With over 2.6 billion adherents spanning thousands of denominations, the global landscape of Christian church membership presents a complex tapestry of dramatic growth in some regions and steep decline in others.
Key Takeaways
- As of 2023, the global Christian population stands at approximately 2.64 billion people, representing 31.7% of the world's population
- In 2020, there were 1.36 billion baptized Catholics worldwide, making up 17.7% of the global population
- Pentecostals and Charismatics number 652 million globally in 2023, growing at 1.48% annually
- In 2021, 21% of U.S. adults were Catholic, down from 24% in 2007
- Gallup poll shows U.S. church membership at 47% in 2020, lowest ever recorded
- 65% of U.S. adults identified as Christian in 2020, down from 78% in 2007
- In England, Church of England membership (electoral roll) was 1.1 million in 2022, down from 1.7 million in 2000
- Germany has 20.4 million Protestants and 20.9 million Catholics in 2023
- France Catholic affiliation at 47% in 2021, practicing 2%
- Sub-Saharan Africa Christian population grew to 694 million in 2023, 31% annual growth 2000-2023
- Nigeria has 100 million Christians, over 50% of population in 2023 estimates
- Ethiopia Orthodox Tewahedo Church 36 million members, 43% of pop in 2023
- Asia Christian population 416 million in 2023, 7% growth since 2000
- China unregistered Protestants estimated 60 million in 2023
- India 2.3% Christian, 31 million in 2011 census, stable 2023
Global church membership grows in Africa and Asia while declining in the West.
Asia & Oceania
- Asia Christian population 416 million in 2023, 7% growth since 2000
- China unregistered Protestants estimated 60 million in 2023
- India 2.3% Christian, 31 million in 2011 census, stable 2023
- Philippines 86% Catholic, 93 million in 2023
- South Korea Protestants 20%, Catholics 8%, 12 million Christians total 2023
- Indonesia 7% Protestant/Catholic, 20 million in 2023
- Vietnam 8% Catholic, 8 million in 2023
- Timor-Leste 97% Catholic, 1.3 million in 2023
- Papua New Guinea 96% Christian, 9 million in 2023
- Australia Anglican 9.8%, Catholic 20% in 2021 census
- Japan Christians 1%, 1.2 million in 2023
- Thailand Christians 1.2%, 800,000 mostly Protestant in 2023
- Malaysia 9% Christian, 3 million in 2023
- Singapore 19% Christian in 2020 census
- Hong Kong 12% Protestant, 4% Catholic in 2021
- Nepal Christians grew to 1.4 million (5%) by 2023 estimates
- Bangladesh 0.4% Christian, 600,000 in 2023
- Mongolia Christians 2.2%, 70,000 in 2023
- Asian Pentecostal/Charismatic 135 million in 2023
- Philippine Independent Church 6 million members in 2023
- Korean Presbyterian churches total 8 million members in 2023
- Chinese house churches average 50-100 members each, thousands nationwide 2023
- India Southern Baptist Convention affiliates 2 million in 2023
- Australian megachurches like Hillsong have 150,000 global members, 40,000 local 2023
Asia & Oceania Interpretation
While the staggering 60 million unregistered Protestants in China prove faith can flourish under any regime, the real story across Asia is that Christianity isn't merely surviving but dynamically splintering, from Seoul's megachurches to India's Baptist affiliates, all while maintaining its ancient strongholds from the Philippines to Papua New Guinea.
