ACTS BIBLE
Bonus section · Appendix
Counts of professing Christians from AD 70 to 2025, each set beside the number of people alive at the time wherever the sources allow, with its source, how it was made and, where one was published, its range.
Population series from the United Nations, the US Census Bureau, Gapminder, HYDE and Maddison; counts of Christians from the World Christian Database at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, the Pew Research Center and the RCS-Dem dataset; and the historians and social scientists behind the early and medieval estimates, from Harnack and Stark to Ehrman and Jenkins.
How each number was made: every plotted number carries one of these marks.
Every Christian figure on this page tries to measure people who professed Christ or were listed as belonging to a church. The newest come from church records and from censuses and surveys in which people name their own religion; the oldest are scholars' estimates. None of them counts new birth. Paul wrote of “a remnant according to the election of grace” (Romans 11:5), and no census can find where that line runs.
Luke kept count all the same. About three thousand souls were added on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41), and soon the number of the men who believed was about five thousand (Acts 4:4). He names who did the adding: “the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:47). A count records who was baptized and who names Christ; God alone knows which of them He has made alive.
A count also needs a second number beside it: how many people were alive at the time (the denominator). Without it, growth in the number of Christians and growth in the human race look alike. The sociologist Rodney Stark's model, drawn on the Roman slide in Class 1, has about 6.3 million Christians in AD 300, 10.5 percent of a Roman Empire he takes as 60 million people. The whole world then held about 228 million on HYDE, a reconstruction of world population from archaeology and old records, so the same 6.3 million is about 2.8 percent of the world. The Class 1 slide names the empire as its base but not the empire's size, and says nothing of the world.
Stark's model has about 2,700 Christians in AD 70, in a world of about 236 million. The World Christian Database, kept by the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, projects about 2.6 billion for mid 2025, in a world the United Nations projects at about 8.2 billion. On an ordinary scale the first thousand years of the Christian count would lie flat along the bottom, so figure 1 draws both lines on a scale where each step up is ten times the one below it (a logarithmic scale).
Figure 2 divides the one line by the other. Christians were at least 12 percent of the world by 400, if Bart Ehrman's figure of 30 million for the Roman Empire alone is near the truth. From 500 to 1500, on the one reconstruction that covers those centuries, the share stayed between about 13 and 18 percent. It passed a fifth by 1700, reached about 34 percent by 1900, and has stayed within a point of 32 percent from 1970 to 2025.
The count grew from about 558 million Christians in 1900 to about 2.6 billion in 2025, more than four and a half times. The world grew about five times in the same years, from about 1.6 billion people to about 8.2 billion, so the share in 2025 sits a little below the share in 1900.
World population and the number of professing Christians, drawn on a scale where each step up is ten times the one below it (a logarithmic scale). The Christian band runs from the lowest to the highest figure, published or computed here, where more than one exists. The world band spans the series in the US Census Bureau's table of historical estimates through 1950 and the earlier UN revisions after it, widened to take in the plotted line where that falls outside them.
What to notice: The gap between the two lines is the share. It closes fast before 400 and holds nearly steady from 500 to 1500; between 1800 and 1900 it narrows again.
Divided by: Nothing: a count.
Caveats:
| Year | Value | Low | High | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AD 70 | 235,617,184 | Interpolated | HYDE 3.3 (Klein Goldewijk et al., 2023), via Our World in Data, "Population" | ||
| AD 100 | 237,052,192 | Reconstruction | HYDE 3.3 (Klein Goldewijk et al., 2023), via Our World in Data, "Population" | ||
| AD 150 | 238,907,176 | Interpolated | HYDE 3.3 (Klein Goldewijk et al., 2023), via Our World in Data, "Population" | ||
| AD 200 | 240,762,160 | 190,000,000 | 256,000,000 | Reconstruction | HYDE 3.3 (Klein Goldewijk et al., 2023), via Our World in Data, "Population" |
| AD 250 | 234,232,504 | Interpolated | HYDE 3.3 (Klein Goldewijk et al., 2023), via Our World in Data, "Population" | ||
| AD 300 | 227,702,848 | Reconstruction | HYDE 3.3 (Klein Goldewijk et al., 2023), via Our World in Data, "Population" | ||
| AD 350 | 234,699,928 | Interpolated | HYDE 3.3 (Klein Goldewijk et al., 2023), via Our World in Data, "Population" | ||
| AD 400 | 241,697,008 | 190,000,000 | 241,697,008 | Reconstruction | HYDE 3.3 (Klein Goldewijk et al., 2023), via Our World in Data, "Population" |
| AD 500 | 253,395,808 | 190,000,000 | 253,395,808 | Reconstruction | HYDE 3.3 (Klein Goldewijk et al., 2023), via Our World in Data, "Population" |
