The global church

How Many Christians Are There in the World?

By widely cited estimates from research bodies such as the Pew Research Center, there are roughly 2.4 billion Christians in the world, about a third of humanity, making Christianity the largest religion on earth. This is a careful estimate rather than an exact count, since no one can survey every person. Most of the world's Christians now live in Africa, Latin America, and Asia rather than in Europe and North America.

Roughly 2.4 billion, and why it is an estimate

The most widely cited figure, from research bodies such as the Pew Research Center and the Center for the Study of Global Christianity, is that there are around 2.4 billion Christians in the world, close to a third of all people. That makes Christianity the largest religion on earth, ahead of Islam, which is the second largest and growing.

It is important to be honest about what kind of number this is. No one can count every believer on the planet. Figures like these are estimates, built from national censuses, large surveys, and church records, and careful researchers give them as approximations, not exact tallies. In some countries, such as China, much of the church is unregistered, so estimates there vary widely. We would rather give you an honest range than a false precision.

Where the world's Christians live

The old picture of Christianity as a mainly European and North American faith is out of date. Today the largest numbers of Christians are found in the global South. Sub-Saharan Africa now holds a very large share of the world's Christians, along with Latin America and growing numbers in Asia. The United States still has one of the largest national Christian populations, and Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria, the Philippines, China, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are all among the largest.

More than a number

Behind the figure are real people in almost every nation and language, and the number itself is less important than the person at the center of it. Christianity is not finally a statistic but a living relationship with Jesus Christ, one person at a time.

Find community

Reading about the church is good. Belonging to it is better. Here are honest doors into the living communities behind these words, and into a church near you.

Meet Jesus in your language

The Gospel has never belonged to one nation or one tongue. From the first day the Spirit came, people heard the wonderful works of God each in their own language, and that is still the heart of the church. Wherever you are, and whatever words you pray in, Jesus draws near.

More languages are opening over time. If your language is not here yet, the Gospel of John and an honest prayer in your own words are a good place to begin.

Frequently asked questions

How many Christians are there in the world?

By widely cited estimates from research bodies such as the Pew Research Center, roughly 2.4 billion, about a third of humanity, making Christianity the largest religion on earth. This is a careful estimate, not an exact count.

Is Christianity the largest religion?

Yes. With an estimated 2.4 billion followers, Christianity is the largest religion in the world, ahead of Islam, the second largest. Both figures are researchers' estimates, not exact tallies.

Where do most Christians live today?

Most now live in the global South. Sub-Saharan Africa holds a very large share, along with Latin America and growing numbers in Asia. Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria, the Philippines, China, and the United States are among the largest populations.