Buddhism in Africa
Buddhism, as a major world religion, is practiced in Africa. Though there have been some conversion amongst Africans, most of the Buddhists in Africa, are of Asian, mostly Chinese, Vietnamese, Sri Lankan or Japanese descent.
South Africa is holding the largest Buddhist population in the continent. According to the 2010s estimates, Buddhist adherents (included Taoism and Chinese Folk Religion) áre increasing to between 0.2%[1] 0.3%[2] of the South African population, or between 100 to 150 thousand people while the number of practicing Buddhists maybe low.
The African countries and territories in the Indian Ocean are also having significant Buddhist minorities. Mauritius has the highest Buddhist percentage (between 1.5[3] to 2%[4] of the total population) among African countries due to high number of Chinese people (nearly 40 thousands or 3% of the Mauritian population[5]). But the number of practicing Buddhists is only about 0.4%.[6] And Madagascar is also home of about 20 thousand Buddhists[7] (or about 0.1%[8] of the total population). In the Seychelles and Réunion, Buddhists represented about 0.1%[9][10] to 0.2%[1][11] of the island populations.
In North Africa, about 0.3%[1][12] (or about 20 thousand people) of the Libya's population are also Buddhists (mostly foreign workers from Asia). There are also two Buddhist centers in Casablanca, Morocco.[13]
There are some Buddhist centers or temples can be found in Sub-Saharan African countries like: Botswana,[14] Cameroon,[15] Cote d'Ivoire,[16] Ghana,[17] Guinea,[18] Kenya,[19] Lesotho,[20] Liberia,[21] Malawi,[22] Mali,[23] Namibia,[24] Nigeria,[25] Senegal, Sierra Leone,[26] Swaziland,[27] Tanzania,[28] Togo,[29] Uganda,[30] Zambia,[31] and Zimbabwe.[32]
There have also been cases of some high profile celebrities converting to Buddhism such as Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, a famous British actor of Nigerian descent.[33]
One of the very few monastics of African descent is Ven. Bhante Buddharakkhita from Uganda, founder of the Uganda Buddhist Centre.
Buddhist population by country
Countries/Territories | Practicing Buddhism (2010's estimates)[34] |
Chinese Folk Religions (2010's estimates)[35] |
Combined numbers |
---|---|---|---|
Eastern Africa | |||
Burundi | - | - | - |
Comoros | - | - | - |
Djibouti | - | - | - |
Eritrea | - | - | - |
Ethiopia | 1,327 | - | 1,327 |
Kenya | 1,276 | 1,945 | 3,221 |
Madagascar | 5,178 | 10,357 | 15,535 |
Malawi | available[22][36] | - | - |
Mauritius | 3,222 | 17,292 | 20,514 |
Mayotte (France) | - | - | - |
Mozambique | 2,035 | 4,341 | 6,376 |
Réunion (France) | 1,570 | - | 1,570 |
Rwanda | - | - | - |
Seychelles | available[9] | available[10] | - |
Somalia | - | - | - |
South Sudan | - | - | - |
Tanzania | 10,157 | 23,699 | 33,856 |
Uganda | 2,005 | 4,278 | 6,283 |
Zambia | 3,927 | 8,377 | 12,304 |
Zimbabwe | 189 | 402 | 591 |
Central Africa | |||
Angola | 1,632 | 162 | 1,794 |
Cameroon | 353 | 753 | 1,106 |
Central African Republic | - | - | - |
Chad | 1,684 | 3,593 | 5,277 |
Republic of the Congo | - | 283 | 283 |
Democratic Republic of the Congo | 3,734 | - | - |
Equatorial Guinea | - | - | - |
Gabon | - | - | - |
São Tomé and Príncipe | - | - | - |
Northern Africa | |||
Algeria | 5,320 | 11,350 | 16,670 |
Egypt | 1,687 | - | - |
Libya | 20,209 | 1,773 | 21,982 |
Morocco | available[13] | - | - |
Sudan | 982 | 2,094 | 3,076 |
Tunisia | 79 | 168 | 247 |
Western Sahara | - | - | - |
Southern Africa | |||
Botswana | 1,120 | 111 | 1,231 |
Lesotho | available[20] | - | - |
Namibia | available[24] | - | - |
South Africa | 159,220 | 35,589 | 194,809 |
Swaziland | available[27] | - | - |
Western Africa | |||
Benin | - | - | - |
Burkina Faso | available[37] | - | - |
Cape Verde | - | - | - |
Côte d'Ivoire | 9,869 | - | - |
Gambia | - | - | - |
Ghana | 488 | 707 | 1,195 |
Guinea | 8,983 | - | - |
Guinea-Bissau | - | - | - |
Liberia | available[21] | - | - |
Mali | available[23] | ||
Mauritania | - | - | - |
Niger | - | - | - |
Nigeria | 8,458 | 4,675 | 13,133 |
Senegal | 1,679 | 398 | 2,057 |
Sierra Leone | available[26][38] | ||
Togo | available[29][39] | - | - |
Africa | 256,383 | 132,348 | 388,731 |
See also
Further reading
- Clasquin, Michel / Krüger, Jacobus S. (eds.) (1999): Buddhism and Africa. Pretoria: University of South Africa
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ religiousintelligence.co.uk - Madagascar
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Seychelles Travel Guide - Religion
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found., AllGov - Libya
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 state.gov
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Amitofo Care Center, Malawi
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Nigeria News - Being Buddhist
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 SGI-Sierra Leone Hosts Buddhist Seminar
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ state.gov - Tanzania, List of Buddhist centers in Tanzania
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 Fostering Peace in Togo
- ↑ First Buddhist center in Uganda
- ↑ Buddhist Study Exams Held in Zambia, Korea and the USA
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ http://www.metro.co.uk/showbiz/interviews/19172-60-seconds-adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje
- ↑ Most Buddhist Nations (2010) | QuickLists | The Association of Religion Data Archives
- ↑ Most Chinese Universist Nations (2010) | QuickLists | The Association of Religion Data Archives
- ↑ "Buddha In Africa" (Story Of Malawian Boy Raised In Chinese Orphanage & Trained In Martial Arts) Gets Development Boost
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ SGI members in Sierra Leone Organize Buddhist Seminars
- ↑ SGI-Togo Appoints New Leaders