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As of the year 2023, Christianity had approximately 2.4 billion adherents and is the largest religion by population.[2] According to a PEW estimation in 2020, Christians made up to 2.38 billion of the worldwide population of about 8 billion people.[lower-alpha 1][3][4][5][6][7] It represents nearly one-third of the world's population and is the largest religion in the world, with the three largest groups of Christians being the Catholic Church, Protestantism, and the Eastern Orthodox Church.[8] The largest Christian denomination is the Catholic Church, with 1.3 billion baptized members.[9] The second largest Christian branch is either Protestantism (if it is considered a single group), or the Eastern Orthodox Church (if Protestants are considered to be divided into multiple denominations).
According to a 2012 Pew Research Center study, of the then 232 countries and territories, 157 had Christian majorities.[10]
Christianity is the predominant religion and faith in Europe, the Americas, the Philippines, East Timor, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Oceania.[11] There are also large Christian communities in other parts of the world, such as Indonesia, Central Asia, the Middle East, and West Africa where Christianity is the second-largest religion after Islam. The United States has the largest Christian population in the world, followed by Brazil, Mexico, Russia, and the Philippines.[12]
Christianity in multiple forms is the state religion of the following 15 nations: Argentina (Catholic Church),[13] Armenia (Armenian Apostolic Church), Tuvalu (Church of Tuvalu), Costa Rica (Catholic Church),[14] Kingdom of Denmark (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark),[15] England (Church of England),[16] Greece (Church of Greece), Georgia (Eastern Orthodox Church),[17][18] Iceland (Church of Iceland),[19] Liechtenstein (Catholic Church),[20] Malta (Catholic Church),[21] Monaco (Catholic Church),[22] Vatican City (Catholic Church),[23] and Zambia. Christianity used to be the state religion of the former Ethiopian Empire (adopted in 340 A.D. by the Kingdom of Aksum) prior to the government's overthrow.[24]
Population data are compiled using statistical science and are subject to observational error; these numbers should therefore be considered estimates only. The total number of Christians for each country is based on the number of people who are members of a Christian denomination or who identify themselves as Christian, plus their children. The number of people who actually believe in God or who regularly attend church is not addressed.
A list of the top ten countries by largest number of Christians according to Pew Research Center in 2010.[25][26]
Rank | Country | Christians | % Christian |
---|---|---|---|
1 | United States | 246,790,000 | 79.5% |
2 | Brazil | 175,700,000 | 90.2% |
3 | Mexico | 107,780,000 | 95.0% |
4 | Russia | 105,220,000 | 73.6% |
5 | Philippines | 86,790,000 | 93.1% |
6 | Nigeria | 80,510,000 | 50.8% |
