Buddhist Religion Population, Buddhist In India
Buddhists constitute 0.7% of the Indian population.Buddhism, while born in India, is now a minority religion in the country, Sikkim has the highest percentage of Buddhists (27.39%), followed by Arunachal Pradesh (11.77%), and Mizoram (8.51%). These are the only states where Buddhists make up more than 5% of the population, and even here, they are a minority.
Maharashtra has a significant number of Buddhists as well, constituting 5.81% of its population, largely attributed to the Buddhist conversion movement led by B. R. Ambedkar in the 20th century.
In most other Indian states and Union territories, the Buddhist population is negligible, often below 1%. Notably, even in Bihar, where the Buddha attained enlightenment, the Buddhist population is a mere 0.02%.
Despite Buddhism's minority status, it has left a significant cultural and philosophical imprint on India, which is evident in various aspects of Indian society, art, and history.
Buddhist Religion State wise Population
| Rank | State | Buddhist Population | Buddhist % | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SIKKIM | 1,67,216 | 27.39 % | Minority |
| 2 | ARUNACHAL PRADESH | 1,62,815 | 11.77 % | Minority |
| 3 | MIZORAM | 93,411 | 8.51 % | Minority |
| 4 | MAHARASHTRA | 65,31,200 | 5.81 % | Minority |
| 5 | TRIPURA | 1,25,385 | 3.41 % | Negligible |
| 6 | HIMACHAL PRADESH | 78,659 | 1.15 % | Negligible |
| 7 | JAMMU & KASHMIR | 1,12,584 | 0.9 % | Negligible |
| 8 | NAGALAND | 6,759 | 0.34 % | Negligible |
| 9 | MEGHALAYA | 9,864 | 0.33 % | Negligible |
| 10 | WEST BENGAL | 2,82,898 | 0.31 % | Negligible |
| 11 | MADHYA PRADESH | 2,16,052 | 0.3 % | Negligible |
| 12 | CHHATTISGARH | 70,467 | 0.28 % | Negligible |
| 13 | MANIPUR | 7,084 | 0.25 % | Negligible |
| 14 | DADRA & NAGAR HAVELI | 634 | 0.18 % | Negligible |
| 15 | Assam | 54,993 | 0.18 % | Negligible |
| 16 | KARNATAKA | 95,710 | 0.16 % | Negligible |
| 17 | UTTARAKHAND | 14,926 | 0.15 % | Negligible |
| 18 | PUNJAB | 33,237 | 0.12 % | Negligible |
| 19 | CHANDIGARH | 1,160 | 0.11 % | Negligible |
| 20 | NCT OF DELHI | 18,449 | 0.11 % | Negligible |
| 21 | UTTAR PRADESH | 2,06,285 | 0.1 % | Negligible |
| 22 | DAMAN & DIU | 217 | 0.09 % | Negligible |
| 23 | ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS | 338 | 0.09 % | Negligible |
| 24 | GOA | 1,095 | 0.08 % | Negligible |
| 25 | GUJARAT | 30,483 | 0.05 % | Negligible |
| 26 | ANDHRA PRADESH | 36,692 | 0.04 % | Negligible |
| 27 | PUDUCHERRY | 451 | 0.04 % | Negligible |
| 28 | ODISHA | 13,852 | 0.03 % | Negligible |
| 29 | HARYANA | 7,514 | 0.03 % | Negligible |
| 30 | JHARKHAND | 8,956 | 0.03 % | Negligible |
| 31 | BIHAR | 25,453 | 0.02 % | Negligible |
| 32 | RAJASTHAN | 12,185 | 0.02 % | Negligible |
| 33 | LAKSHADWEEP | 10 | 0.02 % | Negligible |
| 34 | TAMIL NADU | 11,186 | 0.02 % | Negligible |
| 35 | KERALA | 4,752 | 0.01 % | Negligible |