 % Complete Bible 6
Thai United States 229,000 Thai Buddhism ● 0.50 % 0.20 % Complete Bible 5
Chakma India 260,000 Chakma Buddhism ● 4.88 % Complete Bible 5
Palaung, Shwe Myanmar (Burma) 232,000 Palaung, Shwe Buddhism ● 0.20 % 0.12 % Unspecified 5
Khmer, Cambodian United States 260,000 Khmer Buddhism ● 3.00 % 1.60 % Complete Bible 5
Kalmyk-Oirat, Western Mongol Mongolia 271,000 Kalmyk-Oirat Buddhism ● 0.50 % 0.40 % New Testament 5
Phu Thai Laos 231,000 Phu Thai Buddhism ● 0.50 % 0.04 % Translation Started 5
Tu China 259,000 Tu Buddhism ☀ 0.01 % 0.01 % Bible Portions 5
Khampa, Western China 267,000 Tibetan, Khams Buddhism ☀ 0.01 % 0.01 % New Testament 5
Deaf Japan 248,000 Japanese Sign Language Buddhism ● 1.54 % Bible Portions 5
Burmese Thailand 212,000 Burmese Buddhism ● 0.50 % 0.42 % Complete Bible 4
Burmese United States 198,000 Burmese Buddhism ● 1.00 % 0.30 % Complete Bible 4
Chaungtha Myanmar (Burma) 183,000 Rakhine Buddhism ● 0.10 % 0.07 % Bible Portions 4
Lao United States 214,000 Lao Buddhism ● 4.00 % 0.50 % Complete Bible 4
Kalmyk, Torgut China 192,000 Kalmyk-Oirat Buddhism ☀ 0.00 % 0.00 % New Testament 4
Kalmyk-Oirat, Western Mongol Russia 185,000 Kalmyk-Oirat Buddhism ● 0.16 % 0.16 % New Testament 4
Totals: 686 Peoples   501,315,000     533 ●       5,942
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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 updates.
  2. Joshua Project occasionally adjusts profile text from third party sources. This is done to avoid confusion regarding the current reality of a people group, to fix grammar and spelling and to avoid potentially offensive wording.
  3. A displayed zero can mean true zero, a very small rounded number or sometimes unknown. Blanks mean an unknown value.
  4. Data is 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.
  5. Joshua Project makes every effort to ensure that the subject in an image is in fact from the specific people group. In rare instances a representative photo may be used.
  6. Joshua Project may be able to provide more information than what is published on this site. Please contact us.
  7. 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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