7 | China | 67,070,000 | 5.0% |
8 | Congo DR | 63,150,000 | 95.7% |
9 | Germany | 58,240,000 | 70.8% |
10 | South Africa | 52,886,000 | 85.3% |
A list of the top ten countries by highest percentage of the population that is Christian according to Pew Research Center in 2010.[26]
Rank | Country | % Christian | Christians |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Vatican City | 100% | 800 |
2 | Romania | 99.0% | 21,490,000 |
3 | Papua New Guinea | 99.0% | 6,860,000 |
4 | Tonga | 99.0% | 100,000 |
5 | Timor-Leste | 99.0% | 1,120,000 |
6 | Armenia | 98.5% | 3,090,000 |
7 | Namibia | 97.6% | 2,280,000 |
8 | Marshall Islands | 97.5% | 50,000 |
9 | Moldova | 97.5% | 3,570,000 |
10 | Solomon Islands | 97.5% | 520,000 |
This section needs additional citations for verification. (July 2020) |
This section needs to be updated. (July 2020) |
Country or entity | Christians | % Christian | % Catholic | % Protestant / Orthodox / Other Christian |
---|---|---|---|---|
Afghanistan (details) | 6,250/8,000[27] – 30,000[28] | 0.02%[28] | ||
Albania (details) | 580,000 | 17.0%[29] | 10.0% | 7.0% |
Algeria (details) | 20,000 – 200,000[30] or 71,000 (estimate for 2010)[31] | 0.01% | 0.01% | 1.0% |
American Samoa (details) | 70,000 | 98.3% | 20.0% | |
Andorra (details) | 78,000 | 89.5% | 88.2%[32] | 1.3% |
Angola (details) | 17,094,000 | 75.0%[33] | 50.0% | 25.0% |
Anguilla (details) | 15,000 | 90.5% | 3.0% | 87.0% |
Antigua and Barbuda (details) | 66,000 | 74.0% | 10.0% | 64.0% |
Argentina (details) | 34,940,108 | 77.0%[34] | 66.0%[34] | 11.0%[34] |
Armenia (details) | 2,826,000[35] | 97.9%[35] | 1.0%[35] | 96.9%[35] |
Aruba (details) | 98,000 | 88% | 80.8% | 7.8% |
Australia (details) | 11,148,814 | 43.9%[36] | 20.0% | 23.9% |
Austria (details) | 5,185,959 | 58.0% – 62.0% | 54.9%[37] | 3.0% – 7.0%[38][39] |
Azerbaijan (details) | 280,000[40] | 3.1% | 3.1% | |
Bahamas (details) | 335,975 | 95.0%[41] | 12.0% | 83.0% |
Bahrain (details) | 185,000 | 15.0%[42] | 9.0% | |
Bangladesh (details) | 495,000 | 0.3%[43] | 0.4% | |
Barbados (details) | 244,000 | 74.0%[44] | 4.2% | 70.0% |
Belarus (details) | 5,265,000 | 55.4%[45] | 7.1% | 48.3% |
Belgium (details) | 6,860,000 | 65.0%[46] | 58.0%[46] | 7.0%[46] |
Belize (details) | 247,000 | 76.7% | 40.0% | 36.7% |
Benin (details) | 5,570,000 | 48.5%[47] | 25.5% | 23.0% |
Bermuda (details) | 44,000 | 64.7% | 15.0% | 50.0% |
Bhutan (details) | 7,000 | 1.0% | 0.1% | 0.9% |
Bolivia (details) | 9,730,000 | 89.0% | 76.0% | 13.0% |
Bosnia and Herzegovina (details) | 1,622,093[48] | 45.94%[48] | 15.19%[48] | 30.75%[48] |
Botswana (details) | 1,416,000 | 71.6% | 5.0% | 66.0% |
Brazil (details) | 180,770,000[49] | 90.0%[49] | 64.6%[49] | 22.2%[49] |
British Virgin Islands (details) | 23,000 | 94.0% | 9.0% | 85.0% |
Brunei (details) | 29,000 | 7.1%[50] | ||
Bulgaria (details) | 6,364,000 | 64.7%[51] | 0.6% | 64.1%[46] |
Burkina Faso (details) | 5,393,000 | 26.3%[52] | 20.1% | 6.2% |
Burundi (details) | 7,662,000 | 75.0% | 60.0% | 15.0% |
Cambodia (details) | 148,000 | 1.0% | 0.15% | 0.85% |