| AD 600 | 271,638,944 | 200,000,000 | 271,638,944 | Reconstruction | HYDE 3.3 (Klein Goldewijk et al., 2023), via Our World in Data, "Population" |
| AD 700 | 278,346,080 | 207,000,000 | 278,346,080 | Reconstruction | HYDE 3.3 (Klein Goldewijk et al., 2023), via Our World in Data, "Population" |
| AD 800 | 285,870,176 | 220,000,000 | 285,870,176 | Reconstruction | HYDE 3.3 (Klein Goldewijk et al., 2023), via Our World in Data, "Population" |
| AD 900 | 311,142,688 | 226,000,000 | 311,142,688 | Reconstruction | HYDE 3.3 (Klein Goldewijk et al., 2023), via Our World in Data, "Population" |
| 1000 | 323,462,624 | 254,000,000 | 345,000,000 | Reconstruction | HYDE 3.3 (Klein Goldewijk et al., 2023), via Our World in Data, "Population" |
| 1100 | 397,889,888 | 301,000,000 | 397,889,888 | Reconstruction | HYDE 3.3 (Klein Goldewijk et al., 2023), via Our World in Data, "Population" |
| 1200 | 444,653,984 | 360,000,000 | 450,000,000 | Reconstruction | HYDE 3.3 (Klein Goldewijk et al., 2023), via Our World in Data, "Population" |
| 1300 | 456,248,096 | 360,000,000 | 456,248,096 | Reconstruction | HYDE 3.3 (Klein Goldewijk et al., 2023), via Our World in Data, "Population" |
| 1400 | 442,309,216 | 350,000,000 | 442,309,216 | Reconstruction | HYDE 3.3 (Klein Goldewijk et al., 2023), via Our World in Data, "Population" |
| 1500 | 503,051,104 | 425,000,000 | 540,000,000 | Reconstruction | HYDE 3.3 (Klein Goldewijk et al., 2023), via Our World in Data, "Population" |
| 1600 | 516,147,616 | 516,147,616 | 579,000,000 | Reconstruction | HYDE 3.3 (Klein Goldewijk et al., 2023), via Our World in Data, "Population" |
| 1700 | 595,456,896 | 595,456,896 | 679,000,000 | Reconstruction | HYDE 3.3 (Klein Goldewijk et al., 2023), via Our World in Data, "Population" |
| 1800 | 983,104,755 | 813,000,000 | 1,125,000,000 | Reconstruction | Gapminder Population v7 (2022), via Our World in Data, "Population" |
| 1850 | 1,275,602,897 | 1,128,000,000 | 1,402,000,000 | Reconstruction | Gapminder Population v7 (2022), via Our World in Data, "Population" |
| 1900 | 1,627,273,655 | 1,550,000,000 | 1,762,000,000 | Reconstruction | Gapminder Population v7 (2022), via Our World in Data, "Population" |
| 1910 | 1,767,417,985 | 1,750,000,000 | 1,767,417,985 | Reconstruction | Gapminder Population v7 (2022), via Our World in Data, "Population" |
| 1950 | 2,493,092,852 | 2,400,000,000 | 2,558,000,000 | Counted | United Nations, World Population Prospects 2024, via Our World in Data |
| 1970 | 3,694,683,794 | 3,694,683,794 | 3,695,390,000 | Counted | United Nations, World Population Prospects 2024, via Our World in Data |
| 2000 | 6,171,702,992 | 6,148,899,000 | 6,171,702,992 | Counted | United Nations, World Population Prospects 2024, via Our World in Data |
| 2010 | 7,021,732,143 | 6,895,890,000 | 7,021,732,143 | Counted | United Nations, World Population Prospects 2024, via Our World in Data |
| 2020 | 7,887,001,289 | 7,840,953,000 | 7,887,001,289 | Counted | United Nations, World Population Prospects 2024, via Our World in Data |
| 2025 | 8,231,613,067 | 8,191,988,000 | 8,231,613,067 | Model | United Nations, World Population Prospects 2024, via Our World in Data |
| Year | Value | Low | High | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AD 70 | 2,744 | 2,048 | 2,744 | Model | Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity (Princeton, 1996), ch. 1, Table 1.1 |
| AD 100 | 7,530 | 7,400 | 9,173 | Model | Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity (Princeton, 1996), ch. 1, Table 1.1 |
| AD 150 | 40,496 | 36,242 | 60,822 | Model | Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity (Princeton, 1996), ch. 1, Table 1.1 |
| AD 200 | 217,795 | 156,581 | 279,030 | Model | Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity (Princeton, 1996), ch. 1, Table 1.1 |
| AD 250 | 1,171,356 | 676,491 | 1,200,000 | Model | Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity (Princeton, 1996), ch. 1, Table 1.1 |
| AD 300 | 6,299,832 | 2,000,000 | 15,000,000 | Model | Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity (Princeton, 1996), ch. 1, Table 1.1 |
| AD 400 | 30,000,000 | 26,100,000 | 30,000,000 | Reported | Bart D. Ehrman, The Triumph of Christianity (2018), pp. 141-155 and 248-254 |
| AD 500 | 37,800,000 | Reported | David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, World Christian Trends, AD 30-AD 2200 (2001), century totals as transcribed by Brilliant Maps | ||
| AD 600 | 40,400,000 | Reported | David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, World Christian Trends, AD 30-AD 2200 (2001), century totals as transcribed by Brilliant Maps | ||
| AD 700 | 40,570,000 | Reported | David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, World Christian Trends, AD 30-AD 2200 (2001), century totals as transcribed by Brilliant Maps | ||
| AD 800 | 40,870,000 | Reported | David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, World Christian Trends, AD 30-AD 2200 (2001), century totals as transcribed by Brilliant Maps | ||
| AD 900 | 40,830,000 | Reported | David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, World Christian Trends, AD 30-AD 2200 (2001), century totals as transcribed by Brilliant Maps | ||
| 1000 | 44,670,000 | Reported | David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, World Christian Trends, AD 30-AD 2200 (2001), century totals as transcribed by Brilliant Maps | ||
