:Religion in Myanmar

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.

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{{bar box

|title=Religion in Myanmar (2014 Myanmar Census)

|width = 300px

|barwidth= 250px

|float = right

|left1 = Religion

|right1 = Percentage

|bars =

{{bar percent|Buddhism|Gold|87.9}}

{{bar percent|Christianity|Blue|6.2}}

{{bar percent|Islam|Green|4.3}}

{{bar percent|Hinduism|DarkOrange|0.5}}

{{bar percent|Tribal religions|Chartreuse|0.8}}

{{bar percent|Other|Crimson|0.2}}

{{bar percent|No religion|Black|0.1}}

|caption=Source: 2014 Myanmar census

}}

Buddhism is the majority religion in all Regions and Kayin State, Kachin State, Mon State, Shan State and Kayah State.{{cite web|title=The 2014 Myanmar Population Housing census|url=https://myanmar.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/MyanmarCensusAtlas_lowres.pdf|publisher=Department of Population Ministry of Labor, Immigrantion and Population with technical assistance from UNFPA}} Most Bamar, Shan, Mon, Rakhine, Karen and many ethnic groups of Myanmar follow Theravada Buddhism. Some Chinese people people follow Mahayana Buddhism. Christianity is the majority religion in Chin State. And there's a significant Christian population in Kachin State and Kayah State. Most Chin, Kachin and Karenni people follow Christianity.

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{{Further|Buddhism in Myanmar|Burmese folk religion#Relationship with Buddhism}}

Image:Shwedagon-Pano.jpg in Yangon - the most revered pagoda in Myanmar]]

Image:Bagan, Hpaya-thon-zu-Group.JPG is built in the Mon style.]]

Buddhism in Myanmar is predominantly of the Theravada tradition, practised by about 90% of the country's population.{{cite web |url=https://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2009/127266.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091130032015/http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2009/127266.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=30 November 2009 |title=Burma - International Religious Freedom Report 2009 |publisher=U.S. Department of State |date=26 October 2009 |access-date=11 November 2009}} 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.{{Cite web|title=Thuddama Nikaya|url=http://www.philtar.ac.uk/encyclopedia/seasia/thuddama.html|website=Department of Religion and Ethics, University of Cumbria|access-date=2020-05-19}} Mahayana Buddhism is practiced 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.{{cite book|editor1-last=Buswell|editor1-first=Robert E. Jr.|title=Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism.|date=2013|publisher=Princeton University Press|location=Princeton, NJ|isbn=978-0691157863|page=43}}

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.{{cite book |last1=Longhurst |first1=A. H. |title=The Great Stupa at Nagarjunakonda in Southern India. |date=1932 |publisher=The Indian Antiquary |page=186 |url=http://buddhism.lib.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT/JR-ENG/long.htm}} and Tambapamnidipa".{{cite book |last1=Singh |first1=Upinder |title=The Idea of Ancient India: Essays on Religion, Politics, and Archaeology |date=2016 |publisher=SAGE Publications India |isbn=9789351506478 |pages=45–55 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KIWTCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA45 |language=en}} 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.{{cite book | title=Hmannan Yazawin | publisher=Royal Historical Commission of Burma | year=1832| title-link=Hmannan Yazawin}} 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.{{Cite book |last=Smith |first=Martin |url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=ui9zQgAACAAJ&newbks=0}} |title=Burma: Insurgency and the Politics of Ethnicity |date=1999-06-01 |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |isbn=978-1-85649-660-5 |language=en|pages=158}} In 1962, following Ne Win's coup d'état, this policy and other policies promoting Buddhism were reversed.{{cite web |title=Buddhism in Myanmar |url=https://rpl.hds.harvard.edu/faq/buddhism-myanmar |website=Havard Divinity School |language=en}}

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.{{cite web |url=https://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2009/127266.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091130032015/http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2009/127266.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-11-30 |title=Burma - International Religious Freedom Report 2009 |publisher=U.S. Department of State |date=2009-10-26 |access-date=2009-11-11}}

Buddhism is the fastest growing religion and majority religion in Myanmar.{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}} 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.{{cite book|last=Larkin|first=Emma|title=No Bad News for the King: The True Story of Cyclone Nargis and Its Aftermath in Burma|publisher=Penguin|date=28 June 2011|isbn=978-0-14-311961-6}} 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.{{cite book|date=September 2009|title=The Resistance of the Monks: Buddhism and Activism in Burma|publisher=Human Rights Watch|isbn=978-1-56432-544-0|url=https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/burmamonks0909webwcover.pdf}} 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.{{cite report|author=International Crisis Group|title=Buddhism and State Power in Myanmar|url=https://www.crisisgroup.org/asia/south-east-asia/myanmar/290-buddhism-and-state-power-myanmar|date=September 2017}}

