There are approximately 833,457,000 Protestants worldwide,[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][a] among approximately 2.5 billion Christians.[10][1][11][12][b] In 2010, a total of more than 800 million included 300 million in Sub-Saharan Africa, 260 million in the Americas, 140 million in Asia-Pacific region, 100 million in Europe and 2 million in Middle East-North Africa.[2] Protestants account for nearly forty percent of Christians worldwide and more than one tenth of the total human population.[2] Various estimates put the percentage of Protestants in relation to the total number of the world's Christians at 33%,[5] 36%,[13] 36.7%,[2] and 40%,[3] while in relation to the world's population at 11.6%[2] and 13%.[8]

Distribution of Protestants
Percentage of Protestants by country
Number of Protestants by country

In European countries which were most profoundly influenced by the Reformation, Protestantism still remains the most practiced religion.[5] These include the Nordic countries and United Kingdom.[5][14] In other historical Protestant strongholds such as Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Latvia, Estonia and Hungary, it remains one of the most popular religions.[15] Although Czech Republic was the site of one of the most significant pre-reformation movements,[16] there are only few Protestant adherents[17][18]—mainly due to historical reasons like persecution of Protestants by the Catholic Habsburgs,[19] restrictions during the Communist rule and also the ongoing secularization.[16] Over the last several decades, religious practice has been declining as secularization has increased.[5][20] According to a 2019 study about religiosity in the European Union (EU) by Eurobarometer, Protestants made up 9% of the EU population.[21] According to Pew Research Center, Protestants constituted nearly one fifth (or 17.8%) of the continent's Christian population in 2010.[2] Clarke and Beyer estimate that Protestants constituted 15% of all Europeans in 2009, while Noll claims that less than 12% of them lived in Europe in 2010.[5][7]

Changes in worldwide Protestantism over the last century have been significant.[3][7][22] Since 1900, Protestantism has spread rapidly in Africa, Asia, Oceania and South America.[23][8][22] That caused Protestantism to be called a primarily non-Western religion.[7][22] Much of the growth has occurred after World War II, when decolonization of Africa and abolition of various restrictions against Protestants in Latin American countries occurred.[8] According to one source, Protestants constituted respectively 2.5% of South Americans, 2% of Africans and 0.5% of Asians in 1900.[8] In 2000, these percentages had increased to 17%, more than 27% and 5.5%, respectively.[8] According to Mark A. Noll, 79% of Anglicans lived in the United Kingdom in 1910, while most of the remainder were found in the United States and across the British Commonwealth.[7] By 2010, 59% of Anglicans were found in Africa.[7] China is home to the world's largest Protestant minority.[2][c]

Protestantism is growing in Africa,[23][24][25] Asia,[23][25][26] Latin America,[25][27] and Oceania,[23][22] while remaining stable or declining in Anglo America[22] and Europe,[5][28] with some exceptions such as France,[29] where it was legally eradicated after the abolition of the Edict of Nantes by the Edict of Fontainebleau and the following persecution of Huguenots, but now is claimed to be stable in number or even growing slightly.[29] According to some, Russia is another country to see Protestant growth.[30][31][32] However, "by 2050 it is expected that less than 9% of Protestants will be European" and "sometime around 2040 half of all Protestants will likely live in Africa."[33]

In 2010, the largest Protestant denominational families were historically Pentecostal denominations (10.8%), Anglican (10.6%), Lutheran (9.7%), Baptist (9%), United and uniting churches (unions of different denominations) (7.2%), Presbyterian or Reformed (7%), Methodist (3.4%), Adventist (2.7%), Congregationalist (0.5%), Brethren (0.5%), The Salvation Army (0.3%) and Moravian (0.1%). Other denominations accounted for 38.2% of Protestants.[2]

