Numbers of Buddhists in England and Wales went up from 144,543 in 2001 to 247,743 in 2011 (0.4%) according to an overview recently published by the UK’s Office for National Statistics.

Use the interactive maps in the Overview to see Buddhist numbers area by area, including, interestingly, a rise in mid-Wales (but not the neighbouring county of Herefordshire in which Adhisthana is situated. The last census predates Triratna’s presence here.) The increase should not be interpreted simply as an increase in interest in Buddhism; much of it is due to immigration by Asian Buddhist populations.

According to the more detailed report Religion in England and Wales 2011, the area of Britain most densely populated by Buddhists is Rushmoor (Aldershot, Hampshire) - the home of the British Army’s Nepalese Ghurka regiment. Three London boroughs of Greenwich, Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster come next in the rankings.

(In the UK, religion is treated regionally, hence this data covers just England and Wales. We have not yet found data for Scotland and Northern Ireland.)

Triratna is an international Buddhist movement and Triratna News would like to cover Buddhist data for other countries. If you would like to write up to 350 words on Buddhist population data for your country, please email it to Triratna News.