The Living Bread Research
Christianity in South Africa: How Many Christians and Churches?
South Africa is home to roughly 62 million people, of whom about 85.3% identify as Christian, around 53 million, according to Pew Research Center (2020). Its Christian population is a large Protestant and Independent (Zionist and Pentecostal) presence, plus Roman Catholic. Counting the exact number of churches is much harder, because no single registry lists every congregation; The Living Bread has mapped 546 churches in South Africa so far from open data, a growing sample rather than a national total.
Which churches are in South Africa?
Christianity in South Africa is a large Protestant and Independent (Zionist and Pentecostal) presence, plus Roman Catholic.
How these numbers are counted
Christian share and population are estimates that differ between sources and years. Here the Christian share is from Pew Research Center (2020) and the population is from Wikidata. National Christian estimates from Pew Research Center, government censuses, and other bodies can each differ by several points, so we cite the source and year rather than presenting a single "true" number.
The church count (546) is The Living Bread's own directory, built from OpenStreetMap. It is a growing sample of mapped congregations, not a claim about the total number of churches in the country, which no single registry reliably measures.
People also ask
How many Christians are in South Africa?
About 85.3% of the population, roughly 53 million people, identify as Christian, according to Pew Research Center (2020). Estimates differ between sources and years, so treat this as a well-sourced approximation.
How many churches are in South Africa?
There is no single authoritative count of every church. The Living Bread has mapped 546 churches in South Africa from OpenStreetMap so far. That is a growing directory sample, not the national total, which is genuinely difficult to measure because congregations open, close, and go unregistered.
What is the population of South Africa?
Approximately 62,027,503 people, per Wikidata's most recent figure. Combined with the Christian share above, that gives an estimate of around 53 million Christians.
Where do these numbers come from?
The Christian share is from Pew Research Center (2020); the population is from Wikidata; and the church count is The Living Bread's own directory built on OpenStreetMap. We cite each so you can check them yourself.
Find a church, or explore the faith
Explore the Christian landscape of South Africa, browse its churches, or begin with who Jesus is.
Christianity in South AfricaChurches in South AfricaWho is Jesus?Sources: Pew Research Center (2020) for the Christian share; Wikidata for population; OpenStreetMap contributors for the church directory. Figures are estimates; see the methodology above.