Cameroon (details) | 15,390,000 | 73.0%[53] | 44.4% | 29.3% |
Canada (details) | 19,300,000[54] | 53.3%[54] | 29.9%[54] | 23.4%[55] |
Cape Verde (details) | 487,000 | 89.1%[28] | 78.7% | 10.4% |
Cayman Islands (details) | 52,600 | 66.9%[56] | 13.6% | 53.3% |
Central African Republic (details) | 2,302,000 | 80.0% | 29.0% | 51.0% |
Chad (details) | 4,150,000[28] | 35.0% | 20.0% | 15.0% |
Chile (details) | 9,900,000 | 68.0%[57] | 55.0% | 13.0% |
People's Republic of China (details) | 31,220,000[58] – 34,610,000 / 49,170,000[59] |
2.5% – 3.5%[59] |
0.46% – 0.69%[59] | 2.0% – 2.89%[59] |
Colombia (details) | 43,560,000 | 92.0%[60] | 79.0% | 13.0% |
Comoros (details) | 15,000 | 2.1% | ||
Cook Islands (details) | 13,000 | 87.0%[61] | 17.4% | 69.6% |
Congo, Republic of (details) | 3,409,000 | 90.7% | 50.0% | 40.0% |
Congo, Democratic Republic of (details) | 63,150,000 | 92.0% | 50.0% | 42.0% |
Costa Rica (details) | 4,000,000 | 82.0% | 57.0% | 25.0% |
Côte d'Ivoire (details) | 11,697,000 | 39.8%[62] | ||
Croatia (details) | 3,383,046[63] | 87.4%[64] | 79.0% | 8.4% |
Cuba (details) | 6,670,000[28] | 65.0%[65] | 52.7% | 7.5% |
Cyprus (details) | 863,000 | 79.0%[66][67] | 1.0% | 78.0% |
Czech Republic (details) | 1,725,963 | 16.4%[68] | 13.4% | 3.0% |
Denmark (details) | 4,400,754[69] | 79.0% | 1.0% | 77.8%[70] |
Djibouti (details) | 53,000 | 6.0% | 1.0% | 5.0% |
Dominica (details) | 59,000 | 88.7% | 61.0% | 27.0% |
Dominican Republic (details) | 9,734,000 | 83.0% | 65.0% | 18.0% |
Ecuador (details) | 14,099,000 | 94.0% | 74.0% | 20.0% |
Egypt (details) | 9,029,000 | 10.0%[71] | ||
El Salvador (details) | 5,073,000 | 81.9% | 52.6% | 29.3% |
Equatorial Guinea (details) | 683,000 | 88.7%[28] | 80.7% | 8.0% |
Eritrea (details) | 3,577,000 | 67.0%[72] | 4.0% | 54.0% |
Estonia (details) | 408,847 | 30.7%[73] | 0.9% | 29.8% |
Eswatini (details) | 994,000 | 82.7% | 25.0% | 57.7% |
Ethiopia (details) | 77,477,000 | 75.0% | 0.7% | 63.4% |
Falkland Islands (details) | 3,000 | 94.3% | 94.0% | |
Faroe Islands (details) | 33,000 | 95.4%[74] | 94.0% | |
Fiji (details) | 540,000 | 64.4% | 8.9% | 55.5% |
Finland (details) | 3,736,000[75] | 67.1%[75] | 0.3% | 66.9% |
France (details) | 25,744,860-33,874,816 | 38.0% (2020 estimate)[76][lower-alpha 2] - 50% (2021 estimate) | 29.0% - 47%[77] | 9.0%[76] - 3%[77] |
Gabon (details) | 1,081,000 | 88.0%[78] | 41.9% | 46.1% |
Gambia (details) | 79,000 | 4.2%[79] | ||
Georgia (details) | 3,241,000 | 88.1%[80] | 0.5% | 87.6% |
Germany (details) | 44,861,000 | 53.9%[81] | 26.7%[81] | 27.2%[81] |
Ghana (details) | 21,955,000 | 71.3%[82] | 10.0% | 61.3% |
Greece (details) | 10,000,000 | 93.0%[83] | <1.0%[83] | |
Greenland (details) | 55,000 | 96.6% | 96.6% | |
Grenada (details) | 101,000 | 97.3% | 53.0% | 45.0% |
Guatemala (details) | 14,018,000 | 87.0% | 47.0% | 40.0% |
Guinea (details) | 1,032,000 | 8.9%[84] | 5.0% | 5.0% |
Guinea-Bissau (details) | 165,000 | 10.0% | 10.0% | |
Guyana (details) | 468,000 | 62.7%[85] | 7.1% | 55.6% |
Haiti (details) | 9,597,000 | 96.0% | 80.0% | 16.0% |
Honduras (details) | 6,660,000 | 88.0%[86] | 47.0% | 41.0% |