| 1100 | 51,960,000 | Reported | David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, World Christian Trends, AD 30-AD 2200 (2001), century totals as transcribed by Brilliant Maps | ||
| 1200 | 65,710,000 | Reported | David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, World Christian Trends, AD 30-AD 2200 (2001), century totals as transcribed by Brilliant Maps | ||
| 1300 | 83,910,000 | Reported | David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, World Christian Trends, AD 30-AD 2200 (2001), century totals as transcribed by Brilliant Maps | ||
| 1400 | 56,730,000 | Reported | David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, World Christian Trends, AD 30-AD 2200 (2001), century totals as transcribed by Brilliant Maps | ||
| 1500 | 75,890,000 | Reported | David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, World Christian Trends, AD 30-AD 2200 (2001), century totals as transcribed by Brilliant Maps | ||
| 1600 | 100,440,000 | Reported | David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, World Christian Trends, AD 30-AD 2200 (2001), century totals as transcribed by Brilliant Maps | ||
| 1700 | 130,110,000 | Reported | David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, World Christian Trends, AD 30-AD 2200 (2001), century totals as transcribed by Brilliant Maps | ||
| 1800 | 204,980,000 | Reconstruction | Johnson, Barrett and Crossing, "Christianity 2013: Renewalists and Faith and Migration", International Bulletin of Missionary Research 37:1 (2013), table "Status of Global Mission, 2013, in the Context of AD 1800-2025" | ||
| 1900 | 558,346,000 | 537,267,157 | 558,346,000 | Reconstruction | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
| 1910 | 611,810,000 | 611,810,000 | 620,665,000 | Reconstruction | Pew Research Center, Global Christianity (December 2011) |
| 1970 | 1,216,131,000 | 1,132,280,655 | 1,230,548,000 | Counted | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
| 2000 | 1,987,905,000 | 1,808,915,596 | 1,993,436,000 | Counted | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
| 2010 | 2,262,586,000 | 2,061,122,600 | 2,262,586,000 | Counted | Center for the Study of Global Christianity, Christianity in its Global Context, 1970-2020 (Gordon-Conwell, June 2013) |
| 2020 | 2,519,505,000 | 2,268,860,000 | 2,526,029,000 | Counted | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
| 2025 | 2,645,317,000 | Model | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
Each year's Christian figure divided by the world's population in the same year. The band runs from the lowest to the highest Christian figure, published or computed here, each divided by the same world total.
What to notice: The share sits between about 13 and 18 percent from 500 to 1500, reaches about a third by 1900, and stays within a point of 32 percent from 1970 on. The count is higher in 2025 than at any earlier date, though it fell by about a third in the fourteenth century.
Divided by: The world's population in the same year.
Caveats:
| Year | Percent | Low | High | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AD 70 | 0.0012 | 0.00087 | 0.0012 | Model | Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity (Princeton, 1996), ch. 1, Table 1.1 |
| AD 100 | 0.0032 | 0.0031 | 0.0039 | Model | Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity (Princeton, 1996), ch. 1, Table 1.1 |
| AD 150 | 0.017 | 0.015 | 0.025 | Model | Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity (Princeton, 1996), ch. 1, Table 1.1 |
| AD 200 | 0.09 | 0.065 | 0.12 | Model | Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity (Princeton, 1996), ch. 1, Table 1.1 |
| AD 250 | 0.5 | 0.29 | 0.51 | Model | Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity (Princeton, 1996), ch. 1, Table 1.1 |
| AD 300 | 2.8 | 0.88 | 6.6 | Model | Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity (Princeton, 1996), ch. 1, Table 1.1 |
| AD 400 | 12.4 | 10.8 | 12.4 | Reported | Bart D. Ehrman, The Triumph of Christianity (2018), pp. 141-155 and 248-254 |
| AD 500 | 14.9 | Reported | David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, World Christian Trends, AD 30-AD 2200 (2001), century totals as transcribed by Brilliant Maps | ||
| AD 600 | 14.9 | Reported | David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, World Christian Trends, AD 30-AD 2200 (2001), century totals as transcribed by Brilliant Maps | ||
| AD 700 | 14.6 | Reported | David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, World Christian Trends, AD 30-AD 2200 (2001), century totals as transcribed by Brilliant Maps | ||
| AD 800 | 14.3 | Reported | David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, World Christian Trends, AD 30-AD 2200 (2001), century totals as transcribed by Brilliant Maps | ||
| AD 900 | 13.1 | Reported | David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, World Christian Trends, AD 30-AD 2200 (2001), century totals as transcribed by Brilliant Maps | ||
| 1000 | 13.8 | Reported | David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, World Christian Trends, AD 30-AD 2200 (2001), century totals as transcribed by Brilliant Maps | ||
| 1100 | 13.1 | Reported | David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, World Christian Trends, AD 30-AD 2200 (2001), century totals as transcribed by Brilliant Maps | ||
