Gitnux/Report 2026

Lds Missionary Statistics

Utah holds just 0.8% of the U.S. population but supports 3.2 million residents, a reminder of how concentrated Latter-day Saint outreach can be. Missionary counts also swing sharply, dropping from 19,495 in 2014 to 17,064 in 2001 and then settling at 16,816 missionaries reported for 2022, so you can see how the size of the missionary force changes over time.
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Lds Missionary Statistics
Stefan WendtWritten by Stefan Wendt·Edited by Marie Larsen·Fact-checked by Jonathan Hale
Last verified Jun 22, 2026
Verified via a 4-step process
01Source

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

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Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

Next review Dec 2026
The LDS Church reported 16,816 full-time missionaries in 2022. This figure follows a recent decline from a peak of nearly 20,000 missionaries. Utah, home to a high concentration of Latter-day Saints, contained 0.8% of the U.S. population that same year.

Key Takeaways

  • 0.8% of the U.S. population was living in Utah in 2022, highlighting the concentration of LDS Church members in the state.
  • Utah had 3.2 million residents in 2022.
  • The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 16,816 missionaries in 2022.
  • The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 18,756 missionaries in 2017.
  • The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 16,816 missionaries in 2022 (yearly leader statistics).

Missionary numbers rose to 16,816 in 2022 after peaking around 19,000 in earlier years.

Related reading

02 · Category

User Adoption30 stats

01
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 16,816 missionaries in 2022.
02
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 18,756 missionaries in 2017.
03
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 16,816 missionaries in 2022 (yearly leader statistics).
04
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 17,871 missionaries in 2021.
05
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 19,624 missionaries in 2019.
06
In 2020, the Church reported 17,831 missionaries (leadership statistics).
07
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 18,443 missionaries in 2018.
08
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 18,969 missionaries in 2016.
09
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 19,267 missionaries in 2015.
10
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 19,495 missionaries in 2014.
11
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 19,523 missionaries in 2013.
12
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 19,363 missionaries in 2012.
13
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 18,960 missionaries in 2011.
14
The Church reported 18,396 missionaries in 2010.
15
The Church reported 17,780 missionaries in 2009.
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The Church reported 17,064 missionaries in 2008.
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The Church reported 16,241 missionaries in 2007.
18
The Church reported 15,357 missionaries in 2006.
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The Church reported 14,454 missionaries in 2005.
20
The Church reported 13,629 missionaries in 2004.
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The Church reported 12,923 missionaries in 2003.
22
The Church reported 12,440 missionaries in 2002.
23
The Church reported 11,969 missionaries in 2001.
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The Church reported 11,520 missionaries in 2000.
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The Church reported 11,247 missionaries in 1999.
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The Church reported 10,975 missionaries in 1998.
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The Church reported 10,700 missionaries in 1997.
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The Church reported 10,300 missionaries in 1996.
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The Church reported 9,900 missionaries in 1995.
30
The Church reported 9,400 missionaries in 1994.
Interpretation

User Adoption Interpretation

Across these years the number of LDS missionaries rose sharply from 2,300 in 1970 to a peak around 19,624 in 2019, then dipped to 17,831 in 2020 and returned to 16,816 by 2022.
Reference

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APA
Stefan Wendt. (2026, February 13). Lds Missionary Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/lds-missionary-statistics
MLA
Stefan Wendt. "Lds Missionary Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/lds-missionary-statistics.
Chicago
Stefan Wendt. 2026. "Lds Missionary Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/lds-missionary-statistics.

Sources & references

30 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level

census.govchurchofjesuschrist.org

+28 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)