The United States is home to approximately 20% of Protestants.[2] According to a 2019 study, Protestant share of U.S. population dropped to 43%, further ending its status as religion of the majority.[34][35][36] The decline is attributed mainly to the dropping membership of the Mainline Protestant churches [35][37] and even among Evangelical Protestant churches[38][39] while Black churches are relatively stable or continue to grow.[35]

According to Scientific Elite: Nobel Laureates in the United States, a review of American Nobel prizes winners awarded between 1901 and 1972 by Harriet Zuckerman, 72% of American Nobel Prize laureates came from Protestant backgrounds.[40] Overall, Protestants have won a total of 84.2% of all the American Nobel Prizes in Chemistry,[40] 60% in Medicine,[40] 58.6% in Physics,[40] between 1901 and 1972.

By 2050, some project Protestantism to rise to slightly more than half of the world's total Christian population.[41][d] According to Hans J. Hillerbrand, Protestant and Catholic share of the global Christian population will almost be the same by 2050, with Protestants exhibiting a significantly higher growth rate.[42]

According to Mark Juergensmeyer of the University of California, popular Protestantism[e] is the most dynamic religious movement in the contemporary world, alongside resurgent Islam.[43]

Methodology

For the purposes of this list, the following Christian branches are considered Protestant:

Evangelicals, Charismatics, Neo-charismatics and other revivalists are found virtually across every Protestant branch. Nondenominationals, various independents and Protestants from other denominations, not easily fitting in the traditional classification, are also taken into account.

Estimates of total Protestant population vary considerably. Most reliable sources claim a range of 800 million to more than 1 billion. Difficulties occur as there is no consensus among scholars which denominations should be considered Protestant.

Countries

Summarize
Perspective

The seven regions considered in the following table are the six traditional ones (Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Oceania), plus Middle East (i.e., countries with Islamic majority from the Mediterranean to Iran).

