Myanmar (formerly Burma) is a Buddhist majority country with a significant minority of Christians and other religious groups residing in the country.

Buddhism is a part of Myanmar culture. Section 361 of the Constitution states that "The Union recognizes the special position of Buddhism as the faith professed by the great majority of the citizens of the Union." According to the 2024 census of the Burmese government Buddhism is the dominant religion, of 91.3% of the population, practised especially by the Bamar, Rakhine, Shan, Mon and Chinese ethnic groups. Bamar people also practise the Burmese folk religion under the name of Buddhism. The 2008 constitution provides for the freedom of religion; however, it also grants broad exceptions that allow the regime to restrict these rights at will. US State Dept 2022 report

Ethnic minorities practise Christianity (4.6%, particularly the Chin, Kachin and Karen people), Islam (3.3%, particularly the Rohingya, Malay, Burmese Chinese and Burmese Indians), and Hinduism (0.6%, particularly by Burmese Indians).

Nat worship is common in Myanmar. Nats are named spirits and shrines can be seen around the country, either standing alone, or as part of Buddhist temples. Nat worship has a relationship with Myanmar Buddhism and there is a recognised pantheon of 37 nats.

Census statistics Note: the figures of Burma's Muslim population is divided into two. One that exclude non-citizens like Rohingyas who are ordinary residents and the other that includes them. In latter, the Muslim population will only be as low as 2.3% of the whole population of Burma, according to the census conducted by the Burmese Government.

The 2024 census was criticised for covering a lower number of areas than the preceding 2014 census. This necessitated a more frequent use of statistical estimates.

Buddhist Christian Muslim Hindu Tribalreligions Otherreligions Notreligious 1973 1983 2014Based on official figures where differences in the estimated overall population between enumerated and non-enumerated population (51,486,253) within Rakhine State is assumed to affiliate with the Islamic faith. 2024Not all areas were included. Areas excluded may contain non-Buddhist populations.

Religion by state / region

Buddhism is the majority religion in all Regions and Kayin State, Kachin State, Mon State, Shan State and Kayah State. Most Bamar, Shan, Mon, Rakhine, Karen and many other ethnic groups of Myanmar follow Theravada Buddhism. Some Chinese people people follow Mahayana Buddhism. Christianity is the majority religion in Chin State and there are significant Christian populations in Kachin State and Kayah State. Most Chin, Kachin and Karenni people follow Christianity. Rakhine State has the largest Muslim population within Myanmar, mostly practised by the Rohingya and Kamein people.

+Religion by State/Region in Myanmar in 2014 State/Region Buddhism Christianity Islam Animism Hinduism Other religions No religion Not stated Total num. % num. % num. % num. % num. % num. % num. % num. %Ayeyarwady Region5,699,665 388,348 84,073 459 5,440 6,600 244 0 6,184,829Bago Region4,550,698 142,528 56,753 4,296 100,166 12,687 245 0 4,867,373Chin State62,079 408,730 690 1,830 106 5,292 74 0 478,801Kachin State1,050,610 555,037 26,789 3,972 5,738 474 221 46,600 1,689,441Kayah State142,896 131,237 3,197 5,518 269 3,451 59 0 286,627Kayin State1,271,766 142,875 68,459 1,340 9,585 10,194 107 69,753 1,574,079Magway Region3,870,316 27,015 12,311 3,353 2,318 1,467 275 0 3,917,055Mandalay Region5,898,160 65,061 187,785 188 11,689 2,301 539 0 6,165,723Mon State1,901,667 10,791 119,086 109 21,076 1,523 141 0 2,054,393Nay Pyi Taw1,123,036 12,293 24,030 20 516 286 61 0 1,160,242Rakhine State2,019,370 36,791 1,118,731 2,711 9,791 759 654 0 3,188,807Sagaing Region4,909,960 349,377 58,987 89 2,793 2,928 1,213 0 5,325,347Shan State4,755,834 569,389 58,918 383,072 5,416 27,036 24,767 0 5,824,432Tanintharyi Region1,231,719 100,758 72,074 576 2,386 567 321 0 1,408,401Yangon Region6,697,673 232,249 345,612 512 75,474 7,260 1,923 0 7,360,702

Religions

Buddhism

Buddhism in Myanmar is predominantly of the Theravada tradition, practised by about 90% of the country's population. It is the most religious Buddhist country in terms of the proportion of monks in the population and proportion of income spent on religion.Cone & Gombrich, Perfect Generosity of Prince Vessantara, Oxford University Press, 1977, page xxii

Adherents are most likely found among the dominant ethnic Bamar, Shan, Rakhine, Mon, Karen, and Chinese who are well integrated into Burmese society. Monks, collectively known as the Sangha, are venerated members of Burmese society. Among many ethnic groups in Myanmar, including the Bamar and Shan, Theravada Buddhism is practised in conjunction monastic orders (not to be confused with Nikaya Buddhism) with the most notable being the Thudhamma Nikaya accounting for 87% of Theravada monks. Mahayana Buddhism is practised less commonly today, often among Chinese. However, Ari Buddhism, a form of Buddhism more related to the Mahayana or tantric traditions, was the dominant Buddhist tradition prior to the 11th century in Upper Myanmar.