{{Further|Christianity in Myanmar}}

Christianity is practised by 6.2% of the population,{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/burma/ |title=The World Factbook |publisher=Cia.gov |access-date=29 May 2015}} primarily among the Kachin, Chin and Karen people, and Eurasians because of missionary work in their respective areas.{{Cite journal|last=Mang|first=Pum Za|date=August 2016|title=Buddhist Nationalism and Burmese Christianity|url=http://www.euppublishing.com/doi/10.3366/swc.2016.0147|journal=Studies in World Christianity|language=en|volume=22|issue=2|pages=148–167|doi=10.3366/swc.2016.0147|issn=1354-9901|url-access=subscription}} About four-fifths of the country's Christians are Protestants, in particular Baptists of the Myanmar Baptist Convention; Roman Catholics make up the remainder.

{{Further|Islam in Myanmar}}

File:Yin Mar Bin, Myanmar (Burma) - panoramio.jpg in Yinmabin, Sagaing Region]]

Islam, mainly of the Sunni sect, is practised by 2.3% of the population according to the government census of latest 2014.{{Cite web|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/census-data-shows-myanmar-muslim-population-has-fallen/612764|title=Census data shows Myanmar Muslim population has fallen}} The Muslim population faces religious persecution in Myanmar.

Around 800,000 Muslim Rohingyas live in Burma with around 80% living in the Western state of Rakhine. The Military of Myanmar has been killing and driving the Rohingyas out of the country as part of their on and off attempt since the 1940s to create a Muslim-free land in Western Burma.{{cite news|title=Myanmar, Bangladesh leaders 'to discuss Rohingya'|url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j7a3oPcHSvWSpkXzzSruvNZfdPMA?docId=CNG.8d52d8a6dba835c4ac54aab3f3c8031b.571|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120718074439/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j7a3oPcHSvWSpkXzzSruvNZfdPMA?docId=CNG.8d52d8a6dba835c4ac54aab3f3c8031b.571|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 July 2012|agency=Agence France-Presse|date=29 June 2012}}

In the 1970s, uprisings appeared again during the period of the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. Recently, groups in the area, according to various media reports, aimed to create northern part of Arakan as an independent or autonomous state.{{cite web| url=http://www.dainikpurbokone.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47174:2012-09-07-21-41-19&catid=6:2011-05-26-03-32-28&Itemid=1| title=টার্গেট আরাকান ও বাংলাদেশের কয়েকটি জেলা স্বাধীন রাষ্ট্রের স্বপ্ন জঙ্গিদের (Some Arakan and Bangladeshi militants target of Independent State)|publisher=Dainik Purbokone Bangladesh|access-date=22 October 2012 }}{{cite web| url=http://www.the-editor.net/bangla/index.php/2012-06-24-03-58-28/2012-06-11-07-22-53/3608-2012-09-08-09-12-10| title=নতুন রাষ্ট্র গঠনে মিয়ানমারের ১১ টি বিচ্ছিন্নতাবাদী গ্রুপ সংগঠিত হচ্ছে (11 secessionist group is organizing to create a new state in Burma)|publisher=The Editor, Bangladesh|access-date=22 October 2012 }}

Successive governments, both democratic and military, did not grant the citizenship of the Muslim Rohingya people of Northern Rakhine (Arakan) state. Their claim to citizenship has been marred by disputes with the ethnic Arakanese, who are mainly Buddhists. In 2017, the military carried out a crackdown on Rohingya people in Rakhine State; in 2022, the US Secretary of State determined that members of the Burmese military had committed genocide and crimes against humanity against the Rohingya people. An estimated 1.6 million Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh, Thailand and India; by the end of 2022, the UNHCR reported that approximately 148,000 Rohingya were being held in displacement camps in the country.

According to the US State Department's 2022 international religious freedom report, the country's Muslim population is approximately 4% of the total populace.

[https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/burma US State Dept 2022 report]

Muslims are spread across the country in small communities.