More information Region, Country ...
Protestants by country
RegionCountryTotal population (year) % ProtestantProtestant total
Asia  Afghanistan (details) 29,928,987 0.03% 10,000
Europe  Albania (details) 3,563,112 0.23% 8,191
Africa  Algeria (details) 35,531,853 1.62% 250,000
Europe  Andorra (details) 71,201 2.1% 1,495
Africa  Angola (details) 19,600,000 30.6% 5,997,600
North America  Antigua and Barbuda (details) 68,722 68% 59,101[citation needed]
South America  Argentina (details) 40,500,000 15.3% [44] 6,874,290
Europe  Armenia (details) 2,982,904 3.7% 110,368
Oceania  Australia (details) 23,401,892 (2016) 23.1% 6,355,952[45]
Europe  Austria (details) 8,823,053 (2017) 3.4% 297,578[46]
Europe  Azerbaijan (details) 8,581,400 0.07% 6,007
North America  Bahamas (details) 353,658[47] 70% 247,561
Asia  Bahrain (details) 688,345 ? ?
Asia  Bangladesh (details) 144,319,628 0.23% 331,935
North America  Barbados (details) 278,289 67% 186,454
Europe  Belarus (details) 10,300,483 5% 515,024
Europe  Belgium (details) 10,364,388 1.35% 140,000
North America  Belize (details) 279,457 30% 83,837
Africa  Benin (details) 9,100,000 23% 2,093,000
Asia  Bhutan (details) 2,232,291 0.018% 400
South America  Bolivia (details) 8,857,870 16%[48]-17.2%[49]-20%[50] 1,417,259
Europe  Bosnia and Herzegovina (details) 4,025,476 0.04% 1,610
Africa  Botswana (details) 2,000,000 66% 1,320,000
South America  Brazil (details) 211,189,413[51] 24.5%-31%[52][53] 51,695,000 - 70,791,786
Asia  Brunei (details) 372,361 1.3% 4,841
Europe  Bulgaria (details) 7,450,349 1% 74,503
Africa  Burkina Faso (details) 17,000,000 9% 1,360,000
Africa  Burundi (details) 10,200,000 20% 2,400,000
Asia  Cambodia (details) 13,607,069 0.04% 5,390
Africa  Cameroon (details) 16,380,005 20% 3,276,001
North America  Canada (details) 36,242,571 21.7% 7,869,955[54]
Africa  Cape Verde (details) 415,294 3.5% 14,535
Africa  Central African Republic (details) 5,000,000 61% 3,050,000
Africa  Chad (details) 11,500,000 18% 2,070,000
South America  Chile (details) 18,192,000 13% - 15.5%[2] 11%[55] 2,365,000 - 2.821.000
Asia  China (details) 1,382,710,000 (2016) 2.9% 39,970,000[56]
South America  Colombia (details) 46,900,000 (2011 est) 16.4% (2020) 5,862,500
Africa  Comoros (details) 671,247 0.25% 1,678
Africa  Congo, Republic of (details) 4,100,000 51% 2,091,000
Africa  Congo, Democratic Republic of (details) 65,966,000 (2010) 50% 31,663,680[57]
North America  Costa Rica (details) 4,700,000 (2011 est) 12.3%[58][59][60]-25%[61][48] 1,250,000
Africa  Côte d'Ivoire (details) 22,500,000 23% 5,175,000
Europe  Croatia (details) 4,495,904 2% 89,918
North America  Cuba (details) 11,346,670 11% 1,248,133
Europe  Cyprus (details) 780,133 2% 15,603
Europe  Czech Republic (details) 10,241,138 1.1% [62]
Europe  Denmark (details) 5,700,000 77% - 82% 4,389,000 - 4,674,000
Africa  Djibouti (details) 900,000 0.2% 1,800
North America  Dominica (details) 69,278 15% 10,392
North America  Dominican Republic (details) 10,000,000 (2011 est) 18% (poll) 1,800,000
Asia  East Timor (details) 1,040,880 1.2%[63]-1.96%[64] 31,226
South America  Ecuador (details) 14,700,000 12.5%-14%[65] 1,837,500
Africa  Egypt 105,000,000 2% 2,100,000
North America  El Salvador (details) 6,200,000 34.4% / 28% [66] 2,132,800
Africa  Equatorial Guinea (details) 700,000 6% 42,000
Africa  Eritrea (details) 5,900,000 5% 295,000
Europe  Estonia (details) 1,094,564 11% 121,000
Africa  Eswatini (details) 1,200,000 67% 801,000
Africa  Ethiopia (details) 73,750,932 (2007) 18.6% 13,717,673
Oceania  Fiji (details) 893,354 42.5% 379,676