Hong Kong (details) | 1,357,000 | 18.4%[87] | 5.0% | 6.8% |
Hungary (details) | 5,254,179[88] – 6,501,000[46] | 52.87%[88] – 65.0%[46] | 38.96%[88] – 58.0%[46] | 13.91%[88] |
Iceland (details) | 272,200[89] | 72.3%[89] | 3.9%[89] | 68.4%[89] |
India (details) | 30,000,000 | 2.3%[35] | 1.3% | 1.0% |
Indonesia (details) | 29,149,241[90] | 10.49%[91] | 3.06% | 7.43% |
Iran (details) | 380,000 – 1,500,000[92] | 0.4% –1.5% | 0.4% –1.5% | |
Iraq (details) | 500,000 | 1.2% | 1.2% | |
Ireland (details) | 3,992,000 (2016)[93]nd | 83.8% (2016)[93] | 78.2% (2016)[93] | 5.6% (2016)[93] |
Israel (details) | 266,000 | 3.5% | 3.5% | |
Italy (details) | 53,230,000[94] | 83.0% | 81.2% | 2.0% |
Jamaica (details) | 1,859,000 | 68.9% | 2.2% | 66.7% |
Japan (details) | 1,915,294 | 1.1%[95] | 0.5% | 0.6% |
Jordan (details) | 388,000 | 6.0%[96] | ||
Kazakhstan (details) | 3,300,000 | 17.2%[97] | ||
Kenya (details) | 40,668,000 | 85.5%[98] | 20.6% | 64.9% |
Korea, North (details) | 406,000 | 1.7% | ||
Korea, South (details) | 13,566,000 | 27.6%[99] | 7.9% | 19.7% |
Kuwait (details) | 458,000 | 15.0% | 3.2% | 12.8% |
Kyrgyzstan (details) | 610,000[28] – 944,000 | 11.4%[28] – 17.0%[100] | ||
Laos (details) | 145,000 | 2.2% | 1.0% | 1.0% |
Latvia (details) | 1,570,000 | 70.0%[46] – 80.0%[101] | 24.1%[46] – 25.1%[101][102] | 46.8%[46] – 54.9%[101] |
Lebanon (details) | 1,600,000 –1,800,000[103][104] | 38.0% – 41.0% | 26.0% | 15.0% |
Lesotho (details) | 1,876,000 | 90.0% | 45.0% | 45.0% |
Liberia (details) | 1,391,000 | 85.5%[105] | 85.5% | |
Libya (details) | 170,000[28] | 2.7%[28] | 0.5% | 1.5% |
Liechtenstein (details) | 30,000 | 84.4%[106] | 75.9% | 8.5% |
Lithuania (details) | 2,232,000 | 79.4%[107] | 74.2% | 5.2% |
Luxembourg (details) | 360,000 | 72.4%[108] | 68.7% | 3.7% |
Madagascar (details) | 22,322,966 | 85.0%[109] | ||
Malawi (details) | 13,582,000 | 77.3%[110] | 17.2% | 60.1% |
Malaysia (details) | 2,271,000 | 9.0%[111] | 41.3% | 35.5% |
Maldives (details) | 300 - 1,400[112] | 0.08% | ||
Mali (details) | 348,000 | 2.4%[113] | ||
Malta (details) | 400,000 | 91.6%[114] | 88.6% | 3.0% |
Mauritania (details) | 5,000 | 0.14% | ||
Mauritius (details) | 418,000 | 32.2% | ||
Mexico (details) | 111,959,525 | 88.9%[115] | 77.7% | 11.2% |
Micronesia, Federated States of (details) | 106,000 | 95.4% | ||
Moldova (details) | 2,752,000 | 91.8%[116] | 0.1% | 91.7% |
Monaco (details) | 30,000 | 82.6%[117] | 77.0[117] | |
Mongolia (details) | 42,859 | 1.3%[118] | ||
Montenegro (details) | 500,000 | 78.8%[119] | 3.4% | 72.4% |
Morocco (details) | 336,000 | 1.0%[120] | ||
Mozambique (details) | 13,121,000 | 56.1% | 28.4% | 27.7% |
Myanmar (details) | 3,790,000 | 6.2% | 1.0% | 5.2% |
Namibia (details) | 1,991,000 | 90.0% | 13.7% | 76.3% |
Nepal (details) | 376,000 | 1.4%[121] | ||
Netherlands (details) | 5,382,883 | 30.0% (2023)[122] | 17.0% (registered, 2023)[122] | 13.0% (2023)[123] |
New Zealand (details) | 1,738,638 (2018)[124] | 37.0% (2018)[124] | 10.0% (2018)[124] | 27.0% (2018)[124] |