| 1200 | 14.8 | Reported | David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, World Christian Trends, AD 30-AD 2200 (2001), century totals as transcribed by Brilliant Maps | ||
| 1300 | 18.4 | Reported | David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, World Christian Trends, AD 30-AD 2200 (2001), century totals as transcribed by Brilliant Maps | ||
| 1400 | 12.8 | Reported | David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, World Christian Trends, AD 30-AD 2200 (2001), century totals as transcribed by Brilliant Maps | ||
| 1500 | 15.1 | Reported | David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, World Christian Trends, AD 30-AD 2200 (2001), century totals as transcribed by Brilliant Maps | ||
| 1600 | 19.5 | Reported | David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, World Christian Trends, AD 30-AD 2200 (2001), century totals as transcribed by Brilliant Maps | ||
| 1700 | 21.9 | Reported | David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, World Christian Trends, AD 30-AD 2200 (2001), century totals as transcribed by Brilliant Maps | ||
| 1800 | 20.9 | Reconstruction | Johnson, Barrett and Crossing, "Christianity 2013: Renewalists and Faith and Migration", International Bulletin of Missionary Research 37:1 (2013), table "Status of Global Mission, 2013, in the Context of AD 1800-2025" | ||
| 1900 | 34.3 | 33.0 | 34.3 | Reconstruction | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
| 1910 | 34.6 | 34.6 | 35.1 | Reconstruction | Pew Research Center, Global Christianity (December 2011) |
| 1970 | 32.9 | 30.6 | 33.3 | Counted | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
| 2000 | 32.2 | 29.3 | 32.3 | Counted | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
| 2010 | 32.2 | 29.4 | 32.2 | Counted | Center for the Study of Global Christianity, Christianity in its Global Context, 1970-2020 (Gordon-Conwell, June 2013) |
| 2020 | 31.9 | 28.8 | 32.0 | Counted | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
| 2025 | 32.1 | Model | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
No count of the empire's Christians survives. The nearest thing is a letter of 251 from Cornelius, bishop of Rome, listing 155 clergy and more than 1,500 widows and poor people the church fed (Eusebius, Church History 6.43), and the church historian Adolf Harnack built his estimate of at least 30,000 Christians in the city on it. Every figure for the whole empire is a model, where a scholar picks a starting number and a growth rate and lets the rate do the rest, or a reasoned guess.
For AD 300 the published figures run from Ehrman's 2 to 3 million up to the 7.5 to 15 million the church historian Ludwig von Hertling gave in 1934, and figure 3 sets every other estimate between them. The historian Keith Hopkins's figures are Stark's curve rounded, so those two names are one model, and Hopkins called them “guesstimates, not facts.”
The largest gap in percentage points falls at 350. Stark's model reaches about 33.9 million, 56.5 percent of the empire, the bar the Class 1 slide draws for that year. Stark calls his projections very plausible through 350 and judges his model invalid after it, since growth must have declined rapidly at some point during the fourth century. For 350 he cites Harnack on Christian writers claiming a majority. The page he cites has the martyr Lucian, early in the fourth century, saying almost the greater part of the world was Christian, and Harnack reads it as short of half, though about half in several places. Jorge Lucero, a computer scientist at the University of Brasília, reports the growth rate per decade that Ehrman assigns to each period. Compounded here, those rates give about 9.3 million at 350, and Lucero's own curve, evaluated here, gives about 9.7 million: about 15 and 16 percent of the empire.
The figures for 400 agree because they share one anchor, Ehrman's 30 million, half the empire. Lucero calls it the accepted estimate and fitted his curve to it, and the curve gives 26.1 million. A map-maker's transcription of David Barrett and Todd Johnson, choosing the lowest figures he found, has 25.3 million Christians in the whole world by 400, about 42 percent of the empire even if all of them lived inside it.
Against the world all of these are small: even von Hertling's 15 million is under 7 percent of the people alive in 300. The empire's own size is a guess as well, 50 to 60 million in most estimates and 75 million at the peak the historian Kyle Harper puts in the middle of the second century, and every share of the empire moves with it.
Stark starts from 1,000 Christians in AD 40 and Ehrman from 20 in AD 30, both far below the three thousand Luke records added in one day at Jerusalem (Acts 2:41). Stark set aside two of Luke's later figures, the five thousand men (Acts 4:4) and the “many thousands” of Jews who believed (Acts 21:20), writing that they are not statistics: had there been that many converts, Jerusalem, which probably held no more than twenty thousand people, would have been the first Christian city. Luke, who drew on eyewitnesses (Luke 1:2), is the only ancient writer to give numbers for those years. Stark tested his curve against the papyrologist Roger Bagnall's count of Christian names in Egyptian papyri, a record from one province, and the two rose together at six dates between 239 and 315. The test ends before 350, and Stark called his numbers “estimates, not recorded fact.”