Europe  Finland (details) 5,564,000 65.8%[67] 3,662,000
Europe  France (details) 60,656,178 2% 1,213,124
Africa  Gabon (details) 1,500,000 39.7%[68]
Africa  Gambia (details) 1,593,256 7%[citation needed] 360,000[citation needed]
Europe  Georgia (details) 4,677,401 2.14% 100,000
Europe  Germany (details) 83,155,000 (2020) 22.6% 18,600,000[69]
Africa  Ghana (details) 24,200,000 (2010) 58.1% 14,060,200
Europe  Greece (details) 10,668,354 0.28% 30,000
North America  Grenada (details) 89,502 30% 26,851
North America  Guatemala (details) 14,700,000 38.2% 6,038,150
Africa  Guinea (details) 10,200,000 4% 408,000
Africa  Guinea-Bissau (details) 1,600,000 2% 32,000
South America  Guyana (details) 765,283 38% 290,808
North America  Haiti (details) 10,100,000 (2011 est) 30% 3,030,000
North America  Honduras (details) 6,975,204 41% 2,859,834
Europe  Hungary (details) 10,006,835 14% 1,401,640
Europe  Iceland (details) 376,200 (2022) 68.1% 256,200[70]
Asia  India (details) 1,407,563,842 (2021)[71][72] 1.5% 18,860,000[73]
Asia  Indonesia (details) 270,000,000 (2020) 7.6% 20,246,000[74]
Asia  Iran (details) 68,017,860 0.3% 204,054
Asia  Iraq (details) 38,146,025 0.1% 40,000
Europe  Ireland (details) 4,761,900 (2016) 4.2% 201,400[75]
Asia  Israel (details) 9,076,883 0.71% 64,000
Europe  Italy (details) 58,102,112 1,3% 755,328
North America  Jamaica (details) 2,731,832 60% 1,639,099
Asia  Japan (details) 127,417,244 0.4% 509,668
Asia  Jordan (details) 5,759,732 0.5% 28,799
Asia  Kazakhstan (details) 15,185,844 2% 303,717
Africa  Kenya (details) 50,953,000 (2019) 60.8% 31,081,162
Oceania  Kiribati (details) 103,500 40% 41,400
Asia  Korea, North (details) 22,912,177 0.04% 10,000
Asia  Korea, South (details) 51,815,810 19.70% 10,207,715
Asia  Kuwait (details) 2,335,648 2.14% 50,000
Asia  Kyrgyzstan (details) 5,146,281 0.03% 1,337
Asia  Laos (details) 6,217,141 0.56% 35,000
Europe  Latvia (details) 2,070,371 35% 714,000
Asia  Lebanon (details) 3,826,018 1% 40,000
Africa  Lesotho (details) 2,200,000 50% 1,100,000
Africa  Liberia (details) 4,100,000 75% 3,075,000
Africa  Libya (details) 6,765,563 Less than 1% ?
Europe  Liechtenstein (details) 33,436 7% 2,341
Europe  Lithuania (details) 3,596,617 1% 35,966
Europe  Luxembourg (details) 468,571 1% 4,686
Africa  Madagascar (details) 21,300,000 38% 8,094,000
Africa  Malawi (details) 15,900,000 55% 8,745,000
Asia  Malaysia (details) 28,900,000 4% 1,156,000
Asia  Maldives (details) 349,106 0 0
Africa  Mali (details) 15,400,000 1% 154,000
Oceania  Marshall Islands (details) 62,000 76.7% 47,554
Africa  Mauritania (details) 3,500,000 0.1% 3,500
Africa  Mauritius (details) 1,230,602 4.5% 55,377
North America  Mexico (details) 114,800,000 (2011 est) 5%-7.3%[76]-10% [77] 5,700,000-11,400,000
Europe  Moldova (details) 4,455,421 0.26% 11,634
Oceania  Micronesia (details) 108,155 47% 50,833
Asia  Mongolia (details) 3,348,272 1.25% 41,800
Africa  Morocco (details) 32,725,847 Protestant minorities ?
Africa  Mozambique (details) 23,100,000 27% 6,237,000
Asia  Myanmar (details) 42,909,464 3% 1,287,284
Africa  Namibia (details) 2,300,000 74% 1,702,000
Oceania  Nauru (details) 13,048 66% 8,612
Asia    Nepal (details) 27,676,547 0.01 3,979
Europe  Netherlands (details) 16,407,491 11% 3,445,573
Oceania  New Zealand (details) 4,699,755 26.7%[78] 1,253,742
North America  Nicaragua (details) 5,900,000 (2011 est) 26.5% (PF) 1,563,500
Africa  Niger (details) 16,100,000 0.5% 80,500
Africa  Nigeria (details) 200,000,000 37.7% 60,118,563[79]-75,400,000
Europe  North Macedonia (details) 2,045,262 3% 61,358
