A report published this week by the Washington, DC-based Pew Research Center indicates that Buddhism is the only major world religion experiencing a decline in the number of adherents globally. According to Pew’s demographic estimates comparing 2010 and 2020, the number of Buddhists worldwide fell during the decade, while the populations of other major religions grew.

Researchers attribute much of the decline to demographic and cultural shifts in East Asia, where the vast majority of the world’s Buddhists live. Pew estimates that more than 90 per cent of Buddhists reside in just 10 countries across Asia, with large populations in China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The trend is especially pronounced in Japan and South Korea, where many people raised in Buddhist families no longer identify with the religion. Instead, increasing numbers describe themselves as religiously unaffiliated—identifying as atheist, agnostic, or simply “nothing in particular.”

A 2024 survey by Pew found that 40 per cent of Japanese adults who were raised as Buddhists now say they have no religious affiliation. In South Korea, the figure is even higher at 42 per cent.

To better understand the reasons behind these changes, Pew researchers conducted interviews in Tokyo and Seoul with adults from Buddhist backgrounds. The interviews revealed a combination of generational shifts, lifestyle pressures, and changing cultural attitudes toward religion.

Seoul university student Sunwoo Lee described how religious identity had faded across generations within her own family. While her grandparents remained devout Buddhists and her parents retained some connection to the tradition, Lee said she did not see the value of religious practice. “I’ve always thought that it’s better to live focusing on this world,” she said. “I tend to believe in science more than anything spiritual, so I don’t believe in things that you can’t see.” (Pew Research Center)

Survey data also showed that younger adults in both Japan and South Korea were significantly less likely than older generations to identify as Buddhist, visit temples, or pray to the Buddha.

In many cases, the shift away from Buddhism appears gradual rather than deliberate. Tokyo bar owner Junichiro Tsujinaka grew up helping his father and grandfather maintain a local temple in their hometown in Hokkaido. After moving away as a young adult, however, those practices faded from his daily life. “I didn’t really develop those kinds of habits of praying,” Tsujinaka said. “Since my brother and I moved away from our hometown, we’ve left everything involving the temple and shrine responsibilities to our parents.” (Pew Research Center)

Modern work schedules and educational pressures have also played a role.

A retired shop owner in Seoul, Jeongnam Oh, recalled that although she attended temple ceremonies regularly while growing up, it became difficult to maintain those traditions while raising children and managing work responsibilities. “The kids needed to stay focused on their studies, and I had a life of my own,” Oh explained. “It was hard to make time together.” (Pew Research Center)

Demographic changes are another factor. Declining birth rates and smaller families in Japan and South Korea mean fewer opportunities for religious customs to be passed down through extended family networks. Tokyo restaurant owner Chieko Nakajima observed that family traditions were becoming harder to sustain. “The family system is breaking down, so people don’t see their relatives anymore,” Nakajima said. “That’s why those unique family traditions, at least here in Tokyo, are quickly fading away.” (Pew Research Center)

Some interviewees also expressed skepticism about religion itself. A studio technician in Seoul, Rogeon Hong, associated religious practices with superstition and shamanistic rituals he had witnessed growing up. “My dad . . . burns this bad-smelling incense that’s supposed to ward off evil energy,” Hong said. “I don’t think it’s very effective.” (Pew Research Center)

In Japan, negative perceptions of religion have also been shaped by historical events such as the 1995 sarin gas attack carried out by the new religious movement Aum Shinrikyo. Tokyo television reporter Masami Sato recalled that the attack had influenced how many people of his generation viewed organized religion. “It was so obviously a cult, even though it claimed to be Buddhist,” Sato said. (Pew Research Center)

Despite declining identification with Buddhism, however, Pew’s research suggests that many people in East Asia continue to feel cultural or philosophical connections with Buddhist traditions.

Tsujinaka noted that he occasionally visited a nearby temple simply for the peaceful atmosphere. “There’s a big, old temple nearby that I’ll sometimes visit,” he said. “But it’s not like I go there to pray. I just like the atmosphere, the peaceful air, the way it feels.” (Pew Research Center)

Similarly, survey data show that a third of religiously unaffiliated people in Japan and about 40 per cent in South Korea still felt some affinity with Buddhist teachings or cultural practices.

See more

Buddhism’s Recent Decline in East Asia (Pew Research Center)

Related news reports from BDG

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