As of the most widely cited global studies, there are roughly 2.3 to 2.6 billion Christians in the world today, out of a global population of just over 8 billion people. That means approximately 29%-32% of the world identifies as Christian, or roughly 1 out of every 3 people. Now, that said, let’s be clear... that doesn’t mean that one of three are dedicated, practicing, surrendered Christians. It does mean that when pressed for an answer, this is their chosen affiliation.
Here’s the breakdown in simple terms:
Christians: 2.3–2.6 billion
World population: 8+ billion
Percentage Christian: ~30%
Christianity remains the largest religion in the world.
The largest branches of Christianity are:
Catholic Church
Protestant Christianity
Eastern Orthodox Christianity
One of the most interesting shifts happening globally right now is that Christianity’s center is moving away from Europe and increasingly toward Africa, Latin America, and parts of Asia.
Sub-Saharan Africa now contains the largest share of Christians in the world!
At the same time, studies show that while the number of Christians is still growing numerically, Christianity’s percentage of the world population has slightly declined in recent decades for a few reasons:
the world population is growing rapidly,
many people in Western nations are becoming religiously unaffiliated,
and Islam is currently growing faster demographically (this may well be directly tied to end times prophesy).
Still, the growth of Christianity is astonishing and worth a pause to consider why.
Jesus began with a tiny group of disciples in a tiny corner of the Roman Empire. Early Christians like Leonides of Alexandria (an article coming soon about him) died believing the Gospel would outlive Rome itself.
And now, two thousand years later, billions of people across nearly every nation on earth profess the name of Christ.
How is this possible, without merit? I don’t believe it would be. Not to this degree. But each much choose for themselves and will forever live with that decision.
~Devin
Devin Osborne
The Early Church
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