In short
There are about 2.65 billion Christians worldwide in 2025, the largest religion on Earth, according to Gordon-Conwell's Center for the Study of Global Christianity. Pew Research Center counts 2.3 billion as of 2020, or 28.8% of the world, still ahead of Islam at 25.6%; the two centers use different definitions, so their totals differ. Christianity's share is slipping (down 1.8 points from 2010 to 2020) even as absolute numbers grow, and its center of gravity has moved south: 68.9% of Christians now live in the Global South, and sub-Saharan Africa holds more Christians than any other region. Catholics number 1.406 billion (2023, per the Vatican).
- About 2.65 billion Christians worldwide in 2025 make Christianity the largest religion on Earth (Gordon-Conwell).
- Christianity's global share slipped 1.8 points to 28.8% by 2020, even as its numbers grew by 122 million (Pew).
- 68.9% of all Christians now live in the Global South, up from 17.6% in 1900, with Africa the largest continent (Gordon-Conwell).
- Catholics are the largest tradition at 1.406 billion in 2023, growing fastest in Africa (+3.31%) (Vatican).
There are about 2.65 billion Christians worldwide in 2025, making Christianity the largest religion on Earth, according to Gordon-Conwell's Center for the Study of Global Christianity. Pew Research Center counts 2.3 billion Christians as of 2020, or 28.8% of the world's population, still the single largest faith ahead of Islam at 25.6%. The two centers use different definitions, so their totals differ. The bigger story is the Global South shift: Gordon-Conwell finds 68.9% of all Christians now live in the Global South (2025), and Pew reports sub-Saharan Africa is now home to more Christians than any other region. Catholics number 1.406 billion (2023 data), per the Vatican's Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae.
Key findings at a glance
| Metric | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christians worldwide | 2.65 billion | 2025 | Gordon-Conwell CSGC |
| Christianity's share of the world | 28.8% | 2020 | Pew Research Center |
| Christians in the Global South | 68.9% | 2025 | Gordon-Conwell CSGC |
| Sub-Saharan Africa's share of Christians | 30.7% | 2020 | Pew Research Center |
| Catholics worldwide | 1.406 billion | 2023 | Vatican Annuarium |
| Country with the most Christians | United States (217.3M) | 2020 | Pew Research Center |
How many Christians are there worldwide?
The top-line global count from the two leading demographic centers differs because they measure differently. Gordon-Conwell uses the widest definition, professing Christians plus secret believers, while Pew relies on surveys and censuses with a narrower definition and an earlier data year.
The number of Christians worldwide is about 2.65 billion (2,645,317,000) in 2025, making Christianity the largest religion on Earth, according to Gordon-Conwell's Center for the Study of Global Christianity.
The number of Christians worldwide reached 2.3 billion as of 2020, according to Pew Research Center, a survey- and census-based estimate that is lower than Gordon-Conwell because of a narrower definition and an earlier data year.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Growth in the Christian population | +122 million | 2010-2020 | Pew Research Center |
| Projected Christians worldwide | 3.31 billion | 2050 (projection) | Gordon-Conwell CSGC |
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The Global South shift
The center of gravity of world Christianity has moved from Europe and North America to Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In 1900 most Christians lived in the Global North; today more than two-thirds live in the Global South, and Africa is the single largest continent for Christians.
68.9% of all Christians live in the Global South as of 2025, up from 17.6% in 1900, according to Gordon-Conwell's Center for the Study of Global Christianity.
Sub-Saharan Africa is home to 30.7% of the world's Christians as of 2020, more than any other region, up from 24.8% in 2010, according to Pew Research Center.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christians in the Global South (vs 823.7M in the North) | 1.82 billion | 2025 | Gordon-Conwell CSGC |
| Christians in Africa (most of any continent) | 754 million | 2025 | Gordon-Conwell CSGC |
| Growth of Christians in sub-Saharan Africa (to 697M) | +31% | 2010-2020 | Pew Research Center |
| Christians in Europe (a 9% decline) | 505 million | 2010-2020 | Pew Research Center |
Christianity by tradition
The 2.65 billion break down into four main traditions: Catholics, Protestants, Independents (churches outside the Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox families), and Orthodox. Pentecostals, Charismatics, and Evangelicals are counted across these traditions rather than as separate ones. The Vatican reports its own Catholic count.
There are 1.406 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2023, according to the Vatican's Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae, whose yearbook data lags about two years.
There are about 628.9 million Protestants (628,862,000) worldwide in 2025, with Anglicans counted among Protestants, according to Gordon-Conwell's Center for the Study of Global Christianity.
About 663.9 million Christians (663,863,000) are Pentecostals or Charismatics in 2025, counted across traditions, according to Gordon-Conwell's Center for the Study of Global Christianity.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independent Christians (outside the three main families) | 409.4 million | 2025 | Gordon-Conwell CSGC |
| Orthodox Christians | 291.6 million | 2025 | Gordon-Conwell CSGC |
| Evangelicals (counted across traditions) | 420 million | 2025 | Gordon-Conwell CSGC |
| Global Catholic growth (from ~1.39 billion) | +1.15% | 2022-2023 | Vatican Annuarium |
| Catholic growth in Africa (fastest of any continent) | +3.31% | 2023 | Vatican Annuarium |
Where Christians live: countries and regions
Christians are highly concentrated: a handful of countries hold nearly half of them. The United States has the most, followed by Brazil, even as the number of Christian-majority countries has fallen over the past decade.
The United States has the most Christians of any country, about 217.3 million (64.0% of its population) as of 2020, according to Pew Research Center.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christians in Brazil (second-most, 80.7% of its people) | 168.3 million | 2020 | Pew Research Center |
| Top 10 countries' share of the world's Christians (1.1B) | 47% | 2020 | Pew Research Center |
| Christian-majority countries (of 201, down from 124) | 120 countries | 2020 | Pew Research Center |
The global church at a glance
Beyond headcounts, Gordon-Conwell tracks the scale and reach of the worldwide church: its congregations, the sheer number of denominations, cross-cultural mission, and Scripture translation into new languages.
There are about 4.4 million Christian congregations worldwide in 2025, according to Gordon-Conwell's Center for the Study of Global Christianity.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christian denominations and rites | 50,000 | 2025 | Gordon-Conwell CSGC |
| Foreign missionaries serving cross-culturally | 450,000 | 2025 | Gordon-Conwell CSGC |
| Languages with a New Testament translation | 2,500 languages | 2025 | Gordon-Conwell CSGC |
How we compiled these statistics
Every figure on this page is traced to a primary source and dated to the year the data was collected. Global totals, tradition breakdowns, the Global South share, congregations, missionaries, and Bible-translation figures come from Gordon-Conwell's Center for the Study of Global Christianity, Status of Global Christianity 2025. Share-of-population, growth, switching, regional, and country figures come from Pew Research Center's data on how the global religious landscape changed from 2010 to 2020. Catholic counts come from the Vatican's Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae for data year 2023, published in March 2025, and we note that two-year lag. Where Gordon-Conwell and Pew differ, we show both and explain why their definitions diverge. Islam and unaffiliated figures appear only as comparative context. We exclude persecution, martyrdom, and church-finance figures, and we do not cite the retracted UK Quiet Revival report.
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Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Gordon-Conwell CSGC, Status of Global Christianity 2025
- Pew Research Center, How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020 (June 2025)
- Pew Research Center, Countries With the Most Christians (June 2025)
- Pew Research Center, Number of Christian-majority countries declined 2010-2020 (July 2025)
- Vatican Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae 2023 (Pontifical Yearbook 2025)
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