Nicaragua (details) | 5,217,000 | 84.6% | 58.8% | 25.8% |
Niger (details) | 85,000 | 0.5% | 5.0% | |
Nigeria (details) | 74,400,000 – 107,000,000 | 45.9%[125] | 10.6% | 35.3% |
North Macedonia (details) | 1,110,000 | 60.4%[126][127] | 0.4% | 60.0% |
Norway (details) | 3,844,000[128] | 76.7% (2018)[129][130] | 2.4%[131] | 73.8% (2018)[129][130] |
Oman (details) | 180,000[28] | 6.5%[28] | ||
Pakistan (details) | 3,300,000 | 1.6%[132] | 0.8% | 0.8% |
Palau (details) | 16,000 | 77.9% | 65.0% | 12.9% |
Panama (details) | 3,057,000 | 92.0% | 80.0% | 12.0% |
Papua New Guinea (details) | 6,800,000 | 97.0% | 27.0% | 70.0% |
Paraguay (details) | 6,260,000 | 96.0%[86] | 88.0% | 8.0% |
Peru (details) | 29,519,000 | 94.5%[133] | 76.0% | 18.5% |
Philippines (details) | 92,746,021 [134] | 85.3% | 78.8% | 6.5% |
Pitcairn Islands (details) | 50 | 100.0% | 100.0% | |
Poland (details) | 36,972,200 | 92.2%[135] | 90.0% | 1.2% |
Portugal (details) | 7,445,000 | 84.8%[136] | 80.2% | 4.6% |
Puerto Rico (details) | 3,878,000 | 89.0%[137][138] | 56.0% | 33.0% |
Qatar (details) | 263,000 | 13.8% | ||
Romania (details) | 18,067,000 | 98.0%[46] | 11.0%[46] | 87.0%[46] |
Russia (details) | 66,000,000 – 99,775,000 [139][140] | 46.6%[141] – 77.0%[142][143] | < 0.1% | 46.6% – 77.0% |
Rwanda (details) | 9,619,000 | 93.6% | 56.9% | 26.0% |
San Marino (details) | 31,000 | 91.6%[28] | 90.5% | 1.1% |
Saudi Arabia (details) | 1,500,000 | 5.0%[144] | ||
Senegal (details) | 570,000 | 4.2%[145] | ||
Serbia (details) | 7,260,000 | 91.0%[146] | 5.0% | 86.0% |
Seychelles (details) | 80,000 | 94.7% | 82.0% | 15.2% |
Sierra Leone (details) | 619,000 – 1,294,000 | 10.0%[147] –20.9%[148] | ||
Singapore (details) | 1,075,000 | 18.9%[149][150][151] | 7.0% | 11.9% |
Slovakia (details) | 3,748,000 | 68.8%[152] | 59.8% | 9.0% |
Slovenia (details) | 1,610,000 | 68.0%[46] | 64.0%[46] | 4.0%[46] |
Somalia (details) | 1,000[153] | 0.01% | 0.0002% | 0.01% |
South Africa (details) | 52,886,000 | 85.3%[154] | 5.0% | 75.0% |
South Sudan (details) | 6,010,000[155] | 60.5%[156] | 30.0% | 30.0% |
Spain (details) | 28,000,000 | 59.2%[157] | 58.2%[157] | 1.0%[157] |
Sri Lanka (details) | 1,531,000 | 7.4% | 6.1% | 1.3% |
Sudan (details) | 525,000 | 1.5%[158] | ||
Suriname (details) | 262,000 | 48.4% – 51.6%[159][160] | 21.6% | 26.8% |
Sweden (details) | 6,577,478 | 64.3%[161] | 1.2% | 63.1% |
Switzerland (details) | 5,700,000 | 66.9%[162] – 69.1%[163] | 36.5%[162] – 37.9%[163] | 30.4%[162] – 31.2%[163] |
Syria (details) | 1,800,000[164] | 10.0%[28] | 2.0% | 8.0% |
Tajikistan (details) | 110,000[28] | 1.4% | 0.1% | 1.3% |
Tanzania (details) | 31,342,000 | 61.4%[165] | ||
Thailand (details) | 768,000 | 1.1%[166] | ||
Timor-Leste (details) | 1,338,500 [167] | 99.6%[168] | 97.6% | 2.0% |
Togo (details) | 1,966,000 | 29.0% | ||
Tonga (details) | 84,000 | 81.0% | 16.0% | 65.0% |
Trinidad and Tobago (details) | 774,000 | 57.6%[169] | 21.5% | 33.4% |
Tunisia (details) | 30,000[170][lower-alpha 3] | |||
Turkey (details) | 120,000[171] – 310,000[172] | 0.2% | ||
Turkmenistan (details) | 466,000 | 9.0%[173] | 9.0% | |
