Number of Buddhists worldwide falls by 19 million over 10 years
East Asia has seen the sharpest decline in the number of Buddhists amid an aging population and large-scale disaffiliation in adulthood.
In March 2026, it was reported that the global Buddhist population fell by about 19 million between 2010 and 2020, from 343 million to 324 million, according to Christian Today.
According to the analysis, Buddhism was the only major world religion to record an overall decline in numbers despite continued global population growth. Over the decade, the share of Buddhists in the world’s population dropped from 4.9% to 4.1%.
Researchers attribute the trend to two main factors – population aging and the abandonment of religious affiliation in adulthood. The number of people leaving Buddhism exceeds the number of converts joining it, leading to a steady decline in adherents.
The trend is especially pronounced in East Asia, where many people raised in the Buddhist tradition no longer identify with it. At the same time, in some countries, such as Thailand, rates of religious retention remain high.
Demographic patterns are also playing a role: Buddhists are, on average, older than followers of other religions, and their birth rates are below replacement level. Against the backdrop of growing numbers of religiously unaffiliated people in many countries, the global religious landscape continues to shift, even though religion as such still plays a major role in public life.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that the British government is introducing restrictions on “anti-Muslim hatred.”
