List of Christian denominations by number of members

This is a list of Christian denominations by number of members. It is inevitably partial and generally based on claims by the denominations themselves. The numbers should therefore be considered approximate and the article is an ongoing work-in-progress.

World Christianity by tradition in 2024 as per World Christian Database^[1]

1. Catholic (48.6%)
2. Protestant (23.8%)
3. Independent (16%)
4. Eastern/Oriental Orthodox (11.1%)
5. Other (0.5%)

World Christianity by tradition in 2011 as per Pew Research Center^[2]

1. Catholic (50.1%)
2. Protestant (36.7%)
3. Eastern Orthodox (9.4%)
4. Oriental Orthodox (2.5%)
5. Other (1.3%)

The list includes the Catholic Church (including Eastern Catholic Churches), Protestant denominations with at least 0.2 million members, the Eastern Orthodox Church (and its offshoots), Oriental Orthodox Churches (and their offshoots), Nontrinitarian Restorationism, independent Catholic denominations, Nestorianism and all the other Christian branches and denominations with distinct theologies or polities.

Christianity is the largest religious group in the world, with an estimated 2.3 to 2.6 billion adherents in 2020.^[3][4][5][6]

Christian denominational families

The various denominations of Christianity fall into several large families, shaped both by culture and history.

Christianity arose in the first century AD after Rome had conquered much of the western parts of the fragmented Hellenistic empire created by Alexander the Great. The linguistic and cultural divisions of the first century AD Roman Empire with, broadly speaking, a Latin West and a Greek East, but also with significant areas in North Africa where Coptic was the dominant language, and areas in the Near East where Syriac or Aramaic was the dominant language, were reflected in the early Christian church. The church was called "Catholic" meaning "universal" from very early in the second century, a tacit acknowledgement of the many different cultures it encompassed.

Early Christianity suffered great, although intermittent, persecution from the state until Emperor Constantine the Great issued the Edict of Milan in 313 AD, legalizing Christianity. Shortly after the cessation of persecution, the Church had the luxury of reflecting on the meaning of its own teachings for the first time. Significant disputes arose, particularly over the nature of Christ and the relationship between Christ, the Father, and the Spirit. The Church chose to address those disputes with Ecumenical councils, the first four of which were at Nicaea, Constantinople, Ephesus and Chalcedon. The first two of these councils, the First Council of Nicaea and the First Council of Constantinople gave birth to the Nicene Creed which has become the touchstone for Christian beliefs.

Both of the next two Councils, the Council of Ephesus, and the Council of Chalcedon led to significant ruptures in the Church. Many Christians espousing the minority position at these two councils, even after extensive discussion and attempts at reconciliation, chose to strike out on their own, rather than to accept the positions held by the majority of the church fathers at the councils. Refusing to accept the Council of Ephesus, the Church of the East, encompassing many Syriac speaking Christians in what was then the far East of the Empire, split off in 431 AD. A few decades later, in 451 AD, after the Council of Chalcedon, the group that later became known as the Oriental Orthodox Churches, encompassing many Coptic speaking Christians in North Africa, also split off.

In 1054 AD, an accumulation of misunderstanding, disrespect and genuine theological differences led to the Great Schism, dividing Greek speaking Christians who became the Eastern Orthodox, from Latin speaking Christians who kept the name Catholic, but increasingly prefaced it with the adjective "Roman".

Beginning in 1517, the remaining western, Latin speaking church was itself rent asunder by the Reformation with many Christians rejecting papal authority and gathering together in new ways. Broadly speaking Protestantism has four streams: Lutheranism, Calvinism, Anabaptism, and Anglicanism. While all of these Christian groups from the Church of the East on, have their own subsequent splits, the fragmentation in Protestantism has been extreme, with tens of thousands of denominations. Some of these fragmented groups, particularly among the Eastern churches, have sought to return to Rome, and have reunited themselves under papal authority.

Major denominational families in Christianity:

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Western Christianity

Eastern Christianity

Protestantism

Anabaptism

Anglicanism

Lutheranism

Reformed

(Latin Church)

Catholic Church

(Eastern Catholic Churches)

Eastern Orthodox Church

Oriental Orthodox Churches

Church of the East

Schism (1552)

Assyrian Church of the East

Ancient Church of the East

Protestant Reformation

(16th century)

Great Schism

(11th century)

Council of Ephesus (431)

Council of Chalcedon (451)

Early Christianity

Great Church

(Full communion)

(Not shown are ante-Nicene, nontrinitarian, and restorationist denominations.)

Major branches and movements within Protestantism

Christianity – 2.3 to 2.6 billion

Catholicism – 1.406 billion

A map of Catholicism by population percentage

Catholicism is the main branch of Christianity and the Catholic Church is the largest among churches. About 50% of all Christians are Catholics.^[1][2] According to the annual directory of the Catholic Church or Annuario Pontificio of 2024, there were 1.390 billion baptized Catholics in 2022;^[7][8][9] that was 1.406 billion in 2023. In 2024, the World Christian Database reported 1.278 billion Catholics.^[1] That figure does not include independent denominations that self-identify as Catholic, numbering some 18 million adherents subscribing to Old Catholicism and other forms of Independent Catholicism.