;Main groups:

• The British Indian-descended Muslims live mainly in Yangon.
• Rohingyas, a minority Muslim ethnic group in northern Rakhine State, Western Burma. The Rohingya population is mostly concentrated in five northern townships of Rakhine State: Maungdaw, Buthidaung, Rathedaung, Akyab, Sandway, Tongo, Shokepro, Rashong Island and Kyauktaw.
• Panthay, Burmese Chinese Muslims and Chinese Hui people
• Muslims of Malay ancestry in Kawthaung. People of Malay ancestry are locally called Pashu regardless of religion.
• Zerbadi Muslims are descendent community of intermarriages between foreign Muslim (South Asian and Middle Eastern) males and Burmese females.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wNYUAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA168 |title=Islam in South-East Asia |isbn=9004068449 |via=Google Books|access-date=29 May 2015|last1=Hooker |first1=Michael Barry |date=January 1983 |publisher=Brill Archive }}
• Kamein people, an ethnic minority in Rakhine State.
• Indo-Burmese, Persians, Arabs and various other smaller groups.

{{Further|Hinduism in Myanmar}}

File:Hindu temple procession cart, Yangon.jpg

File:Hindutempleyangon.jpg

Hinduism is the fourth-largest religion in Myanmar, being practised by 1.7% of the population of Myanmar, or about 890,000 people, in 2020.{{Cite web|title=Myanmar population by religion|url=http://myanmar.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/UNION_2-C_religion_EN_0.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170801182450/http://myanmar.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/UNION_2-C_religion_EN_0.pdf|archive-date=2017-08-01|access-date=3 August 2021|website=Myanmar UNFPA}}

and Hinduism was practised by 0.5% of the population in the year 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.pewforum.org/2012/12/18/table-religious-composition-by-country-in-numbers/ |title=Table: Religious Composition by Country, in Numbers {{pipe}} Pew Research Center |publisher=Pewforum.org |date=18 December 2012 |access-date=29 May 2015}} Most Hindus in Myanmar are Burmese Indians.

Hinduism was predominantly pervasive in Burma during ancient times. Hinduism declined after Buddhism was introduced, although some practices and festivals remain part of Burmese culture. Both names of the country are rooted in Hinduism; Burma is the British colonial officials' phonetic equivalent for the first half of Brahma Desha the ancient name of the region.Toʻ Cinʻ Khu, {{Google books|tEI6AQAAMAAJ|Elementary Hand-book of the Burmese Language|page=4}}, pp. iv-v Brahma is part of Hindu trinity, a deity with four heads. The name Myanmar is regional languagein both Talaing and Burmese languages; Prome is similarly derived from Brohm or Brahma. transliteration of Brahma, where b and m are interchangeable.

Arakan (Rakhine) Yoma is a significant natural mountainous barrier between Burma and India, and the migration of Hinduism and Buddhism into Burma occurred slowly through Manipur and by South Asian seaborne traders. Hinduism greatly influenced the royal court of Burmese kings in pre-colonial times, as seen in the architecture of cities such as Bagan. Likewise, the Burmese language adopted many words from Sanskrit and Pali, many of which relate to religion. While ancient and medieval arrival of ideas and culture fusion transformed Burma over time, it is in 19th and 20th century that over a million Hindu workers were brought in by British colonial government to serve in plantations and mines. The British also felt that surrounding the European residential centre with Indian immigrants provided a buffer and a degree of security from tribal theft and raids. According to 1931 census, 55% of Rangoon's (Yangon) population were Indian migrants, mostly Hindus.Donald M. Seekins (2006), Historical Dictionary of Burma, {{ISBN|978-0810854765}}, pp. 216-220 After independence from Britain, Burma Socialist Programme Party under Ne Win adopted xenophobic policies and expelled 300,000 Indian ethnic people (Hindus and Buddhists), along with 100,000 Chinese, from Burma between 1963 and 1967. The Indian policy of encouraging democratic protests in Burma increased persecution of Hindus, as well as led to Burmese retaliatory support of left-leaning rebel groups in northeastern states of India. Since the 1990s, the opening of Burma and its greater economic engagement has led to general improvement in the acceptance of Hindus and other minority religions in Myanmar.

