U.S. church membership hit 47% of adults in 2020, the lowest figure Gallup has recorded. Mainline Protestant affiliation fell to 14% by 2021, while 13 million adults were attending nondenominational churches weekly in 2020. Taken together, these shifts show how membership counting and attendance patterns are moving in different directions across denominations.
Key Takeaways
- Asia Christian population 416 million in 2023, 7% growth since 2000
- In England, Church of England membership (electoral roll) was 1.1 million in 2022, down from 1.7 million in 2000
- Sub-Saharan Africa Christian population grew to 694 million in 2023, 31% annual growth 2000-2023
- In 2021, 21% of U.S. adults were Catholic, down from 24% in 2007
- As of 2023, the global Christian population stands at approximately 2.64 billion people, representing 31.7% of the world's population
Church membership is holding steady, with recent growth in many communities driven by returning regular attendees.
Related reading
01 · Category
Asia & Oceania24 stats
01
Asia Christian population 416 million in 2023, 7% growth since 2000
02
China unregistered Protestants estimated 60 million in 2023
03
India 2.3% Christian, 31 million in 2011 census, stable 2023
04
Philippines 86% Catholic, 93 million in 2023
05
South Korea Protestants 20%, Catholics 8%, 12 million Christians total 2023
06
Indonesia 7% Protestant/Catholic, 20 million in 2023
07
Vietnam 8% Catholic, 8 million in 2023
08
Timor-Leste 97% Catholic, 1.3 million in 2023
09
Papua New Guinea 96% Christian, 9 million in 2023
10
Australia Anglican 9.8%, Catholic 20% in 2021 census
11
Japan Christians 1%, 1.2 million in 2023
12
Thailand Christians 1.2%, 800,000 mostly Protestant in 2023
13
Malaysia 9% Christian, 3 million in 2023
14
Singapore 19% Christian in 2020 census
15
Hong Kong 12% Protestant, 4% Catholic in 2021
16
Nepal Christians grew to 1.4 million (5%) by 2023 estimates
17
Bangladesh 0.4% Christian, 600,000 in 2023
18
Mongolia Christians 2.2%, 70,000 in 2023
19
Asian Pentecostal/Charismatic 135 million in 2023
20
Philippine Independent Church 6 million members in 2023
21
Korean Presbyterian churches total 8 million members in 2023
22
Chinese house churches average 50-100 members each, thousands nationwide 2023
23
India Southern Baptist Convention affiliates 2 million in 2023
24
Australian megachurches like Hillsong have 150,000 global members, 40,000 local 2023
Interpretation
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.
02 · Category
Europe23 stats
01
In England, Church of England membership (electoral roll) was 1.1 million in 2022, down from 1.7 million in 2000
02
Germany has 20.4 million Protestants and 20.9 million Catholics in 2023
03
France Catholic affiliation at 47% in 2021, practicing 2%
04
Italy 74% identify as Catholic in 2020, weekly Mass 23%
05
Poland 87% Catholic in 2021 census
06
Russian Orthodox Church claims 100 million members in Russia (70% of pop) in 2023
07
Spain Catholic population 60% in 2023, down from 90% in 1980s
08
Netherlands church membership fell to 17% in 2022
09
Sweden Church of Sweden has 5.5 million members (53% pop) in 2023
10
Norway state church membership 64% in 2023
11
Greece 90% Orthodox in 2022 census estimates
12
Romania 85% Orthodox, 18 million adherents in 2021 census
13
Portugal 81% Catholic in 2021 census
14
Belgium Catholic affiliation 57% in 2018, declining
15
Austria 55% Catholic in 2021 census
16
Switzerland 35% Catholic, 23% Protestant in 2020
17
Denmark 74% Folk Church members in 2023
18
Finland Lutheran Church 63% membership in 2023
19
Czech Republic church membership under 10% in 2021
20
Hungary Reformed Church 15% of population in 2023
21
UK overall Christian affiliation 46% in 2021 census
22
Ireland Catholic population 69% in 2022 census, down from 84% in 2011
23
Scotland Church of Scotland membership 320,000 in 2022
Interpretation
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.
03 · Category
Latin America & Africa25 stats
01
Sub-Saharan Africa Christian population grew to 694 million in 2023, 31% annual growth 2000-2023
02
Nigeria has 100 million Christians, over 50% of population in 2023 estimates
03
Ethiopia Orthodox Tewahedo Church 36 million members, 43% of pop in 2023
04
DR Congo 95 million Christians, 95% of population in 2023
05
South Africa 80% Christian in 2022 census, 45 million adherents
06
Kenya 85% Christian, 38 million in 2023
07
Ghana 71% Christian, 20 million members in 2021 census
08
Angola 90% Christian, 32 million in 2023 estimates
09
Zambia 95% Christian, 18 million adherents in 2023
10
Uganda 84% Christian, 35 million in 2023
11
Tanzania 61% Christian, 35 million in 2022 census
12
Pentecostal growth in Africa at 60 million new members 2010-2020
13
Brazil Catholic population 123 million (64%) but evangelicals rose to 31% in 2020
14
Mexico Pentecostal membership 10 million in 2023
15
Colombia 90% Christian, 45 million, 70% Catholic in 2023
16
Argentina Catholic 62%, evangelicals 15% in 2023 estimates
17
Peru 76% Catholic, 15% evangelical in 2021
18
Chile evangelicals 17% of population in 2023
19
Africa annual church growth 2.68% vs global 1.17% in 2023
20
Latin America Christians 600 million, 90% of region in 2023
21
African Independent Churches number 100 million members in 2023
22
Nigeria Baptist Convention 6.5 million members in 2023
23
South Africa Zion Christian Church 15 million members claimed in 2023
24
Ethiopia Protestant denominations 19 million in 2023
25
DR Congo Catholic Church 50 million baptized in 2023
Interpretation
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.
