• 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
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Progress Scale: ●●●●●   
☀
 = Frontier peoples
Photo People Group Country Population Primary Language Primary Religion Progress
Scale 		% Christian
Adherent 		%
Evangelical 		Scripture
Status 		Est. Workers
Needed * ▲
Bhotia India 135,000 Nepali Buddhism ● 4.90 % Complete Bible 3
Tai Lue Laos 134,000 Lu Buddhism ☀ 0.10 % 0.10 % New Testament 3
Amdo, Rongba China 162,000 Tibetan, Amdo Buddhism ☀ 0.01 % 0.01 % New Testament 3
Golog China 167,000 Tibetan, Amdo Buddhism ☀ 0.02 % 0.01 % New Testament 3
Khampa, Northern China 151,000 Tibetan, Khams Buddhism ☀ 0.02 % 0.01 % New Testament 3
Deaf Cambodia 126,000 Cambodian Sign Language Buddhism ● 3.13 % Bible Portions 3
Buriat, Chinese China 168,000 Buriat, China Buddhism ● 1.00 % 0.90 % Unspecified 3
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
Lao Phuan Thailand 214,000 Phuan Buddhism ● 1.50 % 0.10 % Translation Needed 4
Drukpa Bhutan 217,000 Dzongkha Buddhism ☀ 0.00 % 0.00 % Complete Bible 4
Jiarong, Situ China 206,000 Jiarong Buddhism ☀ 0.03 % 0.03 % Bible Portions 4
Amdo, Rongmahbrogpa China 187,000 Tibetan, Amdo Buddhism ☀ 0.05 % 0.05 % New Testament 4
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
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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