Latin Church – 1.388 billion

Eastern Catholic Churches – 18 million^[10]

• Byzantine Rite – 8.7 million
  • Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church – 5.5 million^[11]
  • Melkite Greek Catholic Church – 1.6 million^[12]
  • Romanian Greek Catholic Church – 0.5 million^[12]
  • Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church – 0.4 million^[12]
  • Hungarian Greek Catholic Church – 0.3 million^[12]
  • Slovak Greek Catholic Church – 0.3 million^[12]
  • Belarusian Greek Catholic Church – 0.1 million^[13]
  • Italo-Albanian Catholic Church – 0.01 million^[12]
  • Greek Catholic Church of Croatia and Serbia – 0.01 million^[12]
  • Georgian Byzantine Catholic Church (not sui iuris) – 0.01 million^[14]
  • Albanian Greek Catholic Church – 0.01 million^[15]
  • Russian Greek Catholic Church – 0.01 million^[13]
  • Greek Byzantine Catholic Church – 0.006 million^[16]
  • Macedonian Greek Catholic Church – 0.001 million^[17]
  • Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church – 0.001 million^[12]
• East Syriac Rite – 4.9 million
  • Syro-Malabar Church – 4.3 million^[12]
  • Chaldean Catholic Church – 0.6 million^[12]
• West Syriac Rite – 4.2 million
  • Maronite Church – 3.5 million^[12]
  • Syro-Malankara Catholic Church – 0.5 million^[12]
  • Syriac Catholic Church – 0.2 million^[12]
• Armenian Rite – 0.8 million
  • Armenian Catholic Church – 0.8 million^[12]
• Alexandrian Rite – 0.5 million
  • Coptic Catholic Church – 0.2 million^[12]
  • Eritrean Catholic Church – 0.2 million^[12]
  • Ethiopian Catholic Church – 0.07 million^[12]

Canonically irregular groups

• Society of Saint Pius X – 1 million^[18]

Sedevacantists

Main article: Sedevacantism

• Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen^{[citation needed]}
• Society of Saint Pius V^{[citation needed]}

Protestantism – 0.6–1.1 billion

Countries by number of Protestants (2010)

Protestantism is the second largest major group of Christians by number of followers. Estimates vary from 0.6 to 1.1 billion, or between 24% and 40% of all Christians.^{[19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]} The main reason for this wide range is the lack of a common agreement among scholars as to which denominations constitute Protestantism. For instance, most sources include Anabaptism, Anglicanism, Baptists and non-denominational Christianity as part of Protestantism. However, widely used references like the World Christian Encyclopedia, which has been documenting the changing status of World Christianity over the past 120 years classifies Independent Christians as a separate category from Protestantism.^[28][29] Moreover, Protestant denominations altogether do not form a single structure comparable to the Catholic Church, or to a lesser extent the Eastern Orthodox communion. However, several different comparable communions exist within Protestantism, such as the World Evangelical Alliance, the Anglican Communion, the World Communion of Reformed Churches, the Baptist World Alliance, the World Methodist Council and the Lutheran World Federation. Regardless, 900 million is the most accepted figure among various authors and scholars, and thus is used in this article. Note that this 900 million figure also includes Anglicans, Anabaptists, Baptists, as well as multiple other groups that might sometimes disavow a common "Protestant" designation, and would rather prefer to be called, simply, "Christian".^[21] According to Mark Juergensmeyer of the University of California, "popular Protestantism" (that is to say all forms of Protestantism with the notable exception of the historical denominations deriving from the Protestant Reformation) is the most dynamic religious movement in the contemporary world, alongside resurgent Islam.^[30]

Historical Protestantism – 300–600 million

The number of individuals who are members of historical Protestant Churches totals to 300–600 million.^[23][20]

A map of countries that have a church that is a member of the Anglican Communion (blue),^{[dubious – discuss]} the Porvoo Communion (green), comprising European Anglican and Lutheran churches, and the Union of Utrecht of the Old Catholic Churches (red), a federation of Old Catholic Churches.

Anglicanism – 85-110 million

There are 85–110 million Christians in Anglican tradition,^[31][32][33] mostly part of the Anglican Communion, the third-largest Christian communion in the world, with 42 members (provinces).

