Estimates on Falun Gong’s global following vary—partly because reliable figures inside China remain elusive. Back in the 1990s, before the crackdown began in 1999, some researchers pegged the number of practitioners at around 70 million. Falun Gong’s founder at the time spoke of more than 100 million people studying the practice’s teachings and doing its gentle exercises.

Today, China’s ongoing suppression makes any exact headcount almost impossible. Yet the movement’s heartbeat pulses loudly around the world. Roughly 1 to 2 million practitioners gather outside mainland China, with communities spread across more than 60 countries:

• North America: The United States and Canada host vibrant hubs. In major cities—New York, Toronto, Los Angeles—weekend group exercises draw hundreds, and periodic rallies against the Chinese government’s repression often swell into the thousands.
• Europe: France, Germany, the U.K. and Italy see sizeable pockets of practitioners. Falun Gong displays at cultural festivals and petitions against forced organ harvesting have become familiar sights in city squares from Paris to Berlin.
• Asia-Pacific: Taiwan remains especially active—estimates suggest half a million people do the exercises there, many joining peaceful marches in Taipei. Hong Kong’s Falun Gong community, though smaller, staged a 200,000-strong assembly in 2021 calling for an end to persecution. Australia and New Zealand host a few dozen practice sites apiece, often nestled in city parks on sunny weekends.
• Latin America and Africa: Smaller clusters are emerging. Brazil, Argentina and South Africa each count several hundred to a few thousand adherents, many inspired by local human-rights campaigns and the movement’s emphasis on “Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance.”

Online reach has ballooned, too. Virtual study groups and exercise sessions surged during the pandemic—and haven’t really let up. Social-media channels featuring guided meditations now tally hundreds of thousands of followers, making it clear that the practice has adapted to a digital age.

Despite the lack of precise census data, Falun Gong’s blend of slow-moving qigong exercises, moral teachings and resilience in the face of adversity continues to resonate. From city squares in Europe to neighborhood parks in North America, those who’ve embraced it keep the movement alive—proof that even under the heaviest cloud of suppression, a peaceful spiritual current can spread far and wide.