Religion by Country
Religion in Vietnam: Statistics, Demographics & Trends
Official figures show few Vietnamese belong to an organised religion. Everyday religious life tells a fuller story.
Quick answer
In Vietnam’s 2019 census, 13.7% of the population (13.2 million people) identified with a recognised religion: 6.1% Catholic, 4.8% Buddhist, about 1% Protestant, and smaller numbers of Cao Dai, Hoa Hao Buddhist and other followers. The 86.3% who reported no religion includes many people who practise ancestor veneration and folk religion, which the census does not count as a religion.
- Largest group
- No recognised religion — 86.3%
- Largest religion
- Catholicism — 6.1%
- Second largest
- Buddhism — 4.8%
- Data source
- 2019 Population and Housing Census (GSO)
- Reference date
- 1 April 2019
Vietnam at a glance
Vietnam’s 2019 Population and Housing Census, conducted by the General Statistics Office with support from UNFPA, recorded 16 religions practised in the country. 13.2 million people, or 13.7% of the population, identified with one of them. Catholics (6.1% of the population) and Buddhists (4.8%) together account for about four in five religious followers. The remaining 86.3% did not report a religious affiliation. As explained below, that figure is often misread.
| Religion | Followers | Share of population |
|---|---|---|
| No recognised religion | ≈ 83 million | 86.3% |
| Catholic | ≈ 5.9 million | 6.1% |
| Buddhist | ≈ 4.6 million | 4.8% |
| Protestant | ≈ 1 million | ≈ 1% |
| Other (Cao Dai, Hoa Hao, Islam and others) | ≈ 1.7 million | ≈ 1.8% |
The major religious groups
Catholicism (6.1%, about 5.9 million people) is the largest recorded religion. Its roots go back to missionary activity from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and many Catholic communities moved south after the country’s partition in 1954. Buddhism (4.8%, about 4.6 million), largely in the Mahayana tradition, has the deepest historical presence. Protestants make up about 1% of the population, with notable growth among ethnic minority communities in the Central Highlands and northern mountains. Two religions founded in southern Vietnam in the twentieth century, Cao Dai and Hoa Hao Buddhism, are also among the officially recognised religions, alongside smaller Muslim (mainly Cham), Hindu and other communities.
Why “no religion” doesn’t mean non-believing
The census counts affiliation with a recognised religious organisation. It does not count Vietnam’s most widespread religious practice: veneration of ancestors, usually at a family altar at home, together with folk beliefs and worship of local and national spirits and heroes. Very many people who report “no religion” take part in these practices, visit pagodas and temples at festivals such as Tet, and may consider themselves culturally Buddhist without formal membership. The 86.3% figure is therefore best read as “not affiliated with an organised religion”, not as a measure of atheism.
Religion and the state
Vietnam is a one-party socialist state. Its constitution recognises freedom of belief and religion, and religious activity is regulated under the 2016 Law on Belief and Religion (in force since 2018), which requires religious organisations to register and be recognised by the state. International human rights reports, including the U.S. State Department’s annual religious freedom reports, have documented restrictions on unregistered groups. For another Southeast Asian country where official affiliation data and everyday practice differ, see religion in Thailand.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main religion in Vietnam?
Most Vietnamese (86.3% in the 2019 census) are not affiliated with an organised religion. Among those who are, Catholicism is the largest (6.1% of the population), followed by Buddhism (4.8%). Ancestor veneration and folk religion are widely practised but not counted as a religion in the census.
Is Vietnam a Buddhist country?
Buddhism has the deepest historical roots and strong cultural influence, but only 4.8% of the population formally identified as Buddhist in the 2019 census. Many more people visit pagodas and follow Buddhist customs without formal affiliation.
Why is Catholicism larger than Buddhism in the census?
The census counts formal affiliation with recognised religious organisations. Catholic identity tends to be formal and community-based, while much Buddhist practice in Vietnam is informal and mixed with ancestor veneration and folk beliefs, so fewer people report it as their religion.
How many religions are recognised in Vietnam?
The 2019 census recorded 16 religions practised in Vietnam. Religious organisations must register with and be recognised by the state under the 2016 Law on Belief and Religion.
Sources & methodology
Figures are from Vietnam’s 2019 Population and Housing Census, conducted by the General Statistics Office (GSO) with UNFPA support. The Protestant share (about 1%) is as reported from census data by the U.S. State Department; “other” is derived as the remainder of the 13.7% who reported a religion. Population counts are rounded.
- UNFPA Viet Nam, results of the 2019 Population and Housing Census.
- U.S. Department of State, 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom: Vietnam.
- General Statistics Office of Viet Nam, Completed Results of the 2019 Viet Nam Population and Housing Census.