---
title: "American Buddhists"
description: "Only about a third (32%) of Buddhists in the United States are Asian; a majority (53%) are white, and most are converts to Buddhism."
date: "2008-03-17"
authors:
  - name: "Russell Heimlich"
    job_title: "Former web developer"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2008/03/17/american-buddhists/"
---

# American Buddhists

Only about a third (32%) of Buddhists in the United States are Asian; a majority (53%) are white, and in sharp contrast to Islam and Hinduism, Buddhism in the America is primarily made up of native-born adherents, whites and converts. The Buddhist tradition (0.7% of the American population) is made up of several distinct groups, the largest of which is Zen Buddhism. [Read More](https://www.pewresearch.org/pubs/743/united-states-religion)