How many Christians are there in the world?

Widely cited estimates from research bodies such as the Pew Research Center put the number at roughly 2.4 billion, making Christianity the largest religion in the world. These are careful estimates, not exact counts.

Is Christianity a Western religion?

No. Christianity was born in the Middle East, is ancient in Africa and Asia, and today grows fastest in the global South. It is the most globally spread of all faiths, present in almost every nation and language.

What holds global Christianity together?

Not one culture, language, or nation, but one person: Jesus Christ. Christians across many traditions confess him as Lord, and that shared confession is what makes them one Body (Revelation 7:9; John 17:21).

The global church

The Body of Christ Around the World

Christianity is the most global faith on earth. Its followers, roughly 2.4 billion people by widely cited estimates, are found in almost every nation, worshipping in thousands of languages across many traditions. It is not an American or European religion: it was born in the Middle East, is ancient in Africa and Asia, and today grows fastest in the global South. Yet through all this diversity, Christians confess one Lord, Jesus Christ, which is what makes them one Body.

One Body, many nations

From its very first day the church was never meant to belong to one people. Jesus sent his followers to the ends of the earth, and the vision John was given of the end is not of one nation or one language, but of a countless multitude drawn from all of them, standing together before God.

“After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb.”

Revelation 7:9

“Ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

Acts 1:8

This tour tries to honor that diversity honestly. Christianity looks different in Addis Ababa and in Seoul, in Manila and in Sao Paulo, in a Coptic monastery and in a Pentecostal storefront, and that difference is a gift, not a problem to be flattened. What holds it together is not a culture but a person.

Explore by continent

AfricaAncient and fast-growing AsiaWhere the faith was born EuropeDeep roots, changing tides Latin AmericaA vast Christian majority North AmericaMany peoples, many churches OceaniaIslands of deep faith The Middle EastThe birthplace

The big picture

The global churchThe whole family at a glance Christian traditionsThe many families of churches How many Christians?The numbers, honestly Where is it growing fastest?The global South

The traditions here

Around the world the one Body of Christ is expressed through many families of churches. Each carries real treasures of worship, service, and faithfulness. None of them is set here above or below another. They differ in language, in worship, and in some beliefs, and those differences are real, yet all confess Jesus Christ as Lord, and that shared confession is what makes them one.

The Catholic Church: The largest single communion, led by the Bishop of Rome, present on every continent and expressed through both the Latin rite and many Eastern Catholic churches.
Eastern Orthodoxy: The ancient churches of the Greek, Slavic, and other Eastern traditions, such as the Greek, Russian, Serbian, Romanian, and Antiochian Orthodox, keeping the liturgy and the councils of the first millennium.
Oriental Orthodoxy: The oldest churches of the East, including the Coptic (Egypt), Ethiopian and Eritrean, Armenian Apostolic, and Syriac Orthodox, each with its own ancient language, calendar, and rite.
Anglican and Episcopal churches: A worldwide communion born in England and now strongest in Africa, holding together sacramental worship and the open Bible.
Lutheran churches: Rooted in the Reformation of Martin Luther, strong in Germany and Scandinavia and, today, very numerous in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and across Africa and Asia.
Reformed and Presbyterian churches: The tradition of Calvin and the Reformation, from the Church of Scotland to large churches in Korea, Africa, and the Americas.
Baptist churches: Congregations gathered around believer's baptism and the local church, widespread across the Americas, Africa, and beyond.
Methodist and Wesleyan churches: Born in the revival of John Wesley, marked by warm-hearted faith and works of mercy, and now global.
Pentecostal and Charismatic churches: The fastest-growing stream, emphasizing the Holy Spirit, prayer, and healing, immense across Africa, Latin America, and Asia.
Evangelical and nondenominational churches: A wide family centered on the Gospel, the Bible, and personal faith in Christ, crossing many denominations.
African Independent (Initiated) Churches: Thousands of churches founded and led by Africans, such as the Aladura and Zion and Kimbanguist churches, giving African expression to the faith in Christ.
Countless local expressions: House churches, village congregations, minority communities, and new movements, in every language under heaven, each a real part of the one Body.

This is not a ladder to be climbed but a family to be loved. The apostle prayed that all who follow Jesus would be one, as he and the Father are one, so that the world might believe.

“That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”

John 17:21

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.

EthiopiaRead its own story NigeriaRead its own story ChinaRead its own story IndiaRead its own story BrazilRead its own story The PhilippinesRead its own story

Doors into the living church: Christianity around the world → · Find a church near you → · The church graph →

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.

“Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.”

Acts 2:6

Doors to Jesus: Meet Jesus (English) → · Why Jesus? → · Espanol: Por que Jesus → · Portugues: Por que Jesus →

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?: Widely cited estimates from research bodies such as the Pew Research Center put the number at roughly 2.4 billion, making Christianity the largest religion in the world. These are careful estimates, not exact counts.
Is Christianity a Western religion?: No. Christianity was born in the Middle East, is ancient in Africa and Asia, and today grows fastest in the global South. It is the most globally spread of all faiths, present in almost every nation and language.
What holds global Christianity together?: Not one culture, language, or nation, but one person: Jesus Christ. Christians across many traditions confess him as Lord, and that shared confession is what makes them one Body (Revelation 7:9; John 17:21).

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Come and see

One Body, many nations, many languages, many communities, and one Lord. Whatever land you are in, the same Jesus who has been loved across the earth for two thousand years still draws near to anyone who comes to him with an open heart. You do not have to have it all figured out. Read his own words, and find people near you who walk with him. The Gospel of John is a gentle place to begin, and it costs you nothing but a little quiet and an honest look.

Find a church near you Meet Jesus Read the Gospel of John

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Explore furtherChristianity around the world The global church Christian traditions Who is Jesus?Find a church