• Anglican Communion – 85 million^{[34][35][36][37][38]}
  • Church of England – 25.0 million^[39]
  • Church of Nigeria – 20.1 million^[40]
  • Church of Uganda – 13.3 million^[41][42]
  • Anglican Church of Kenya – 5.0 million^[43]
  • Church of South India – 4.5 million^[44]
  • Province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan – 3.5 million^[45]
  • Anglican Church of Southern Africa – 3 million^[46][47]
  • Anglican Church of Australia – 2.5 million^[48]
  • Anglican Church of Tanzania – 2.0 million^[49]
  • Church of North India – 1.5 million^[50]
  • Episcopal Church in the United States – 1.5 million^[51]
  • Province of the Episcopal Church of Sudan – 1.1 million^[45]
  • Anglican Church of Rwanda – 1.0 million^[52]
  • Church of the Province of Central Africa – 0.9 million^[53]
  • Anglican Church of Burundi – 0.8 million^[54]
  • Church in the Province of the West Indies – 0.8 million^[55]
  • Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia – 0.6 million^[56]
  • Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean – 0.5 million^[57]
  • Church of Christ in the Congo–Anglican Community of Congo – 0.5 million^[58]
  • Church of Pakistan – 0.5 million^[59]
  • Province of the Anglican Church of the Congo – 0.5 million^[60]
  • Anglican Church of Mozambique and Angola – 0.5 million^[61]
  • Church of the Province of West Africa – 0.3 million^[62]
  • Church of Ireland – 0.3 million^[63]
  • Anglican Church of Canada – 0.3 million^[64]
  • Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea – 0.2 million^[65]
  • Anglican Church of Melanesia – 0.2 million^[66]
• Continuing Anglican movement and independent churches – 0.7 million
  • Traditional Anglican Church – 0.4 million^[67]

Baptist churches – 60-100 million

The worldwide Baptist community numbers about 100 million.^{[68][69][70][71][72]} However, the Baptist World Alliance, the world communion of Baptist churches, self-reports only 51 million baptized believers, as Baptists do not count children as members, since they believe in believer's baptism.^[71][69][70] Therefore, the BWA is the eighth-largest Christian communion.^[73]

• Southern Baptist Convention – 12.722 million^[74]
• Nigerian Baptist Convention – 9.015 million^[75]
• National Baptist Convention, USA – 8.414 million^[76][77]
• National Baptist Convention of America International – 3.500 million^[78]
• Baptist Convention of Tanzania – 2.692 million^[78]
• Baptist Convention of Kenya – 2.000 million^[78]
• Baptist General Convention of Texas – 1.818 million^[78][79]
• Brazilian Baptist Convention – 1.814 million^[78][80]
• Baptist Community of the Congo River – 1.769 million^[78]
• Myanmar Baptist Convention – 1.723 million^[78]
• Council of Baptist Churches in Northeast India – 1.564 million^[78]
• Progressive National Baptist Convention – 1.500 million^[78]
• Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention – 1.200 million^[78]
• Baptist Bible Fellowship International – 1.2 million^[81]
• American Baptist Churches USA – 1.105 million^[78]
• Baptist Community of Congo – 1.050 million^[78]
• National Primitive Baptist Convention of the U.S.A. – 1.0 million^[81]
• Cooperative Baptist Fellowship – 0.725 million^[78]
• Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches – 0.700 million^[78]
• Reformed Baptist Convention in Rwanda – 0.662 million^[78]
• Baptist General Association of Virginia – 0.610 million^[78]
• Korea Baptist Convention – 0.550 million^[78]
• Baptist Union of Uganda – 0.550 million^[78]
• Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches – 0.473 million^[78]
• National Baptist Convention, Brazil – 0.405 million^[78]
• National Missionary Baptist Convention of America – 0.400 million^[78]
• Baptist Convention of Malawi – 0.388 million^[78]
• Converge – 0.377 million^[78][82]
• Baptist Convention of Zimbabwe – 0.300 million^[78]
• Cameroon Baptist Convention – 0.270 million^[78]
• Baptist Fellowship of Zambia – 0.255 million^[78]
• Convention of Baptist Churches of the Northern Circars (Índia) – 0.240 million^[78]
• Euro-Asiatic Federation of Unions of Evangelical Christians-Baptists – 0.228 million^[78]
• Baptist Community in Central Africa – 0.220 million^[78]
• Baptist Union of Zambia – 0.220 million^[78]
• Venture Church Network – 0.2 million^[83]
• National Association of Free Will Baptists – 0.2 million^[84]
• Convention of Visayas and Mindanao of Southern Baptist Churches – 0.200 million^[78]
• Seventh Day Baptists – 0.05 million^[85]

Lutheranism – 70–90 million

Number of Lutheran adherents by country:

  More than 10 million

  5 million-10 million

  1 million to 5 million

  500 thousand to 1 million

  100 thousand to 500 thousand

  25 thousand to 100 thousand

Further information: List of Lutheran denominations

The number of adherents in the Lutheran denominations totals to 70–90 million persons (the Lutheran World Federation reports 78 million and is the sixth-largest communion)^[86] being represented in the following churches:^[23][87]

• Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus – 12 million^[86][88]
• Evangelical Church in Germany – 9.215 million,^[89] with the remainder of the denominations's 19.2 million members being non-Lutheran
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania – 8.5 million^[86][90]
• Batak Christian Protestant Church – 6.333 million^[86][91]
• Church of Sweden – 5.484 million^[86][92][93]
• Church of Denmark – 4.235 million^[86][94][95]
• Malagasy Lutheran Church – 4.0 million^[86][96]
• United Evangelical Lutheran Churches in India – 3.894 million^[86][97]
• Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland – 3.579 million^[86][98][99]
• Church of Norway – 3.5 million^[100][101]
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – 2.8 million^[102][103]
• Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria – 2.265 million^[86][104]
• Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea – 1.8 million^[105]
• Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod – 1.7 million^[106]
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia – 0.853 million^[86][107]
• Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cameroon – 0.7 million^[86][108]
• Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil – 0.614 million^{[86][109][110]}
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa – 0.6 million^[111]
• The Protestant Christian Church – 0.5 million^[91]
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia – 0.420 million^[86][107]
• Evangelical Free Church of America – 0.4 million^[112]
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe – 0.309 million^[86][113]
• The Indonesian Christian Church – 0.3 million^[91]
• Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ – 0.3 million^[114]
• Christian Protestant Church in Indonesia – 0.3 million^[91]
• Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod – 0.3 million^[115]
• Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia – 0.250 million^[86][116]
• Protestant Church of the Augsburg Confession in Austria – 0.247 million^[86][117]
• Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil – 0.245 million^[118]
• Church of Iceland – 0.227 million^[86][119]
• Simalungun Protestant Christian Church – 0.227 million^[86][91]
• Protestant Church of the Augsburg Confession of Alsace and Lorraine – 0.220 million^[86][120]
• Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Slovakia – 0.193 million^[86][121]
• Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Hungary – 0.176 million^[86][122]
• Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church – 0.160 million^[86][123]
• Laestadianism (various denominations) – 0.2 million^{[citation needed]}

Calvinism / Reformed churches – 70–114 million

The churches of the Reformed tradition (which includes the Presbyterians, Continental Reformed, Congregationalists, and Waldensians) together have about 70–80 million members. The United Churches of Reformed origin have about 34 million members.^{[124][125][126][127][128][129]} the World Communion of Reformed Churches is the fourth-largest communion.^[130]

• Presbyterianism – 40 million
  • Presbyterian Church of East Africa – 4.0 million^[131]
  • Presbyterian Church of Nigeria – 3.8 million^[132]
  • Presbyterian Church of Africa – 3.4 million^[133]
  • National Presbyterian Church in Mexico – 2.8 million^[134]
  • Church of Central Africa Presbyterian – 2.5 million^[135]
  • Church of Christ in Congo–Presbyterian Community of Congo – 2.5 million^[136]
  • Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDong) – 2.25 million^[137]
  • Presbyterian Church of Korea (TongHap) – 2.20 million^[138][139]
  • Presbyterian Church in Korea (BaekSeok) – 2.0 million^[140]
  • Presbyterian Church in Cameroon – 2.0 million^[141]
  • Presbyterian Church of Cameroon – 1.8 million^[142]
  • Presbyterian Church of India – 1.6 million^[143]
  • Presbyterian Church (USA) – 1.0 million^[144]
  • Presbyterian Church in Sudan – 1.0 million^[145]
  • Presbyterian Church of Ghana – 1.0 million^[146]
  • Presbyterian Church of Brazil – 0.7 million^[147]
  • United Church of Christ in the Philippines – 0.5 million^[148]
  • Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa – 0.5 million^[149]
  • Presbyterian Church of Pakistan – 0.5 million^[150]
  • Presbyterian Church in America – 0.4 million^[151]
  • Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Cameroon – 0.4 million^[152]
  • Kosin Presbyterian Church in Korea – 0.4 million^[153]
  • United Church of Canada – 0.3 million^[154]
  • Presbyterian Church in Rwanda – 0.3 million^[155]
  • Church of Scotland – 0.3 million^[156] or 1.5 million^[157]
  • Uniting Church in Australia – 0.2 million^[158]
  • Presbyterian Church in Taiwan – 0.2 million^[159]
  • Presbyterian Church in Ireland – 0.2 million^[160]
  • Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana – 0.2 million^[161]
• Continental Reformed Protestantism – 30 million
  • Church of Christ in Nations - 8.0 million^[162]
  • Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar – 3.5 million^[163]
  • Protestant Church in Indonesia – 3.1 million^[164]
  • United Church in Zambia – 3.0 million^[165]
  • Evangelical Church of Cameroon – 2.5 million^[166]
  • Protestant Church of Switzerland – 1.9 million^[167]
  • Protestant Church in the Netherlands – 1.4 million^[168]
  • Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa (NGK) – 1.1 million^[169]
  • Church of Christ in the Sudan Among the Tiv – 1.0 million^[170]
  • Evangelical Reformed Church of Christ – 1.0 million^[171]
  • Reformed Church in Hungary – 0.9 million^[172]
  • Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa – 0.9 million^[173][174]
  • Lesotho Evangelical Church in Southern Africa – 0.8 million^[175]
  • United Church in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands – 0.7 million^[176]
  • Evangelical Christian Church of the Land of Papua – 0.6 million^[177]
  • Central Sulawesi Christian Church – 0.5 million^[178]
  • Christian Reformed Church of Nigeria – 0.5 million^[179][180]
  • Reformed Church in Romania – 0.5 million^[181]
  • Toraja Church – 0.4 million^[182]
  • Evangelical Church in Kalimantan – 0.3 million^[183]
  • Karo Batak Protestant Church – 0.3 million^[184]
  • Evangelical Christian Church in Halmahera – 0.3 million^[185]
  • Christian Church of Sumba – 0.3 million^[186]
  • Reformed Church in Zambia – 0.3 million^[187]
  • United Protestant Church of France - 0.2 million^[188]
  • Sudanese Church of Christ - 0.2 million^[189]
  • Evangelical Reformed Church in Angola – 0.2 million^[190]
  • Javanese Christian Church – 0.2 million^[191]
  • Indonesian Christian Church Synod – 0.2 million^[192]
  • Evangelical Church of Congo – 0.2 million^[193]
  • Christian Evangelical Church of Sangihe Talaud – 0.2 million^[194]
  • Christian Reformed Church in North America – 0.2 million^[195]
  • Evangelical Reformed Church in Germany – 0.2 million^[89]