Europe  Norway (details) 5,367,000 72.0% 3,865,000[80][81]
Asia  Oman (details) 3,001,583 5.8%[98] 11,500
Asia  Pakistan (details) 162,419,946 0.86% 1,400,000
Oceania  Palau (details) 20,000 29.6% 5,960
North America  Panama (details) 3,600,000 24% 864,000
Oceania  Papua New Guinea (details) 5,545,268 61.5% 3,410,340
South America  Paraguay (details) 6,600,000 6% 396,000
South America  Peru (details) 32,510,000 (2019) 12.5% (2006 census) 3,675,000
Asia  Philippines (details) 100,000,000 10.0%-8.2%[82] 10,000,000
Europe  Poland (details) 38,635,144 0.35% 130,000
Europe  Portugal (details) 10,421,117 2.2% 229,265
North America  Puerto Rico (details) 3,500,000 33% 1,100,000
Asia  Qatar (details) 863,051 1% Unknown
Europe  Romania (details) 22,329,977 6% 1,339,799
Europe  Russia (details) 143,420,309 2% 2,485,000
Africa  Rwanda (details) 10,900,000 43% 4,687,000
North America  Saint Kitts and Nevis (details) 38,958 74% 29,335
North America  Saint Lucia (details) 166,312 10% 16,631
North America  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (details) 117,534 77% 90,501
Oceania  Samoa (details) 179,000 49.8% 89,142
Asia  Saudi Arabia (details) 26,417,599 3.33% 800,000
Africa  Senegal (details) 11,126,832 0.5% 55,634
Europe  Serbia (details) 7,186,175 1.2% 80,291
Africa  Seychelles (details) 81,188 8% 6,495
Africa  Sierra Leone (details) 5,400,000 14% 756,000
Asia  Singapore (details) 4,425,720 8% 354,058
Europe  Slovakia (details) 5,431,363 8.9 935,235
Europe  Slovenia (details) 2,011,070 0.8% 16,135
Oceania  Solomon Islands (details) 540,000 76.6% 410,000
Africa  Somalia (details) 9,900,000 0 0
Africa  South Africa (details) 50,500,000 (2010) 72.9% 36,814,500[57]
Africa  South Sudan (details) 9,950,000 20.7% 2,060,000
Europe  Spain (details) 50,000,000 3%[57] 1,500,000
Asia  Sri Lanka (details) 20,064,776 0.8% 160,518
Africa  Sudan (details) 44,600,000 5% 2,200,000
South America  Suriname (details) 500,000 25% 125,000
Europe  Sweden (details) 10,000,000 60% 6,000,000
Europe   Switzerland (details) 8,482,152 (2017) 27%[83] 2,290,000
Asia  Syria (details) 18,448,752 0.2% 37,605
Asia  Taiwan (details) 22,894,384 2.6% 595,254
Asia  Tajikistan (details) 7,163,506 0.01% 711
Africa  Tanzania (details) 62,092,761[84] 38% 22,765,045
Asia  Thailand (details) 64,076,033 0.77% 492,800
Africa  Togo (details) 5,681,519 9.5% 539,744
Oceania  Tonga (details) 112,422 73% 82,068
North America  Trinidad and Tobago (details) 1,300,000 38% 494,000
Africa  Tunisia (details) 10,074,951 3.33% 335,496
Europe  Turkey (details) 84,680,273 Less than 1% 13,000
Asia  Turkmenistan (details) 4,952,081 0.6% 81
Oceania  Tuvalu (details) 11,636 94% 11,450
Africa  Uganda (details) 34,856,000 (2014) 45.1% 15,720,056
Europe  Ukraine (details) 47,425,336 2.3% 900,000
Asia  United Arab Emirates (details) 2,563,212 5% 128,160
Europe  United Kingdom (details) 67,330,000 (2021) 31% [85] 20,770,000
North America  United States (details) 341,000,000 [86] 46.5%[87]
36%[88]
43% [89]
40% [90]
158,565,000
122,760,000
146,630,000
136,400,000
South America  Uruguay (details) 3,400,000 15% 510,000
Asia  Uzbekistan (details) 26,851,195 0.01% 1,345
Oceania  Vanuatu (details) 243,304 40% 97,321
Europe  Vatican City (details) 921 0% 0
South America  Venezuela (details) 33,221,865 17%[91] 5,647,717
Asia  Vietnam (details) 83,535,576 1% 835,355
Asia  Yemen (details) 20,727,063 Approximately 1% ?
Africa  Zambia (details) 13,500,000 68% 9,180,000
Africa  Zimbabwe (details) 12,100,000 67% 8,107,000
World 7,600,000,000 (2017) 12.1% 920,000,000
Close

