Joshua Bennett
Christianity is the world's largest religion, with around 2.6 billion adherents, or 32.3% of the world's 8 billion people. Christians are geographically widespread, with no single continent or region that can indisputably claim to be the centre of global Christianity. Within Christianity, Catholicism is the largest major tradition, with around 1.3 billion followers worldwide, or 48.1% of all Christians. The Catholic population grew by 1.15% between 2022 and 2023, and the Catholic Church is the largest non-government provider of education and healthcare in the world.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Total number of Christians in the world | 2.18 billion (2010), 2.3-2.6 billion (2020), 2.4 billion (2024) |
| Percentage of Christians in the world population | 31% (2015), 33% (2015, 2022) |
| Number of Christian births in the world | 33% |
| Number of Catholics in the world | 1.078 billion (2010), 1.376 billion (2024), 1.39 billion (2022), 1.4 billion (2024), 1.406 billion (2023) |
| Percentage of Catholics in the world population | 16% |
| Percentage of Catholics among Christians | 50% |
| Number of Protestants in the world | 629 million (2025) |
| Number of Orthodox Christians in the world | 62 million (Oriental Orthodox) |
| Countries with the largest Christian populations | United States, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Philippines |
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What You'll Learn
Christians are the world's largest religious community
Christianity's largest denomination is the Catholic Church, with 1.3 billion baptized members in 2022, according to the Catholic Church's annual directory. Catholicism is considered the main branch of Christianity, and about half of all Christians are Catholics. The second-largest Christian denomination is either Protestantism or the Eastern Orthodox Church, depending on whether Protestants are considered a single group or divided into multiple denominations. There are an estimated 450 million Independents worldwide as of mid-2019, and they are broadly linked to Pentecostalism or similar evangelical movements.
The geographical spread of Christianity is notable, with no single continent or region that can indisputably claim to be the center of global Christianity. While Europe once had the bulk of Christians, today, only about a quarter (26%) reside there. The religion is now prevalent in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, with significant growth in these regions. Africa, for instance, has seen a remarkable increase in Christians, from 8.7 million in 1900 to 390 million today, with an expected 600 million Christians by 2025.
Christianity's global reach is further emphasized by its status as the state religion in 14 nations, including Armenia, Costa Rica, England, Greece, and Zambia. The United States also has a significant Christian population, with seven in ten Americans identifying as Christian, including four in ten who identify as White Christians. Indonesia, a Muslim-majority country, has more Christians than all 20 countries in the Middle East and North Africa combined.
The widespread presence of Christians across the world, along with their diverse denominations and cultural backgrounds, underscores the prominence of Christianity as the world's largest religious community.
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Catholics are the largest Christian tradition
Christianity is the world's largest religious group, with an estimated 2.3 to 2.6 billion adherents globally in 2020, representing nearly a third of the world's population. The three largest groups of Christians are the Catholic Church, Protestantism, and the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Catholicism is the main branch of Christianity, and the Catholic Church is the largest single denomination among churches. About half of all Christians are Catholics, with 1.3 billion baptized members worldwide in 2022, according to the annual directory of the Catholic Church. This number grew to 1.406 billion in 2023. In 2025, the World Christian Database reported 1.272 billion Catholics. This figure does not include independent denominations that self-identify as Catholic, such as Old Catholicism, with an additional 18 million adherents.
The Catholic Church has seen significant growth in certain regions, particularly in Africa. The number of Catholics in Africa increased from one million in 1902 to 329,882,000 by 2015. From 2015 to 2016 alone, Africa saw an increase of 49,767,000 Catholics, a larger increase than any other continent.
The widespread geographical presence of Catholics and Christians in general is notable. No single continent or region can indisputably claim to be the center of global Christianity. While Europe once had the highest concentration of Christians, today only about a quarter (26%) of Christians reside there. The religion has spread far from its historical origins in the Middle East and North Africa, which now have the lowest concentration of Christians (about 4% of the region's population). Indonesia, a Muslim-majority country, has more Christians than all 20 countries in the Middle East-North Africa region combined.
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Christianity is growing in Africa, Asia, and Latin America
Christianity is the world's largest religious group, with 2.18 billion Christians worldwide, making up nearly a third of the global population. Christians are widespread geographically, with no single continent or region that can be considered the centre of global Christianity. While a century ago, two-thirds of the world's Christians lived in Europe, today, only about a quarter (26%) do. Instead, the bulk of the world's Christians are found in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, where the religion is experiencing rapid growth.
In Africa, there are an estimated 734 million Christians from all denominations as of 2024, up from about 10 million in 1900. The continent has witnessed a remarkable shift, moving from a majority of followers of indigenous, traditional religions to a predominantly Christian population. This growth can be attributed to several factors, including indigenous African missionary work, evangelism, and high birth rates. Countries such as Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Ethiopia are among those with the largest Christian populations globally. Additionally, there has been an increasing number of conversions among Muslims in countries like Morocco, Tunisia, and within specific ethnic groups like the Berbers.