Uganda (details) | 29,266,000 | 84.5%[174] | 39.3% | 45.2% |
Ukraine (details) | 34,830,000[175] | 81.9%[175] | 7.5% | 74.4% |
United Arab Emirates (details) | 940,000 | 9.0%[176] | 7.0% | 2.0% |
United Kingdom (details) | 25,585,000[177] – 31,889,000 | 38.0% [178] – 47.7%[179][180][181] | 7.0%[182] | 31.0%[182] |
United States (details) | 213,000,000[183] | 65.0% (2019)[183] – 73.0%[184] | 20.0%[183] – 22.7%[184] | 45.0%[183] – 48.5%[184] |
Uruguay (details) | 1,941,000 | 58.1%[57] | 47.0% | 11.0% |
Uzbekistan (details) | 710,000[28] | 2.6%[28] | 2.6%[28] | |
Venezuela (details) | 28,340,000 | 88.0%[185] | 71.0% | 17.0% |
Vietnam (details) | 6,831,000 | 7.1%[186] | 6.1% | 1.0% |
Yemen (details) | 25,000[187] – 41,000[188] | 0.01% | 0.01% | |
Zambia (details) | 12,939,000 | 95.5%[189] | 20.2% | 72.3% |
Zimbabwe (details) | 12,500,000 | 87.0%[190] | 17.0% | 63.0% |
Europe | 565,560,000[7] | 76.2%[7] | 35.0%[191] | 41.2%[7] |
Latin America and the Caribbean | 531,280,000[7] | 90.0%[7] | 70.0%[192] | 20.0%[193] |
Africa | 526,016,926[7] | 62.7%[7] | 21.0%[191] | 41.7%[7] |
Asia | 285,120,000[7] –375,905,000[194] | 7.0%[7] –12.0%[194] | 3.0%[191] –5.1%[194] | 4.0%[7] –6.8%[194] |
North America | 266,630,000[7] | 77.4%[7] | 22.0%[191] | 55.4% |
Oceania | 25,754,000[195] | 73.3%[195] | 38.9%[195] | 34.4%[195] |
Middle East-North Africa | 12,000,000 –16,000,000[196] | 3.8%[7] –5.0%[197] | 2.0%[191] –2.6% | 1.8%[7] – 2.3% |
Total | 2,431,209,718[194] | 33.4%[194] | 16.9%[194] | 16.5%[194] |
State | Christians | % Christian |
---|---|---|
Abkhazia (details) | 130,000 | 68.0% |
Kosovo (details) | 150,000 | 8.7%[198] |
Palestine (details) | 173,000 | 6.0%[199] |
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (details) | 200 | 0.03% |
South Ossetia (details) | 69,000 | 96.4% |
Taiwan (details) | 902,000 | 3.9%[200] |
Transnistria (details) | 510,000 | 95.0% |
Vatican City (details) | 836 | 100.0% |
According to World Population Review, there were 2.38 billion Christians around the world in 2021.[201] According to a 2012 Pew Research Center survey, if current trends continue, Christianity will remain the world's largest religion by year 2050. According to a 2015 Pew Research Center study, Christianity is estimated to reach 3 billion adherents out of a projected population of 9.3 billion people in 2050, achieving parity with Muslim populations for the first time in history, which are predicted to be about 2.8 billion in 2050.[202]
Tradition | Followers | % of the Christian population | % of the world population | Follower dynamics | Dynamics in- and outside Christianity |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Catholicism | 1,200,000,000 | 52.4 | 15.9 | Growing | Stable |
Protestantism | 800,640,000 | 34.9 | 11.6 | Growing | Growing |
Orthodoxy | 260,380,000 | 11.4 | 3.8 | Growing | Growing |
Other Christianity | 28,430,000 | 1.3 | 0.4 | Growing | Growing |
Christianity | 2,289,450,000 | 100 | 31.7 | Growing | Stable |
Other religions:
General:
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