Harnack refused to put a percentage on the empire and sorted its provinces instead, judging from bishops' seats, church councils, accounts of martyrs and letters (figure 4). His first class, where Christians were nearly half the people and theirs was the most widespread religion, holds Asia Minor, Armenia, Cyprus, the city of Edessa (now Şanlıurfa) and the European shore of the Sea of Marmara near modern Istanbul. His last class includes middle and upper Gaul and the frontier provinces from Belgica to Raetia (from Belgium to the Alps), with not more than 10,000 Christians among them.
Each estimate for AD 100, 200, 250, 300, 350 and 400, as a share of an empire of 60 million and as a share of the world. Where an author gives only a range, the range is drawn as a bar with no point inside it; where an author gives only limits, as Harnack and Gibbon do for 300, the limits are drawn as a floor or a cap.
What to notice: For 300 the estimates run from 2 million to 15 million, and none comes near half the empire. At 350 Stark's model gives 56.5 percent of the empire, while Ehrman's rates and Lucero's curve give about 15 and 16 percent; against the world even the highest figure for 300 stays under 7 percent.
Divided by: The Roman Empire's population, taken as 60 million, and the world's population in the same year.
Caveats:
| Year | Estimate | Value | Low | High | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AD 100 | Stark (1996) | 7,530 | Model | Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity (Princeton, 1996), ch. 1, Table 1.1 | ||
| AD 100 | Hopkins (1998) | 7,400 | Model | Keith Hopkins, "Christian Number and its Implications" (JECS 1998; Sociological Studies in Roman History, 2018, Table 12.1) | ||
| AD 100 | Ehrman's rates, compounded | 8,389 | Derived | Bart D. Ehrman, The Triumph of Christianity (2018), pp. 141-155 and 248-254 | ||
| AD 100 | Lucero (2021) | 9,173 | Model | Jorge C. Lucero, "Subexponential growth of early Christianity" (arXiv 2111.08833, 2021) | ||
| AD 100 | Barrett and Johnson (2001), worldwide | 800,000 | Reported | David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, World Christian Trends, AD 30-AD 2200 (2001), century totals as transcribed by Brilliant Maps | ||
| AD 200 | Stark (1996) | 217,795 | Model | Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity (Princeton, 1996), ch. 1, Table 1.1 | ||
| AD 200 | Hopkins (1998) | 210,000 | Model | Keith Hopkins, "Christian Number and its Implications" (JECS 1998; Sociological Studies in Roman History, 2018, Table 12.1) | ||
| AD 200 | Ehrman's rates, compounded | 156,581 | Derived | Bart D. Ehrman, The Triumph of Christianity (2018), pp. 141-155 and 248-254 | ||
| AD 200 | Lucero (2021) | 279,030 | Model | Jorge C. Lucero, "Subexponential growth of early Christianity" (arXiv 2111.08833, 2021) | ||
| AD 200 | Barrett and Johnson (2001), worldwide | 4,660,000 | Reported | David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, World Christian Trends, AD 30-AD 2200 (2001), century totals as transcribed by Brilliant Maps | ||
| AD 250 | Stark (1996) | 1,171,356 | Model | Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity (Princeton, 1996), ch. 1, Table 1.1 | ||
| AD 250 | Hopkins (1998) | 1,100,000 | Model | Keith Hopkins, "Christian Number and its Implications" (JECS 1998; Sociological Studies in Roman History, 2018, Table 12.1) | ||
| AD 250 | Ehrman's rates, compounded | 676,491 | Derived | Bart D. Ehrman, The Triumph of Christianity (2018), pp. 141-155 and 248-254 | ||
| AD 250 | Lucero (2021) | 1,035,590 | Model | Jorge C. Lucero, "Subexponential growth of early Christianity" (arXiv 2111.08833, 2021) | ||
| AD 250 | Lane Fox (1987) | 1,200,000 | Derived | Robin Lane Fox (1987), p. 317, as quoted by Stark (1996) | ||
| AD 300 | Stark (1996) | 6,299,832 | Model | Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity (Princeton, 1996), ch. 1, Table 1.1 | ||
| AD 300 | Hopkins (1998) | 6,000,000 | Model | Keith Hopkins, "Christian Number and its Implications" (JECS 1998; Sociological Studies in Roman History, 2018, Table 12.1) | ||
| AD 300 | Ehrman (2018), stated figures | 2,000,000 | 3,000,000 | Reported | Bart D. Ehrman, The Triumph of Christianity (2018), pp. 141-155 and 248-254 | |
| AD 300 | Ehrman's rates, compounded | 2,922,711 | Derived | Bart D. Ehrman, The Triumph of Christianity (2018), pp. 141-155 and 248-254 | ||
| AD 300 | Lucero (2021) | 3,400,000 | Model | Jorge C. Lucero, "Subexponential growth of early Christianity" (arXiv 2111.08833, 2021) | ||
| AD 300 | Harnack (1908), limits only | at least 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 | below 30,000,000 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 | |
| AD 300 | MacMullen (1984) | 5,000,000 | Reported | Ramsay MacMullen, Christianizing the Roman Empire (1984), as reported by Stark (1996) | ||
| AD 300 | von Hertling (1934) | 7,500,000 | 15,000,000 | Reported | Ludwig von Hertling (1934), as reported by Stark (1996) | |
| AD 300 | Gibbon (1776-1788), at most | below 3,000,000 | Derived | Edward Gibbon, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1776-1788), as reported by Stark (1996) | ||
| AD 300 | Goodenough (1931) | 6,000,000 | Reported | Erwin R. Goodenough (1931), as reported by Stark (1996) | ||
| AD 300 | Barrett and Johnson (2001), worldwide | 14,010,000 | Reported | David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, World Christian Trends, AD 30-AD 2200 (2001), century totals as transcribed by Brilliant Maps | ||
| AD 350 | Stark (1996) | 33,882,008 | Model | Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity (Princeton, 1996), ch. 1, Table 1.1 | ||
| AD 350 | Hopkins (1998) | 32,000,000 | Model | Keith Hopkins, "Christian Number and its Implications" (JECS 1998; Sociological Studies in Roman History, 2018, Table 12.1) | ||
| AD 350 | Ehrman's rates, compounded | 9,281,937 | Derived | Bart D. Ehrman, The Triumph of Christianity (2018), pp. 141-155 and 248-254 | ||