• Congregationalism – 5 million
  • United Congregational Church of Southern Africa – 1.5 million^[196]
  • Evangelical Congregational Church in Angola – 0.9 million^[197]
  • United Church of Christ – 0.7 million^[198]

Methodism – 46–56 million

Methodism, including the Holiness Movement, has about 46 million members worldwide.^{[124][23][199]} United Churches of Methodist origin have another 10 million members.^{[200][201][202]} The World Methodist Council (WMC), with 37,8 million members is the ninth-largest communion.^[203] Not all of the following churches are member churches of the WMC. The largest Methodist denomination, the United Methodist Church, had about 25 percent^[204] of their churches disaffiliate between 2019 and 2023, some of whom joined the Global Methodist Church, thus figures for the two denominations are an ongoing process.

• United Methodist Church – 10.0 million^[205]
• Church of the Nazarene – 2.666 million^[206]
• African Methodist Episcopal Church – 2.5 million^[207]
• Methodist Church Nigeria – 2 million^[208]
• The Salvation Army – 1.8 million^[209]
• Methodist Church of Southern Africa – 1.7 million^[210]
• African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church – 1.4 million^[211]
• Korean Methodist Church – 1.113 million^[212][213]
• United Methodist Church of Ivory Coast – 1 million^[214][215]
• Free Methodist Church – 0.9 million^[216]
• Christian Methodist Episcopal Church – 0.9 million^[217]
• Methodist Church Ghana – 0.8 million^[218]
• Methodist Church in India – 0.6 million^[219]
• Methodist Church in Kenya – 0.5 million^[220]
• Global Methodist Church – 0.4 million^[221]
• Wesleyan Church – 0.4 million^[222]
• Methodist Church in Brazil – 0.2 million^[223]
• Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma – 0.2 million^[224]

Adventism – 24 million

• Seventh-day Adventist Church – 23.6 million^[225]
• Church of God (Seventh Day) – 0.2 million^{[citation needed]}
• Advent Christian Church – 0.1 million^{[citation needed]}
• Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement – 0.042 million^{[citation needed]}

Restoration Movement – 4 million

• Churches of Christ – 2 million^[226]
• Christian churches and churches of Christ – 1.1 million^[81]
• Community of Disciples of Christ in Congo – 0.7 million^[227]
• Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) – 0.3 million^[228]

Anabaptism – 4 million

• Mennonites – 2.1 million^[229]
• Schwarzenau Brethren (German Baptists) – 1.5 million^[230]
• Amish – 0.3 million^{[citation needed]}
• Hutterites – 0.05 million^{[citation needed]}

Plymouth Brethren – 3.4 million

• Open Brethren – 3.3 million
  • International Brethren Conferences on Mission – 3.25 million^[231]
• Exclusive Brethren – 0.1 million
  • Plymouth Brethren Christian Church – 0.05 million^[232]
  • Darbyists – 0.04 million^[233]

Hussites – 1.2 million

• Moravian Church – 1.1 million^[234]
• Czechoslovak Hussite Church – 0.099 million^[235]
• Unity of the Brethren Baptists – 0.035 million^{[citation needed]}

Quakers – 0.4 million

Worldwide distribution of Quakers by country in 2017 according to the Friends World Committee for Consultation:

