As a religious demographics expert, I have always been fascinated by the distribution of different faiths across the United States. One particular religion that has caught my attention is Buddhism, which has a significant presence in various parts of the country. In this article, I will be discussing the findings of a survey conducted by the PEW Research Center on the Buddhist population in the United States. According to the survey, Hawaii has the largest population of Buddhists, with 8% of its residents identifying as followers of this faith. This comes as no surprise, as Hawaii has a long history of Buddhist influence due to its large Asian immigrant population.
However, when it comes to sheer numbers, Los Angeles takes the lead with 117,000 Buddhists in its metropolitan area. Other cities with a notable Buddhist population include Birmingham (Alabama), which has only 64 Buddhists. The Huffington Post has published a comprehensive list of cities with a significant Buddhist presence, and you can find it on their website. The survey also revealed that there are just under one million Buddhists in the United States. However, it is essential to note that this number only includes those who are affiliated with a congregation.
Unaffiliated Buddhists are not included in this count. A previous study by the Pew Forum estimated that there are between three and four million Buddhists in the country. Buddhism is the majority religion in several countries, including Bhutan, Myanmar, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Mongolia, and Laos. It is also the most followed religion in nations or territories without any majority religion, such as mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Kalmykia in Russia. Additionally, there are significant Buddhist populations in North Korea, Nepal, India, and South Korea.
Out of all these countries, China has the largest population of Buddhists, with approximately 244 million followers, which makes up 18.2% of its total population. The majority of Chinese Buddhists follow the Mahayana school, making it the largest group of Buddhist traditions.
