Dataset 1: Buddhist share by state, Census 2020
Publisher: Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM). Source: OpenDOSM Kawasanku. Retrieved 12 October 2026. Covers Malaysia and all 13 states plus 3 federal territories. Each row links to its source dashboard.
Denominator: all residents in that area at Census 2020. The percentage is not the area’s share of all Malaysian Buddhists. Religion is reported census affiliation; it does not measure attendance, practice, language, tradition or spiritual attainment.
The export extracts the Buddhist religion percentage and population callout from the publicly delivered dashboard data. Display values are rounded to one decimal. Downloads retain source precision. Exact Buddhist counts, including male/female breakdowns, come from Table 6 of DOSM’s Census 2020 Key Findings (printed pages 85–87; PDF pages 101–103). These are published counts, not estimates made by multiplying rounded percentages. Every total equals its male plus female breakdown; all state counts sum to the national Buddhist total of 6,066,784. The table’s male and female columns refer specifically to Buddhist residents. The state population totals sum exactly to the national total of 32,447,385. The population-weighted Buddhist percentage reproduces the national percentage within numerical precision.
Why the year matters
The dashboard labels the population and demographic section “MyCensus 2020”. Its page update timestamp is 31 October 2025. The underlying shared bar metadata field says 2024; this is retained as source_bar_metadata_year rather than silently discarded. We identify the religion series as Census 2020 from the visible section and the matching state counts and national figure in DOSM’s Census 2020 Key Findings. This metadata inconsistency is a reason not to describe these figures as 2024 or current religion estimates.
OpenDOSM’s annual population tables have newer population estimates by sex, age and ethnicity. They are not newer religion counts. Do not multiply a 2020 religious percentage by a newer population and label the result an official count.
Data dictionary
- state
- DOSM state or federal-territory name; Malaysia is the national row.
- census_year
- 2020, the reference year of the religion figures.
- buddhist_percent
- Percentage of all residents in the area reporting Buddhism, as supplied in the dashboard.
- total_population
- All residents in the area, from the Census 2020 population callout.
- buddhist_total / buddhist_male / buddhist_female
- Published counts of Buddhist residents by sex from Table 6. Sex categories follow the census publication.
- count_source_url / sex_source_url / count_source_table
- DOSM report links and exact table/page references for the counts.
- source_url / publisher
- Original dashboard and responsible statistical agency.
- source_updated / retrieved
- Dashboard update timestamp and our retrieval date. Neither changes the census year.
- source_bar_metadata_year
- Shared source metadata value preserved for transparency; see the year note above.
Comparisons
A difference in percentage points is A minus B, calculated from source precision and rounded to one decimal. It describes the difference in shares, not a change over time or a causal explanation. The chart has a fixed 0–100% scale. Sorting and filtering do not change its scale. Every value is also available in the table.
Dataset 2: national historical census series
Published Buddhist counts and rounded shares for 1970, 1980, 1991, 2000, 2010 and 2020, transcribed from Table 1, printed page 74 (PDF page 90) of the same report. The national count rises from 5,446,856 in 2010 to 6,066,784 in 2020, while the published share falls from 19.8% to 18.7%. These are different measures, so the lower share does not mean a lower absolute number. No annual interpolation is performed. Changes in classification, reporting, population composition and census methods can affect long-run comparability. This series does not establish conversion rates or reasons for change.
Dataset 3: source-linked resource directory
453 entries: 396 Malaysia and 57 worldwide. These are not unique organisations, registered-NGO totals or a census of temples. Association membership regions are not verified street addresses. Coverage is uneven; an empty search result is not evidence that a community is absent. For detailed source dates, see directory coverage. Never use these counts as an estimate of provision per Buddhist resident.
Other official data worth exploring
- District-level religion: example, Sepang. Kawasanku also offers district and constituency exploration. This release exports the national and state series only.
- DOSM Census 2020 Key Findings: national religious composition, including the 18.7% Buddhist share.
- OpenDOSM catalogue: annual population and broader social indicators. Area-wide indicators must not be described as Buddhist-specific measures without a genuine religion breakdown.
Reuse and attribution
Cite “Department of Statistics Malaysia, OpenDOSM Kawasanku, Census 2020; extracted by buddhist.my on 12 October 2026”, and retain the source URLs, reference year and denominator. This is an independent extraction, not an official DOSM publication or endorsement. Refer to the original publisher for source terms; no additional licence over their material is asserted. Our data exports are static files, not a live API. Recheck sources before making a new release.