  No data

  1–99

  100-999

  1,000–3,999

  4,000–9,999

  10,000–119,285

• Friends World Committee for Consultation – 0.4 million^[236]
  • Evangelical Friends Church International – 0.2 million
  • Friends United Meeting – 0.17 million
  • Friends General Conference – 0.03 million

Modern Protestantism – 400–500 million

The denominations listed below did not emerge from the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century or its commonly acknowledged offshoots. Instead, they are broadly linked to Pentecostalism or similar other independent evangelical and revivalistic movements that originated in the beginning of the 20th century.^[237] For this reason, several sources tend to differentiate them from Protestants and classify them together as Independents, Non-core Protestants etc. Also included in this category are the numerous, yet very similar non-denominational churches. Nonetheless, most sources combine their numbers to the Protestant tally, while others do not since these churches do not self-identify with mainline Protestant traditions.^{[238][21][22]} Despite the absence of centralized control or leadership, if considered as a single cohort, this will easily be the second largest Christian tradition after Roman Catholicism.^{[239][240][241]} According to the Center for the Study of Global Christianity (CSGC), there are an estimated 450 million Independents world-wide, as of mid-2019.^[242]

Pentecostalism – 170–280 million

Those who are members of the Pentecostal denomination number around 280 million people.^[23]

• Assemblies of God – 86 million (the fifth largest Christian communion)^[243]
• Apostolic Church – 15 million^{[citation needed]}
• International Circle of Faith – 11 million^[244]
• China Gospel Fellowship – 10 million^{[citation needed]}
• Fangcheng Fellowship – 10 million^[245]
• Universal Church of the Kingdom of God – 9.9 million^[246]
• Foursquare Church – 9 million^{[citation needed]}
• Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church – 9 million^{[citation needed]}
• Church of God in Christ – 6.5 million^[247]
• Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) – 6 million^{[citation needed]}
• Ethiopian Full Gospel Believers' Church – 4.5 million^[248]
• The Church of Pentecost – 4.2 million^[249]
• International Pentecostal Holiness Church – 4 million^{[citation needed]}
• Indonesian Bethel Church – 3 million^{[citation needed]}
• The Pentecostal Mission – 2.5 million^{[citation needed]}
• Christian Congregation in Brazil – 2.3 million^[250]
• Church of God of Prophecy – 1.5 million^{[citation needed]}
• Heal Our Land [pt] – 1.5 million^[251]
• Pentecostal Church in Indonesia – 1.5 million^{[citation needed]}
• Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa – 1.2 million^{[citation needed]}
• God is Love Pentecostal Church – +1 million^[252]
• Association of Pentecostal Churches of Rwanda – 1 million^{[citation needed]}
• Jesus Is Lord Church Worldwide – 1 million^{[citation needed]}
• Maranatha Christian Church [pt] – 0.75 million^[253]
• Pentecostal Church of God – 0.5 million^[254]
• Indian Pentecostal Church of God – 0.5 million^{[citation needed]}
• Association of Vineyard Churches – 0.3 million^[255]
• Worldwide Church of God's Power – 0.3 million^[256]

Non-denominational Christianity – 40–100 million

• Calvary Chapel Association – 25 million^{[citation needed]}
• Alliance World Fellowship – 6 million^[257]
• Born Again Movement – 3 million^[258]
• Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) – 1.2 million^{[citation needed]}

African initiated churches – 45-60 million

60 million people are members of African initiated churches.^[259]

• Zion Christian Church – 15 million^{[citation needed]}
• Cherubim and Seraphim – 10 million^{[citation needed]}
• Kimbanguist Church – 5.5 million^{[citation needed]}
• Redeemed Christian Church of God – 5 million^[260]
• Church of the Lord (Aladura) – 3.6 million^[261]
• Council of African Instituted Churches – 3 million^[262]
• Church of Christ Light of the Holy Spirit – 1.4 million^[263]
• African Church of the Holy Spirit – 0.7 million^[264]
• African Israel Church Nineveh – 0.5 million^[265]

Chinese Patriotic Christian Churches – 38 million^[266]

New Apostolic Church – 10 million

The New Apostolic Church has around 10 million members.^[267]

Local churches – 1 to 10 million

Messianic Judaism – 0.3 million

Messianic Judaism has a membership of 0.3 million people.^[268]

Eastern Protestant Christianity – 22 million

Eastern Protestantism, percentage by country

Eastern Protestant Christianity (or Eastern Reformed Christianity) encompasses a range of heterogeneous Protestant Christian denominations that developed outside of the Occident, from the latter half of the nineteenth century and yet keeps elements of Eastern Christianity, to varying degrees. Most of these denominations came into being when existing Protestant Churches adopted reformational variants of Eastern Orthodox liturgy and worship; while others are the result of reformations of Eastern Orthodox beliefs and practices, inspired by the teachings of Western Protestant missionaries.^{[269][270][271]} Some Protestant Eastern Churches are in communion with similar Western Protestant Churches.^[269][272] However, Protestant Eastern Christianity within itself, does not constitute a single communion. This is due to the diverse polities, practices, liturgies and orientations of the denominations which fall under this category.