Aspects of Hinduism continue in Burma today, even in the majority Buddhist culture. For example, Thagyamin is worshipped whose origins are in the Hindu god Indra. Burmese literature has also been enriched by Hinduism, including the Burmese adaptation of the Ramayana, called Yama Zatdaw. Many Hindu gods are likewise worshipped by many Burmese people, such as Saraswati (known as Thuyathadi in Burmese), the goddess of knowledge, who is often worshipped before examinations; Shiva is called Paramizwa; Vishnu is called Withano, and others. Many of these ideas are part of thirty seven Nat or deities found in Burmese culture.Thant Myint-U (2001), The Making of Modern Burma, Cambridge University Press, {{ISBN|978-0521799140}}, pp. 27-47

In modern Myanmar, most Hindus are found in the urban centres of Yangon and Mandalay. Ancient Hindu temples are present in other parts of Burma, such as the 11th-century Nathlaung Kyaung Temple dedicated to Vishnu in Bagan.

Although Myanmar's Jews once numbered in the thousands, there are currently a few dozen Jews in Yangon (Rangoon), where the country's only synagogue is located. The Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue serves the dozen families left as well as Jewish tourists and foreign workers, but not many show up for daily minyan. Most Jews left Myanmar at the commencement of the Second World War, and most of the Jews who still remained in Myanmar after World War II ended in 1945 left the country after General Ne Win took it over in 1962.{{cite news|last=Frank|first=Ben|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/myanmars-tiny-jewish-community-is-rattled-after-military-coup/|title=Myanmar's tiny Jewish community is rattled after military coup|work=Times of Israel|date=5 February 2021}}

As of 2023, the Pabedan Township administration recognises the synagogue as a religious building within the township but reported zero Jews or followers of "Other" religions in its population count.{{cite report |author=General Administration Department |date=March 2023 |title=Pabedan Myone Daethasaingyarachatlatmya|script-title=my:ပန်းဘဲတန်းမြို့နယ် ဒေသဆိုင်ရာအချက်လက်များ|trans-title=Pabedan Township Regional Information |url=https://gad.gov.mm/images/localfacts/1715837490%E1%80%95%E1%80%94%E1%80%BA%E1%80%B8%E1%80%98%E1%80%B2%E1%80%90%E1%80%94%E1%80%BA%E1%80%B8.pdf |access-date=5 February 2025}}

{{main|Freedom of religion in Myanmar}}

In 2022, the country was scored 1 out of 4 for religious freedom- while the constitution provides for freedom of religion, the government, in practice, interferes with religious groups and discriminates against minority groups through actions such as refusing permission for gatherings, restricting proselytisation and allowing the Anti-Muslim Ma Ba Tha organisation to establish "Muslim-free" villages.[https://freedomhouse.org/country/myanmar/freedom-world/2022 Freedom House website, retrieved 2023-08-08]

In 2023, the country was ranked as the 14th worst place in the world to be a Christian. Christian minorities are targeted and disproportionately affected by the ongoing 2021 Myanmar civil war.[https://www.opendoorsuk.org/persecution/world-watch-list/myanmar/ Open Doors website, retrieved 2023-08-08] Particularly, this targeted violence is worst in Christian-majority Chin State where many Christians are forced to flee into neighboring countries, particularly to Northeastern India.{{cite web |title=The Latest @ USIP: Protecting Myanmar's Christian Minority |author=Zo Tum Hmung |date=19 April 2023 |access-date=5 September 2023 |url=https://www.usip.org/blog/2023/04/latest-usip-protecting-myanmars-christian-minority |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230430080748/https://www.usip.org/blog/2023/04/latest-usip-protecting-myanmars-christian-minority |url-status=dead |archive-date=30 April 2023 |website=United States Institute of Peace}}

In March 2023, Christian Solidarity Worldwide noted the arrests of 20,000 people since the coup, the displacement of 1.3 million people and the destruction of churches, temples and mosques.[https://www.csw.org.uk/2023/03/20/report/5961/article.htm CSW 2023 report]

{{portal|Myanmar|Religion}}

• Burmese folk religion

{{reflist|group=note}}

{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

• [https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/burma US State Dept 2022 report]
• {{cite web

| title = Burma

| work = International Religious Freedom Report 2005

| publisher = United States Department of State

| date = 8 November 2005

| url = https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2005/51506.htm}}

• [https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2001/5581.htm 2001]
• [https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2002/13868.htm 2002]
• [https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2003/23823.htm 2003]
• [https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2004/35393.htm 2004]
• [https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-report-on-international-religious-freedom/burma/ US State Dept 2021 report on religious freedom in Burma/ Myanmar ]

{{Religion in Myanmar}}

{{Burma (Myanmar) topics}}

{{Asia in topic|Religion in|PS=Palestinian territories#Religion}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Religion In Burma}}

Burma