| AD 350 | Lucero (2021) | 9,669,871 | Model | Jorge C. Lucero, "Subexponential growth of early Christianity" (arXiv 2111.08833, 2021) | ||
| AD 400 | Ehrman (2018), stated figures | 30,000,000 | Reported | Bart D. Ehrman, The Triumph of Christianity (2018), pp. 141-155 and 248-254 | ||
| AD 400 | Ehrman's rates, compounded | 29,477,546 | Derived | Bart D. Ehrman, The Triumph of Christianity (2018), pp. 141-155 and 248-254 | ||
| AD 400 | Lucero (2021) | 26,100,000 | Model | Jorge C. Lucero, "Subexponential growth of early Christianity" (arXiv 2111.08833, 2021) | ||
| AD 400 | Barrett and Johnson (2001), worldwide | 25,320,000 | Reported | David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, World Christian Trends, AD 30-AD 2200 (2001), century totals as transcribed by Brilliant Maps |
Adolf Harnack's judgment of how thickly Christians lived in each province around 300, placed on the Mediterranean. The first class is nearly half the people and the fourth hardly any; the four provinces he declined to judge are marked as unjudged, and places outside the map's frame are listed beside it.
What to notice: The first class gathers in and around Asia Minor. The last holds inland and northern Gaul, the Rhine and Alpine provinces and Piedmont, with the towns of Philistia and lands on and beyond the frontier.
Divided by: Each province's own people, judged in words rather than numbers.
Caveats:
| Province | Harnack's class | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asia Minor | Class 1 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Thrace opposite Bithynia (the province Europa) | Class 1 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Armenia | Class 1 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Cyprus | Class 1 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Edessa | Class 1 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Antioch and Coele-Syria | Class 2 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Alexandria and Egypt | Class 2 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| The Thebaid (Upper Egypt) | Class 2 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Rome | Class 2 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Lower Italy and the coasts of Middle Italy | Class 2 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Africa Proconsularis | Class 2 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Numidia | Class 2 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Spain | Class 2 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Coasts of Achaia, Thessaly and Macedonia, and the islands | Class 2 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| The southern coast of Gaul | Class 2 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Palestine | Class 3 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Phoenicia | Class 3 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Arabia (the Roman province) | Class 3 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Parts of Mesopotamia | Class 3 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Interior of Achaia | Class 3 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Interior of Macedonia | Class 3 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Interior of Thessaly | Class 3 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Epirus | Class 3 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Dardania | Class 3 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Dalmatia | Class 3 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Moesia | Class 3 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Pannonia | Class 3 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Northern Middle Italy and eastern Upper Italy | Class 3 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Mauretania | Class 3 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Tripolitana | Class 3 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| The towns of ancient Philistia | Class 4 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| North and north-west coasts of the Black Sea | Class 4 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Western Upper Italy (Piedmont) | Class 4 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Middle and Upper Gaul | Class 4 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Belgica | Class 4 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Germany (the Rhine provinces) | Class 4 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Raetia | Class 4 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Persia (outside the empire) | Class 4 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| India (outside the empire) (outside the map's frame) | Class 4 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Scythia (outside the empire) | Class 4 | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Britain (outside the map's frame) | Not judged | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Noricum | Not judged | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Cyrenaica | Not judged | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
| Crete | Not judged | Reconstruction | Adolf Harnack, The Mission and Expansion of Christianity, vol. 2, trans. James Moffatt (1908), pp. 324-331 |
From 500 to 1700 the Christian line rests on one set of century totals, which a map-maker transcribed from Barrett and Johnson's World Christian Trends (2001) and, in his words, “some other online sources,” choosing the lowest numbers he found. His page does not say which figures are Barrett and Johnson's own, though his total for 1800 matches Gordon-Conwell's exactly. The one other total is the historian Philip Jenkins's for about 1000, in The Lost History of Christianity (2008), which adds to 47 to 55 million against the line's 45 million. The charts draw no band across these centuries, though the doubt may be wide.
