Buddhism in Estonia

Buddhism in Estonia is a small minority religion, held by about 0.2% of the population. However, between 2000 and 2021, the number of Buddhists in Estonia tripled.

History

The emergence of Buddhism in Estonia is attributed to the early 20th century and associated with the names of Karl Tõnisson and his disciple Friedrich Lustig. Tõnisson was appointed by the 13th Dalai Lama of Tibet as the first Buddhist Archbishop of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. He died in 1962 in Thailand after which he was declared a bodhisattva.

Another important figure who contributed to the development of Estonian Buddhism was the scholar and religious philosopher Uku Masing. He wrote a book about Buddhism and became the founder of the Estonian Oriental Society. Under his influence, the Estonian buddhologist Linnart Mäll was formed. He translated many sacred texts into Estonian, because although Buddhism, like other religions, was not welcomed by the Soviet authorities of the Estonian SSR, scientific research in this field was allowed.

Statistics

According to Statistics Estonia, the Estonian government agency responsible for producing official statistics, in 2021, there were 1,880 Buddhists in Estonia (0.2%). Of these, 1,05 are male and 820 female. 1,280 are classified as city inhabitants, 100 as town inhabitants, and 500 as rural inhabitants.

+ Religious affiliations in Estonia, census 2000–2021Official census data from Statistics Estonia: 2000 Census:

2011 Census:

2021 Census:

Religion200020112021 Number % Number % Number % Christianity 319,770 310,481 298,410 Islam 1,387 1,508 5,800 Estonian Neopaganism 1,058 2,972 5,630 Buddhism 622 1,145 1,880 Other religions 4,995 4,727 9,630 No religion 450,458 592,588 650,900 Not stated 343,292 181,104 141,780 Total population 1,121,582 1,094,564 1,114,030

Buddhism in Estonia

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