Asia has also experienced significant Christian growth, particularly in South and Southeast Asia, with countries like Mongolia, Nepal, and Cambodia witnessing substantial increases since 1990. China stands out with the highest growth rate among Christian families from 1970 to 2020, although this growth has slowed since 2015. Indonesia, a Muslim-majority country, is home to more Christians than all 20 countries in the Middle East-North Africa region combined. However, it is important to note that Western Asia has seen a decline in Christianity due to emigration and religious conflicts.
Latin America has a strong historical presence of Catholicism due to the influence of Spanish conquistadors, who brought Christianity to the region during their conquest. Today, the region is predominantly Christian, with 90% of Latin Americans identifying as Christians. While Catholicism remains the largest denomination, there is a growing number of Protestants, particularly in Brazil, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Puerto Rico. Additionally, Pentecostalism has experienced massive growth, attracting the region's middle classes. Anglicanism also has a long and growing presence in the region.
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Europe's share of global Catholics has decreased
Europe's share of global Catholics has been decreasing over the years. In 1910, Europe was home to about two-thirds of all Catholics, with 65% of Catholics living on the continent. By 2010, the share of the world's Catholics living in Europe had dropped to 24%. The latest data from the Vatican shows that in 2022, Catholics made up about 39.5% of Europe's population, a slight decline of 0.08% from the previous year. The number of Catholics in Europe fell by nearly half a million people in 2022, coinciding with a total population reduction on the continent.
While Europe's share of global Catholics has decreased, the global Catholic population continues to grow. In 2022, the global Catholic population reached nearly 1.39 billion people, an increase of more than 13.7 million Catholics from the previous year. This growth is attributed to increases in other regions, particularly in Africa, which saw the largest increase of any continent, with the number of Catholics surpassing 272.4 million in 2022. Latin America also surpassed Europe to become the region with the largest Catholic population in sheer numbers, with 39% of the world's Catholics living in the region in 2010.
The decline in Europe's share of global Catholics can be attributed to various factors, including the geographic distribution of the world's Catholics shifting to other regions like Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Additionally, the total population of Europe has been decreasing, contributing to the decline in the number of Catholics in the region.
Despite the decrease in Europe's share, Catholicism remains the largest branch of Christianity, with about 50% of all Christians identifying as Catholics. In Europe, Catholics are still the largest religious group in many of the continent's most populous countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Spain. These countries have high proportions of Catholics, with Poland at 87%, Italy at 78%, and Portugal at 77%.
The Catholic Church is also closely tied to Europe, with its headquarters in Rome's Vatican City, a European state. A plurality of the institution's cardinals (42%) also hail from Europe, indicating a strong ongoing connection between the Catholic Church and the continent.
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Christians hold the largest amount of wealth globally
Christianity is the world's largest religious group, with an estimated 2.3 to 2.6 billion adherents in 2020, representing nearly a third of the estimated 2010 global population of 6.9 billion. No single continent or region can indisputably claim to be the center of global Christianity. The religion has spread far from its historical origins in the Middle East and North Africa, which now have the lowest concentration of Christians (about 4% of the region's population). Indonesia, a Muslim-majority country, is home to more Christians than all 20 countries in the Middle East and North Africa combined.
Catholicism is the main branch of Christianity and the Catholic Church is the largest among churches. About 50% of all Christians are Catholics, with 1.39 billion baptized Catholics in 2022, 1.4 billion in 2023, and 1.272 billion in 2025, according to the World Christian Database. However, these figures do not include independent denominations that self-identify as Catholic, such as Old Catholicism, which number around 18 million adherents.
According to a 2015 study, Christians hold the largest share of global wealth at around 55%. The same study found that adherents under the classification "Irreligion" or other religions hold about 34.8% of the total global wealth. A study by the nonpartisan wealth research firm New World Wealth found that 56.2% of the world's 13.1 million millionaires were Christians, while 6.5% were Muslims, 3.9% were Hindus, and 1.7% were Jewish. The report also noted that seven out of the top 10 wealthiest countries in the world (ranked by the number of millionaires) are Christian-dominated, including the USA, UK, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, France, and Australia.
The correlation between wealth and religion has been the subject of academic research. A study published in the American Journal of Sociology by Lisa Keister found that "wealth affects religion indirectly through educational attainment, fertility, and female labor force participation," but also found some evidence of direct effects of religion on wealth attainment. Keister also notes that certain religious beliefs ("one should have many children," "women should not work") lower wealth accumulation, both on the micro and macro scale.
A study in the United States (based on data from 1985 to 1998) conducted by sociologist Lisa A. Keister and published in the Social Forces journal found that adherents of Judaism and Episcopalianism accumulated the most wealth, believers in Catholicism and mainline Protestants were in the middle, while conservative Protestants accumulated the least. Keister suggested that wealth accumulation is shaped by family processes.
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Frequently asked questions
It is estimated that there are 2.6 billion Christians in the world, making up 32.3% of the world's population.
There are approximately 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide, constituting 48.1% of the world's Christians.
About 26% of Christians live in Europe, which is a decrease from 1910 when two-thirds of the world's Christians lived on the continent.