• Ethiopian–Eritrean Evangelical Church – 16.5 million, Alexandrian Rite^{[citation needed]}
• Believers Eastern Church – 3.5 million, West Syrian Rite^{[citation needed]}
• Mar Thoma Syrian Church – 1 million, Syro-Antiochene Rite^[273][274] (in communion with the Anglican Communion)^[275]
• Armenian Evangelical Church – 0.25 million, Armenian Rite^{[citation needed]}
• St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India – 0.1 million, Syro-Antiochene Rite^{[citation needed]}
• Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Slovenia – 0.02 million, Byzantine Rite^[276]
• Evangelical Church of Romania – 0.16 million, Byzantine Rite^{[citation needed]}
• Kosovo Protestant Evangelical Church – 0.15 million, Byzantine Rite^[277]

Eastern Orthodoxy – 220 million

A map of Eastern Orthodoxy by population percentage

The best estimate of the number of Eastern Orthodox Christians is 220 million^[278] or 80% of all Eastern Orthodox Christians worldwide.^{[clarification needed][279]} Its main body consists of the various autocephalous churches along with the autonomous and other churches canonically linked to them, for the most part form a single communion, making the Eastern Orthodox Church the second largest single denomination behind the Catholic Church.^[242][280] In addition, there are several Eastern Orthodox splinter groups and non-universally recognized churches.

Autocephalous churches – 168 million

• Russian Orthodox Church – 100 million^{[279][281][282][283][278]}
• Romanian Orthodox Church – 17–18.8 million^{[284][285][286]}
• Church of Greece – 10 million^[284]
• Serbian Orthodox Church – 8–12 million^[284][287]
• Bulgarian Orthodox Church – 8–10 million^{[citation needed]}
• Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople – 5.45 million^[284][288]
• Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch – 4.3 million^[284]
• Georgian Orthodox Church – 3.5 million^{[citation needed]}
• Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria – 2.95 million^{[289][290][291][292][293]}
• Macedonian Orthodox Church – 2 million^[294]
• Church of Cyprus – 0.7 million^[295]
• Polish Orthodox Church – 0.6 million^[284]
• Albanian Orthodox Church – 0.4 million^[284]
• Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem – 0.4 million^[284]
• Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia – 0.075 million^[284]

Autonomous churches – 5 million

• Metropolitan Church of Chișinău and All Moldova (Moscow Patriarchate) – 3.2 million^{[citation needed]}
• Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia – 0.4 million^[296][297]
• Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia (Moldova) (Romanian Patriarchate) – 0.72 million^[298]
• Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate – 0.3 million^{[citation needed]}
• Orthodox Church of Finland (Ecumenical Patriarchate) – 0.06 million^[284]
• Chinese Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) – 0.03 million^{[citation needed]}
• Orthodox Church in Japan (Moscow Patriarchate) – 0.03 million^[284]
• Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church (Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople) – 0.02 million^{[citation needed]}

Non-universally recognised churches – 20 million

• Orthodox Church of Ukraine – 15 million (recognized its autocephaly by four churches, not recognized by most all other churches)^{[citation needed]}
• Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) – 5 million (recognized as self-governing church under the Moscow Patriarchate by majority of the churches; rival church to OCU by four churches and the Ukrainian government; declared independence from the MP in 2022 which is yet to be acknowledged by these churches)^{[299][300][clarification needed]}
• Orthodox Church in America – 0.09 million (recognized by all churches, partially recognized autocephaly)^[301]
• Latvian Orthodox Church – 0.02 million (recognized as a self-governing church under the Moscow Patriarchate by all churches; disputed autocephaly)^{[citation needed]}

Non-canonical churches – 4 million

• Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church – 2.4 million^{[citation needed]}
• Orthodox Church of Greece (Holy Synod in Resistance) – 0.75 million^{[citation needed]}
• Old Calendar Bulgarian Orthodox Church – 0.45 million^{[citation needed]}
• Orthodox Church in Italy – 0.12 million^{[citation needed]}
• Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Romania – 0.05 million^{[citation needed]}
• Montenegrin Orthodox Church – 0.05 million^{[citation needed]}

Other separated groups – 6 million

• Old Believers – 5.5 million^{[citation needed]}
• Old Calendarists – 1.2–2 million^{[citation needed]}
• True Orthodox church – 0.85 million^{[citation needed]}
• Evangelical Orthodox Church – 0.07 million^{[citation needed]}
• Autocephalous Turkish Orthodox Patriarchate – 0.002^{[citation needed]}

