E/CN.4/1999/58/Add.2 page 12 III. SITUATION OF THE RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES 41. The Special Rapporteur has collected information on the main religious communities in Viet Nam, namely, Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam, Caodaism and the Hoa Hao community. The Office of Religious Affairs has declared these religions the six official religions of Viet Nam and provided the following data for 1996: I. Religious followers 15 203 132 including: Buddhists Catholics Protestants Muslims Cao Dai Hoa Hao II. Clergy 7 378 417 4 952 605 403 238 93 174 1 122 827 1 252 906 49 778 including: Buddhist monks, nuns Catholic clergy Bishops Priests Male and female clergy Seminarians Protestant clergy Pastors Assistant pastors Cao Dai Islam Hoa Hao III. 27 884 14 492 33 2 200 10 228 548 549 157 392 5 608 734 61 Places of worship Buddhists Catholics Protestants Muslims Cao Dai Hoa Hao 14 012 6 003 437 71 896 115 42. According to non-governmental sources, however, Buddhism (introduced in Viet Nam 2000 years ago and primarily Greater Vehicle Buddhism, i.e. oriented towards action in society) accounts for 80 per cent of the population*, while * The 1998 Human Development Report estimates the population of Viet Nam at 73.8 million in 1995.