Buddhist in Nepal

बौद्ध

The faith of Nepal's mountain and Himalayan communities, in the land of the Buddha's birth.

Followers

2,393,549

Census 2021

Share of Nepal

8.21%

Change since 2011

-0.83 pp

About

Buddhism is Nepal's second-largest religion, strongest among the Tamang, Sherpa, Gurung and other Himalayan peoples, and woven together with Hindu practice in the Kathmandu Valley.

Nepal is the birthplace of the Buddha at Lumbini. The great stupas of Boudhanath and Swayambhunath are major pilgrimage centres, and Buddha Jayanti and Losar (the Tibetan New Year) are the principal festivals.

Festival: Buddha Jayanti (Vesak) →Festival: Losar (Tibetan New Year) →Temple: Lumbini — Birthplace of the Buddha →Temple: Boudhanath Stupa →Temple: Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple) →

Questions

Buddhist in Nepal, answered

What percentage of Nepal is Buddhist?+

Buddhist is followed by 8.21% of Nepal's population — 2,393,549 people (Census 2021). The share changed by -0.83 pp.

How many Buddhists are there in Nepal?+

There are 2,393,549 Buddhist followers in Nepal according to the 2021 census.

Other religions of Nepal

Prakriti (nature worship) · 0.35%

Bon · 0.23%

Others (Jain, Sikh, Bahá'í) · 0.02%

← All religions of Nepal

Sources & data note

All population, ethnicity, language and religion figures are the final published counts of the National Population and Housing Census 2021 (National Statistics Office). The NSO enumerates 142 caste/ethnic groups and 124 mother tongues; entries for 'others/foreigners/not stated' explain small residuals. Where community-chosen names replaced older census labels (Bishwokarma for Kami, Pariyar for Damai/Dholi, Mijar for Sarki), both are shown. Language-family shares follow the NSO's own table (Indo-Aryan 83.07%, Sino-Tibetan 16.59%); some secondary sources round differently.