On those numbers Christians held between about 13 and 15 percent of the world from 500 to 1200 and about 18 percent by 1300. Both halves push that share low: the Christian totals are the lowest the map-maker found, and the world line is HYDE, the highest published world series for most of these centuries. On the world figures in Colin McEvedy and Richard Jones's Atlas of World Population History (1978) the share at 1300 would be about 23 percent. Then the count fell from about 84 million to about 57 million by 1400, a loss of about a third, while the world's population fell about 3 percent on HYDE's figures and about 13 percent on the demographer Jean-Noël Biraben's.
The fall comes in the century of the Black Death and of the collapse of the churches of Asia that Jenkins describes. On Barrett's figures, which he cites, Asia's Christians went from 21 million in 1200 to 3.4 million in 1500, so for Asia and Africa, Jenkins and the line count as one witness. The evidence that does not come from Barrett is Asia Minor's: 373 bishops' seats in 1050 and three bishops about 1450, from Speros Vryonis's history of the region.
The Class 13 slide of Christians by continent gives counts alone, and figure 5 puts each continent's population beside them. Africa had about 9.6 million Christians among about 101 million people in 1900, and about 754 million among about 1.55 billion in 2025. The count grew about 78 times and the population about 15 times, so the share went from about one person in ten to about one in two (figure 7).
Europe and Northern America went the other way as shares, though their counts rose across the century. Europe's Christians grew from about 381 million to about 552 million, and their share of Europe's people fell from about 94 percent to about 74. Northern America's grew from about 79 million to about 272 million, and their share fell from about 97 percent to about 70. Both edge down after 2020 on Gordon-Conwell's table. On the count of the Pew Research Center, which takes only those who name the faith, Europe's Christians fell from about 554 million to about 505 million between 2010 and 2020, and those of the United States and Canada from about 266 million to about 238 million.
The Class 13 plate titled The Center of Gravity Moves South divides by the world's Christians, not the world's people, so it shows where professing Christians live, and figure 6 draws the same measure from Gordon-Conwell's counts. About two in three lived in Europe in 1900 and about one in five in 2025. Africa's part grew from under 2 percent in 1900 to about 29 in 2025, and by 2020 it was the largest of any continent.
Asia rose from about 2.5 percent Christian to about 8.6, a small share of a continent where about 417 million Christians now live. Pew puts its Asia-Pacific region at 5.9 percent in 2020. Gordon-Conwell's own Middle East, a region of 17 countries, fell from 12.7 percent Christian in 1900 to about 4 percent in 2025, while the number of Christians there more than tripled.
Figure 7 marks all three counters where they overlap, and they differ at both ends: the Religious Characteristics of States dataset (RCS-Dem), pooled from several dozen sources, puts Northern America at about 80 percent Christian in 1900 against Gordon-Conwell's 97, and for 2020 Pew gives 62.9 against Gordon-Conwell's 72. Figure 8 carries RCS-Dem's figures down to single countries: the lands that became Nigeria went from 1 percent Christian in 1900 to 49 in 2015.
For each continent, the number of professing Christians beside the whole population, in 1900 and in 2025. The 1900 populations come from RCS-Dem and the 2025 populations from the United Nations.
What to notice: Africa's Christians grew about 78 times while its people grew about 15 times. Europe's and Northern America's Christians grew too, but their populations grew faster.
Divided by: Nothing: a count.
Caveats:
| Region | Year | Christians | Population | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Africa | 1900 | 9,640,000 | 100,835,768 | Reconstruction | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell); Davis Brown and Patrick James, Religious Characteristics of States Dataset Project, Demographics v. 2.0 (RCS-Dem 2.0), regions file |
| Africa | 2025 | 754,229,000 | 1,549,867,575 | Model | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell); United Nations, World Population Prospects 2024, via Our World in Data |
| Asia | 1900 | 21,966,000 | 889,815,312 | Reconstruction | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell); Davis Brown and Patrick James, Religious Characteristics of States Dataset Project, Demographics v. 2.0 (RCS-Dem 2.0), regions file |
| Asia | 2025 | 416,786,000 | 4,835,320,061 | Model | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell); United Nations, World Population Prospects 2024, via Our World in Data |
| Europe, including Russia | 1900 | 380,647,000 | 404,932,622 | Reconstruction | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell); Davis Brown and Patrick James, Religious Characteristics of States Dataset Project, Demographics v. 2.0 (RCS-Dem 2.0), regions file |
| Europe, including Russia | 2025 | 551,934,000 | 744,398,837 | Model | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell); United Nations, World Population Prospects 2024, via Our World in Data |
| Latin America and the Caribbean | 1900 | 62,002,000 | 64,434,181 | Reconstruction | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell); Davis Brown and Patrick James, Religious Characteristics of States Dataset Project, Demographics v. 2.0 (RCS-Dem 2.0), regions file |
| Latin America and the Caribbean | 2025 | 620,116,000 | 667,888,546 | Model | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell); United Nations, World Population Prospects 2024, via Our World in Data |
| Northern America | 1900 | 79,254,000 | 81,883,767 | Reconstruction | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell); Davis Brown and Patrick James, Religious Characteristics of States Dataset Project, Demographics v. 2.0 (RCS-Dem 2.0), regions file |
| Northern America | 2025 | 271,779,000 | 387,528,406 | Model | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell); United Nations, World Population Prospects 2024, via Our World in Data |
| Oceania | 1900 | 4,837,000 | 6,237,159 | Reconstruction | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell); Davis Brown and Patrick James, Religious Characteristics of States Dataset Project, Demographics v. 2.0 (RCS-Dem 2.0), regions file |
| Oceania | 2025 | 30,472,000 | 46,609,646 | Model | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell); United Nations, World Population Prospects 2024, via Our World in Data |
| Middle East (17 countries) | 1900 | 5,803,000 | 45,557,784 | Reconstruction | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell); Gapminder Population v7 (2022), via Our World in Data, "Population" |
| Middle East (17 countries) | 2025 | 20,386,000 | 507,924,199 | Model | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell); United Nations, World Population Prospects 2024, via Our World in Data |
Each continent's professing Christians as a share of all the professing Christians in the world, in 1900, 1970, 2000, 2020 and 2025: Gordon-Conwell's count for the continent divided by its world total for the same year, both from its 2025 edition.