Buddhism in Myanmar dates back to at least the third century from contact between what is believed to be the Mon people of Lower Myanmar and Southern Indian kings in Nagarjunakonda. and Tambapamnidipa". Legends and historical accounts written centuries after the fact claim contact as far back as the lifetime of the Buddha, particularly in the traditional account of the construction of Shwedagon Pagoda 2500 years ago. The early Mon and Pyu became flourishing centers of Buddhism in contact with Southern India and Sri LankaSkilling, Peter. The Advent of Theravada Buddhism to Mainland South-east Asia, Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies. Volume 20, Number 1, Summer 1997 In the 11th century, the Bagan king Anawrahta converted to Theravada Buddhism after his conquests of the region driving out Ari Buddhism and incorporating traditional nats into the new Theravada sect that would become a solid part of Burmese history and culture.

Buddhists, although clearly professed by the majority of people in Myanmar, have their complaints regarding religious freedom. In 1961, Prime Minister U Nu made Buddhism the state religion and caused dissent amongst Christian Kachin nationalists and was one of the main factors for the Kachin conflict. In 1962, following Ne Win's coup d'état, this policy and other policies promoting Buddhism were reversed.

A political party, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, split from the main Karen nationalist movement, the Karen National Union (KNU), after the Buddhists were denied to rebuild and repair the stupas at Manerplaw. The top leadership of the KNU were also dominated by Christians, although roughly 65% of the Karen are Buddhist.

Many monks took part in the 2007 Saffron Revolution and were reportedly arrested by government security forces.

Buddhism is the fastest growing religion and majority religion in Myanmar. However, all data about religious demographics is difficult. Although many must list their religion on government forms and identification documents, the number of adherents varies widely from source to source. The constitution provides for freedom of religion but the government imposes restrictions on other religions and grants special preferences towards Buddhism. The Department for the Perpetuation and Propagation of the Sasana and state-sponsored State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee support and regulate Buddhism in the country. The Committee has the power to disrobe monks who have violated its decrees and edicts as well as Vinaya regulations and laws, and expel monks from their resident monasteries. There is also a deep, mutually legitimising historical relationship between the state and the Sangha (monkhood) with long held inseparability of Buddhism and politics within the country.

Christianity

Christianity is practised by 6.2% of the population, primarily among the Kachin, Chin and Karen people, and Eurasians because of missionary work in their respective areas. About four-fifths of the country's Christians are Protestants, in particular Baptists of the Myanmar Baptist Convention; Roman Catholics make up the remainder.

Islam

Islam, mainly of the Sunni sect, is practised by 2.3% of the population according to the 2014 Myanmar census. The Muslim population faces religious persecution in Myanmar.

Muslims in Myanmar largely fall into the following main groups: Main groups Zerbadi Muslims, descendent community of intermarriages between South Asian males and Bamar females. They are the largest Muslim group in Myanmar and form more than half of the total Muslim population in the country. Indian-descended Muslims, largely immigrates from British India who live mainly in Yangon and Mandalay. Rohingyas, an ethnic minority group in northern Rakhine State, mostly concentrated in five Maungdaw, Buthidaung, Rathedaung, Sittwe and Kyauktaw townships. Panthay, Burmese Chinese Muslims and descendants of Chinese Hui people Kamein people, an ethnic minority in Rakhine State. Burmese Malays, largely in Kawthaung. People of Malay ancestry are locally called Pashu regardless of religion. Persians, Arabs and various other smaller groups.

The first Muslims in Myanmar date to early merchants during the Bagan period. The First Mongol invasion of Burma in the 13th century and the relationship of the Mrauk U Kingdom with the Bengal Sultanate are examples of prominent Muslim presence in Myanmar with Muslims ranging from traders and settlers to positions of status as royal advisors and port authorities.

The colonial period saw substantial immigration leading to various riots and anti-Muslim sentiment growing out of more general anti-Indian and anti-colonial sentiment. Post-independence, Muslims generally became increasingly seen as unwelcome foreign elements regardless of their ethnic origin or cultural attitudes.

In 1982, the government introduced regulations that denied citizenship to anyone who could not prove Burmese ancestry from before 1823.Human Rights Watch, "The government could have stopped this", August 2012, pg. 5, https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/burma0812webwcover_0.pdf This disenfranchised many Muslims in Myanmar, even though they had lived in Myanmar for several generations.

Anti-Muslim riots became increasingly common in the early 21st century. The 2013 Myanmar anti-Muslim riots further inflamed tensions. The Rohingya people are a large Muslim group in Myanmar; the Rohingyas have been among the most persecuted group under Myanmar's military regime. The UN states that the Rohingyas are one of the most persecuted groups in the world. In 2016, the military of Myanmar conducted military operations with widespread human rights abuses during the Rohingya genocide which was charactersied by the United Nations as ethnic cleansing.

Hinduism

Hinduism is the fourth-largest religion in Myanmar, being practised by 1.7% of the population of Myanmar in 2020.

Hinduism was predominantly pervasive in Burma during ancient times, declining after Buddhism was introduced. The name Burma derives from the first half of "Brahma Desha" the ancient name of the region.Toʻ Cinʻ Khu, , pp. iv-v Hinduism greatly influenced the royal court of Burmese kings, the architecture of cities such as Bagan, and the Burmese language. In the colonial era, Hindu workers were brought in by British colonial government to serve in plantations and mines. According to 1931 census, 55% of Rangoon's (Yangon) population were Indian migrants, mostly Hindus.Donald M. Seekins (2006), Historical Dictionary of Burma, , pp. 216-220