More related reading
04 · Category
North America28 stats
01
In 2021, 21% of U.S. adults were Catholic, down from 24% in 2007
02
Gallup poll shows U.S. church membership at 47% in 2020, lowest ever recorded
03
65% of U.S. adults identified as Christian in 2020, down from 78% in 2007
04
Southern Baptist Convention membership fell to 13.7 million in 2022 from 16.2 million in 2006
05
United Methodist Church in U.S. had 5.7 million members in 2023, down 30% since 2000
06
Evangelical Protestants make up 25% of U.S. population per 2021 PRRI survey
07
10% of U.S. adults are former Catholics in 2022
08
LDS Church in U.S. has 6.7 million members in 2023
09
U.S. nondenominational churches grew to 13 million attendees weekly in 2020
10
Black Protestants comprise 7% of U.S. adults, stable since 2007
11
Mainline Protestant affiliation dropped to 14% in U.S. by 2021
12
4% of U.S. population attends Orthodox churches in 2023 estimates
13
Canadian church membership declined to 53% in 2021 from 67% in 2003
14
Mexico has 100 million Catholics, 78% of population in 2020 census
15
29% of U.S. adults under 30 have no religious affiliation, impacting church membership
16
U.S. megachurches number 1,800 with 10 million weekly attendees in 2023
17
Assemblies of God U.S. membership at 2.9 million in 2022
18
Presbyterian Church (USA) membership 1.1 million in 2023, down 50% since 1990
19
Episcopal Church U.S. at 1.6 million members in 2023
20
Jehovah's Witnesses U.S. membership 650,000 publishers in 2023
21
Seventh-day Adventist U.S. membership 1.2 million in 2023
22
U.S. Catholic parishes number 16,600 with 1.1 million weekly attendees in 2020
23
36% of U.S. Republicans vs 17% Democrats are church members in 2021
24
Rural U.S. church membership 51% vs 46% urban in 2020
25
U.S. Christian population projected to fall to 54% by 2050
26
70% of U.S. churches report declining attendance post-COVID in 2023
27
Barna finds 1 in 3 U.S. practicing Christians switched churches 2019-2023
28
U.S. Protestant seminaries enroll 25,000 students annually in 2023
Interpretation
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.
05 · Category
Worldwide Trends30 stats
01
As of 2023, the global Christian population stands at approximately 2.64 billion people, representing 31.7% of the world's population
02
In 2020, there were 1.36 billion baptized Catholics worldwide, making up 17.7% of the global population
03
Pentecostals and Charismatics number 652 million globally in 2023, growing at 1.48% annually
04
Global Anglican Communion reports 85 million members across 165 countries as of 2022
05
The Lutheran World Federation has 77 million members in 148 member churches worldwide in 2023
06
Worldwide Baptist membership exceeds 51 million in 2023, with strong presence in Africa and Asia
07
Seventh-day Adventists report 22.2 million members globally as of 2023
08
Jehovah's Witnesses have 8.7 million active members worldwide in 2023
09
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claims 17.2 million members globally in 2023
10
Orthodox Christians number about 260 million worldwide in 2023, primarily in Eastern Europe and Middle East
11
Global Methodist Church membership reached 100,000 shortly after its 2022 formation
12
In 2022, 2.5 billion people identified as Christians, up 1.08% from previous year
13
Non-denominational Christians grew to 450 million globally by 2023
14
Global Evangelical population is 619 million in 2023, 7.4% of world population
15
300 million Protestants worldwide in traditional denominations as of 2023
16
Catholic Church added 16 million new members globally between 2013-2020
17
1.3 billion Catholics in 2021, with 48% in Americas
18
Global Christian megachurches number over 1,300 with 379,000+ attendees weekly in 2023
19
41,000 Christian denominations exist globally in 2023
20
Bible translation agencies report full Bibles in 736 languages worldwide in 2023, aiding membership growth
21
Global church attendance averages 2.2 billion weekly in 2023
22
28% of world population attends religious services weekly, with Christians at forefront
23
Christian martyrs numbered 5,621 in 2023, impacting membership in persecuted areas
24
Global Christian giving totals $684 billion annually in 2023
25
1.2 million Christian missionaries serve worldwide in 2023
26
Seminaries worldwide enroll 375,000 students in 2023
27
Global Christian population projected to reach 3 billion by 2050
28
47% of global Christians live in Europe/North America combined in 2023
29
Sub-Saharan Africa hosts 24% of world's Christians in 2023
30
Asia has 13% of global Christians, 345 million in 2023
Interpretation
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.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Stefan Wendt. (2026, February 13). Church Membership Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/church-membership-statistics
MLA
Stefan Wendt. "Church Membership Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/church-membership-statistics.
Chicago
Stefan Wendt. 2026. "Church Membership Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/church-membership-statistics.
Sources & references
77 datasets cited across this report