Buddhism by country
Region Estimated total population Estimated Buddhist population %
Asia-Pacific 4,054,990,000 481,290,000 11.9%
North America 344,530,000 3,860,000 1.1%
Europe 742,550,000 1,330,000 0.2%
Middle East - North Africa 341,020,000 500,000 0.1%
Latin America - Caribbean 590,080,000 410,000 < 0.1%
Total 6,895,890,000 487,540,000 7.1%
By region
Buddhism is a religion practiced by an estimated 488 million in the world, 495 million, or 535 million people as of the 2010s, representing 7 % of the world's total population. China is the country with the largest population of Buddhists, approximately 244 million or 18.2% of its total population. They are mostly followers of Chinese schools of Mahayana, making this the largest body of Buddhist traditions. Mahayana, also practised in broader East Asia, is followed by over half of the world's Buddhists. The second largest body of Buddhist schools is Theravada, mostly followed in Southeast Asia. The third largest body of schools Vajrayana, is followed mostly in Tibet, the Himalayan region, Mongolia and parts of Russia, but is disseminated throughout the world. The fourth largest body of Buddhist schools is Navayana, mostly followed in Maharashtra, India. According to a demographic analysis reported by Peter Harvey (2013):