The Living Bread Research
Christianity in South Korea: How Many Christians and Churches?
South Korea is home to roughly 51 million people, of whom about 31% identify as Christian, around 16 million, according to Korea Research survey (2025). Counting the exact number of churches is much harder, because no single registry lists every congregation; The Living Bread has mapped 387 churches in South Korea so far from open data, a growing sample rather than a national total.
Which churches are in South Korea?
Christianity in South Korea is Protestant 20%, Roman Catholic 11%.
How these numbers are counted
Christian share and population are estimates that differ between sources and years. Here the Christian share is from Korea Research survey (2025) 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 (387) 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 Korea?
About 31% of the population, roughly 16 million people, identify as Christian, according to Korea Research survey (2025). Estimates differ between sources and years, so treat this as a well-sourced approximation.
How many churches are in South Korea?
There is no single authoritative count of every church. The Living Bread has mapped 387 churches in South Korea 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 Korea?
Approximately 51,466,201 people, per Wikidata's most recent figure. Combined with the Christian share above, that gives an estimate of around 16 million Christians.
Where do these numbers come from?
The Christian share is from Korea Research survey (2025); 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 Korea, browse its churches, or begin with who Jesus is.
Christianity in South KoreaChurches in South KoreaWho is Jesus?Sources: Korea Research survey (2025) for the Christian share; Wikidata for population; OpenStreetMap contributors for the church directory. Figures are estimates; see the methodology above.