Oriental Orthodoxy – 62 million

A map of Oriental Orthodoxy by population percentage

The Oriental Orthodox Churches are those descended from those that rejected the Council of Chalcedon in 451. Despite the similar name, they are therefore a different branch of Christianity from the Eastern Orthodox (see above). There are an estimated 62 million Oriental Orthodox Christians, worldwide.^{[302][303][304]}

Autocephalous churches – 62 million

• Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church – 37 million^{[305][306][307][308][309]}
• Coptic Orthodox Church – 10 million^{[310][311][312][313][314]}
• Armenian Apostolic Church – 9 million^[315][316]
  • Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin – 6 million^{[citation needed]}
  • Holy See of Cilicia – 0.3 million^[317]
  • Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople – 0.095 million^{[citation needed]}
  • Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem – 0.034 million^{[citation needed]}
• Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church – 2 million^[318]
• Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church – 2 million^[319]
• Syriac Orthodox Church – 1.4 million^[320][321]
  • Jacobite Syrian Christian Church – 1.2 million^[322]

Autonomous churches

• French Coptic Orthodox Church – 0.01 million^{[citation needed]}

Churches not in communion

• Malabar Independent Syrian Church – 0.06 million^{[citation needed]}
• British Orthodox Church – 0.01 million^{[citation needed]}
• Albanian-Udi Church – 0.006 million^[323]

Nontrinitarian Restorationism – 43-65 million

Distribution of other Christians

A sixth group is composed by Nontrinitarian Restorationists. These groups are quite distinct from orthodox Trinitarian restorationist groups such as the Disciples of Christ, despite some shared history.

Oneness Pentecostalism – 10-30 million^[324]

• United Pentecostal Church International – 5.8 million^[325]
• Pentecostal Assemblies of the World – 2 million^[326]
• True Jesus Church – 1.5–3 million^[327]
• IEANJESUS – 0.2 million^[328]
• Apostolic Assembly of the Faith in Christ Jesus – 0.2 million^[329]

Latter Day Saint movement or Mormonism – 18 million

• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – 17 million^[330]
• Community of Christ – 0.25 million^[331]

Jehovah's Witnesses – 9 million^[332]

Minor denominations – 6 million

• Iglesia ni Cristo – 2.3 million^[333]
• Unification Church (aka Moonies) – 1–2 million^[334]
  • World Peace and Unification Sanctuary Church – 0.003 million^{[citation needed]}
• La Luz del Mundo – 1–5 million (see La Luz del Mundo#Membership statistics)
• Unitarian Universalism – 0.6 million^[335]
  • Unitarian Universalist Association – 0.1 million^[336]
    Note: Unitarian Universalism developed out of Christian traditions but no longer identifies as a Christian denomination.
• Church of Christ, 4th Watch – 0.6 million^{[citation needed]}
• Church of Christ, Scientist – 0.1 million^[337]
• World Mission Society Church of God – 0.1 million^[338]
• Friends of Man – 0.07 million^{[citation needed]}
• Christadelphians – 0.05 million^[339]
• The Family International – 0.01 million^{[citation needed]}

Independent Catholicism – 18 million

Various denominations that self-identify as Catholic, despite not being affiliated with the Catholic Church.^[340]

• Philippine Independent Church – 6 million^[341] (in communion with the Anglican Communion)^[275]
• Catholic Patriotic Association – 5 million^[342]
• Apostolic Catholic Church – 5 million^[343]
• Traditionalist Mexican-American Catholic Church – 2 million^{[citation needed]}
• Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church – 0.56 million^[250]
• Union of Utrecht of the Old Catholic Churches – 0.1 million (in communion with the Anglican Communion)^[275]
  • Polish-Catholic Church in the Republic of Poland – 0.02 million^[344]
  • Catholic Diocese of the Old Catholics in Germany – 0.02 million^[345][346]
  • Old Catholic Church of the Netherlands – 0.01 million^[347]
  • Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland – 0.01 million^[348]
  • Old Catholic Church of Austria – 0.005 million^[349]
  • Old Catholic Church of the Czech Republic – 0.003 million^[350]
• Union of Scranton – 0.03 million
  • Polish National Catholic Church – 0.03 million^[351]
  • Nordic Catholic Church
• Palmarian Christian Church – 0.002 million^[352]

Assyrian churches – 0.6 million

A seventh group is composed of independent Assyrian churches, with roots in Nestorianism. Divisions occurred within the Church of the East, especially the schism of 1552, but by 1830 two unified patriarchates and distinct churches remained: the Assyrian Church of the East and the Chaldean Catholic Church (now an Eastern Catholic Church in communion with the Holy See).

• Assyrian Church of the East – 0.5 million^[353][354]
  • Chaldean Syrian Church – 0.01 million^[355]
• Ancient Church of the East – 0.1 million^[356]

See also

• Christianity portal

• Schism in Christianity
• List of Christian denominations
• List of current Christian leaders
• List of the largest Protestant denominations
• List of largest church buildings