By region

Summarize
Perspective

The following are summary tables of the numbers and percentages of Protestants in each region. Also included are the percentages of Protestants in the world that reside in that region ("% of Protestant total").

More information Region, Total Population ...
Protestants in Africa
Region Total Population Protestants  % Protestant  % of Protestant total
Central Africa 91,561,875 18,322,151 20.01% 3.09%
East Africa 225,488,566 36,965,728 16.39% 6.23%
North Africa 161,963,837 100,300 0.06% 0.01%
Southern Africa 137,092,019 55,432,677 40.44% 9.35%
West Africa 269,935,590 49,230,627 18.24% 8.30%
Total 886,041,887 160,051,482 18.06% 26.99%
Close
More information Region, Total Population ...
Protestants in Asia
Region Total Population Protestants  % Protestant  % of Protestant total
Central Asia 92,019,166 308,736 0.34% 0.05%
East Asia 1,527,960,261 25,550,708 1.67% 4.31%
Middle East 271,013,623 680,757 0.25% 0.11%
South Asia 1,437,326,682 9,458,283 0.66% 1.59%
Southeast Asia 571,337,070 26,387,155 4.62% 4.45%
Total 3,899,656,802 62,385,639 1.6% 10.52%
Close
More information Region, Total Population ...
Protestants in Europe
Region Total Population Protestants  % Protestant  % of Protestant total
Central Europe 82,033,047 7,803,177 9.51% 1.32%
Eastern Europe 209,198,166 1,389,452 0.66% 0.23%
Northern Europe 191,466,473 104,997,796 54.8% 17.71%
Balkans 65,407,609 1,713,080 2.62% 0.31%
Southern Europe 180,498,923 1,964,538 1.09% 0.33%
Total 728,604,218 117,868,043 16.2% 19.90%
Close
More information Region, Total Population ...
Protestants in the Americas
Region Total Population Protestants  % Protestant  % of Protestant total
Caribbean 37,285,819 5,912,490 15.86% 0.99%
Central America 147,338,108 16,376,631 11.12% 2.76%
North America 328,539,175 172,167,236 52.4% 29.03%
South America 371,075,531 44,682,767 12.04% 7.53%
Total 884,238,633 239,139,124 27.05% 40.32%
Close
More information Region, Total Population ...
Protestants in Oceania
Region Total Population Protestants  % Protestant  % of Protestant total
Oceania 30,809,781 13,474,012 43.73% 2.27%
Close

Maps

Europe

World

See also

Other religions

Notes

  1. Most current estimates place the world's Protestant population in the range of 800 million to more than 1 billion. For example, author Hans Hillerbrand estimated a total Protestant population of 833,457,000 in 2004,[9] while a report by Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary estimated 625,606,000 Protestants in mid-2024.[1]
  2. Current sources[which?] are in general agreement[citation needed] that Christians make up about 33% of the world's population—slightly over 2.4 billion adherents in mid-2015.
  3. Estimates for China vary in dozens of millions. Nevertheless, in comparison to the other countries, there is no disagreement that China has the most numerous Protestant minority.
  4. Protestant, Independent and Anglican parties are understood as Protestant as stated previously in the article, as well as in the book: Statistics for the P, I and A megablocs are often combined because they overlap so much-hence the order followed here.
  5. A flexible term; defined as all forms of Protestantism with the notable exception of the historical denominations deriving from the Protestant Reformation.

    References

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