Europe
- In England, Church of England membership (electoral roll) was 1.1 million in 2022, down from 1.7 million in 2000
- Germany has 20.4 million Protestants and 20.9 million Catholics in 2023
- France Catholic affiliation at 47% in 2021, practicing 2%
- Italy 74% identify as Catholic in 2020, weekly Mass 23%
- Poland 87% Catholic in 2021 census
- Russian Orthodox Church claims 100 million members in Russia (70% of pop) in 2023
- Spain Catholic population 60% in 2023, down from 90% in 1980s
- Netherlands church membership fell to 17% in 2022
- Sweden Church of Sweden has 5.5 million members (53% pop) in 2023
- Norway state church membership 64% in 2023
- Greece 90% Orthodox in 2022 census estimates
- Romania 85% Orthodox, 18 million adherents in 2021 census
- Portugal 81% Catholic in 2021 census
- Belgium Catholic affiliation 57% in 2018, declining
- Austria 55% Catholic in 2021 census
- Switzerland 35% Catholic, 23% Protestant in 2020
- Denmark 74% Folk Church members in 2023
- Finland Lutheran Church 63% membership in 2023
- Czech Republic church membership under 10% in 2021
- Hungary Reformed Church 15% of population in 2023
- UK overall Christian affiliation 46% in 2021 census
- Ireland Catholic population 69% in 2022 census, down from 84% in 2011
- Scotland Church of Scotland membership 320,000 in 2022
Europe Interpretation
Europe's religious landscape paints a picture of sprawling, inherited membership rolls filled with cultural affiliates, yet the active congregation inside is often a much smaller, and frequently shrinking, room.
Latin America & Africa
- Sub-Saharan Africa Christian population grew to 694 million in 2023, 31% annual growth 2000-2023
- Nigeria has 100 million Christians, over 50% of population in 2023 estimates
- Ethiopia Orthodox Tewahedo Church 36 million members, 43% of pop in 2023
- DR Congo 95 million Christians, 95% of population in 2023
- South Africa 80% Christian in 2022 census, 45 million adherents
- Kenya 85% Christian, 38 million in 2023
- Ghana 71% Christian, 20 million members in 2021 census
- Angola 90% Christian, 32 million in 2023 estimates
- Zambia 95% Christian, 18 million adherents in 2023
- Uganda 84% Christian, 35 million in 2023
- Tanzania 61% Christian, 35 million in 2022 census
- Pentecostal growth in Africa at 60 million new members 2010-2020
- Brazil Catholic population 123 million (64%) but evangelicals rose to 31% in 2020
- Mexico Pentecostal membership 10 million in 2023
- Colombia 90% Christian, 45 million, 70% Catholic in 2023
- Argentina Catholic 62%, evangelicals 15% in 2023 estimates
- Peru 76% Catholic, 15% evangelical in 2021
- Chile evangelicals 17% of population in 2023
- Africa annual church growth 2.68% vs global 1.17% in 2023
- Latin America Christians 600 million, 90% of region in 2023
- African Independent Churches number 100 million members in 2023
- Nigeria Baptist Convention 6.5 million members in 2023
- South Africa Zion Christian Church 15 million members claimed in 2023
- Ethiopia Protestant denominations 19 million in 2023
- DR Congo Catholic Church 50 million baptized in 2023
Latin America & Africa Interpretation
The global center of Christianity has decisively, and rather loudly, shifted south, with African and Latin American churches demonstrating a vibrancy that's turning traditional Western pews a shade of green with envy.
North America
- In 2021, 21% of U.S. adults were Catholic, down from 24% in 2007
- Gallup poll shows U.S. church membership at 47% in 2020, lowest ever recorded
- 65% of U.S. adults identified as Christian in 2020, down from 78% in 2007
- Southern Baptist Convention membership fell to 13.7 million in 2022 from 16.2 million in 2006
- United Methodist Church in U.S. had 5.7 million members in 2023, down 30% since 2000
- Evangelical Protestants make up 25% of U.S. population per 2021 PRRI survey
- 10% of U.S. adults are former Catholics in 2022
- LDS Church in U.S. has 6.7 million members in 2023
- U.S. nondenominational churches grew to 13 million attendees weekly in 2020
- Black Protestants comprise 7% of U.S. adults, stable since 2007
- Mainline Protestant affiliation dropped to 14% in U.S. by 2021
- 4% of U.S. population attends Orthodox churches in 2023 estimates
- Canadian church membership declined to 53% in 2021 from 67% in 2003
- Mexico has 100 million Catholics, 78% of population in 2020 census
- 29% of U.S. adults under 30 have no religious affiliation, impacting church membership
- U.S. megachurches number 1,800 with 10 million weekly attendees in 2023
- Assemblies of God U.S. membership at 2.9 million in 2022
- Presbyterian Church (USA) membership 1.1 million in 2023, down 50% since 1990
- Episcopal Church U.S. at 1.6 million members in 2023
- Jehovah's Witnesses U.S. membership 650,000 publishers in 2023
- Seventh-day Adventist U.S. membership 1.2 million in 2023
- U.S. Catholic parishes number 16,600 with 1.1 million weekly attendees in 2020
- 36% of U.S. Republicans vs 17% Democrats are church members in 2021
- Rural U.S. church membership 51% vs 46% urban in 2020
- U.S. Christian population projected to fall to 54% by 2050
- 70% of U.S. churches report declining attendance post-COVID in 2023
- Barna finds 1 in 3 U.S. practicing Christians switched churches 2019-2023
- U.S. Protestant seminaries enroll 25,000 students annually in 2023
North America Interpretation
The numbers tell a story of a great American religious reshuffling, where the pews are emptying from the mainline but still humming in the nondenominational warehouses, proving that faith, like water, is seeking new vessels even as the overall reservoir slowly drains.
Worldwide Trends
- As of 2023, the global Christian population stands at approximately 2.64 billion people, representing 31.7% of the world's population
- In 2020, there were 1.36 billion baptized Catholics worldwide, making up 17.7% of the global population
- Pentecostals and Charismatics number 652 million globally in 2023, growing at 1.48% annually
- Global Anglican Communion reports 85 million members across 165 countries as of 2022
- The Lutheran World Federation has 77 million members in 148 member churches worldwide in 2023
- Worldwide Baptist membership exceeds 51 million in 2023, with strong presence in Africa and Asia
- Seventh-day Adventists report 22.2 million members globally as of 2023
- Jehovah's Witnesses have 8.7 million active members worldwide in 2023
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claims 17.2 million members globally in 2023
- Orthodox Christians number about 260 million worldwide in 2023, primarily in Eastern Europe and Middle East
- Global Methodist Church membership reached 100,000 shortly after its 2022 formation
- In 2022, 2.5 billion people identified as Christians, up 1.08% from previous year
- Non-denominational Christians grew to 450 million globally by 2023
- Global Evangelical population is 619 million in 2023, 7.4% of world population
- 300 million Protestants worldwide in traditional denominations as of 2023
- Catholic Church added 16 million new members globally between 2013-2020
- 1.3 billion Catholics in 2021, with 48% in Americas
- Global Christian megachurches number over 1,300 with 379,000+ attendees weekly in 2023
- 41,000 Christian denominations exist globally in 2023
- Bible translation agencies report full Bibles in 736 languages worldwide in 2023, aiding membership growth
- Global church attendance averages 2.2 billion weekly in 2023
- 28% of world population attends religious services weekly, with Christians at forefront
- Christian martyrs numbered 5,621 in 2023, impacting membership in persecuted areas
- Global Christian giving totals $684 billion annually in 2023
- 1.2 million Christian missionaries serve worldwide in 2023
- Seminaries worldwide enroll 375,000 students in 2023
- Global Christian population projected to reach 3 billion by 2050
- 47% of global Christians live in Europe/North America combined in 2023
- Sub-Saharan Africa hosts 24% of world's Christians in 2023
- Asia has 13% of global Christians, 345 million in 2023
Worldwide Trends Interpretation
The sheer scale of Christian diversity is both a testament to its reach and a cosmic punchline, where 2.6 billion people can agree on a savior but somehow require 41,000 different organizational handbooks to figure out the weekly meeting.
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