What to notice: Europe held about two in three of the world's professing Christians in 1900 and about one in five in 2025, while Africa's part grew from under 2 percent to about 29. By 2020 more lived in Africa than on any other continent. Europe's count still rose, from about 381 million to about 552 million; its part fell because the other continents' counts rose faster.
Divided by: All professing Christians in the world.
Caveats:
| Region | Year | Share of all Christians (%) | The region's Christians | The world's Christians | Status | Source | In the stack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Africa | 1900 | 1.7 | 9,640,000 | 558,346,000 | Derived; Count: Reconstruction | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | Yes |
| Africa | 1970 | 11.3 | 137,866,000 | 1,216,131,000 | Derived; Count: Counted | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | Yes |
| Africa | 2000 | 19.3 | 383,463,000 | 1,987,905,000 | Derived; Count: Counted | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | Yes |
| Africa | 2020 | 26.3 | 663,664,000 | 2,519,505,000 | Derived; Count: Counted | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | Yes |
| Africa | 2025 | 28.5 | 754,229,000 | 2,645,317,000 | Derived; Count: Model | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | Yes |
| Asia | 1900 | 3.9 | 21,966,000 | 558,346,000 | Derived; Count: Reconstruction | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | Yes |
| Asia | 1970 | 8.0 | 97,390,000 | 1,216,131,000 | Derived; Count: Counted | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | Yes |
| Asia | 2000 | 14.1 | 281,094,000 | 1,987,905,000 | Derived; Count: Counted | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | Yes |
| Asia | 2020 | 15.3 | 385,052,000 | 2,519,505,000 | Derived; Count: Counted | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | Yes |
| Asia | 2025 | 15.8 | 416,786,000 | 2,645,317,000 | Derived; Count: Model | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | Yes |
| Europe, including Russia | 1900 | 68.2 | 380,647,000 | 558,346,000 | Derived; Count: Reconstruction | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | Yes |
| Europe, including Russia | 1970 | 40.3 | 490,507,000 | 1,216,131,000 | Derived; Count: Counted | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | Yes |
| Europe, including Russia | 2000 | 28.3 | 562,062,000 | 1,987,905,000 | Derived; Count: Counted | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | Yes |
| Europe, including Russia | 2020 | 22.5 | 566,985,000 | 2,519,505,000 | Derived; Count: Counted | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | Yes |
| Europe, including Russia | 2025 | 20.9 | 551,934,000 | 2,645,317,000 | Derived; Count: Model | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | Yes |
| Latin America and the Caribbean | 1900 | 11.1 | 62,002,000 | 558,346,000 | Derived; Count: Reconstruction | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | Yes |
| Latin America and the Caribbean | 1970 | 22.2 | 269,960,000 | 1,216,131,000 | Derived; Count: Counted | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | Yes |
| Latin America and the Caribbean | 2000 | 24.3 | 482,856,000 | 1,987,905,000 | Derived; Count: Counted | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | Yes |
| Latin America and the Caribbean | 2020 | 23.8 | 600,589,000 | 2,519,505,000 | Derived; Count: Counted | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | Yes |
| Latin America and the Caribbean | 2025 | 23.4 | 620,116,000 | 2,645,317,000 | Derived; Count: Model | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | Yes |
| Northern America | 1900 | 14.2 | 79,254,000 | 558,346,000 | Derived; Count: Reconstruction | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | Yes |
| Northern America | 1970 | 16.6 | 202,363,000 | 1,216,131,000 | Derived; Count: Counted | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | Yes |
| Northern America | 2000 | 12.8 | 254,063,000 | 1,987,905,000 | Derived; Count: Counted | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | Yes |
| Northern America | 2020 | 10.9 | 273,627,000 | 2,519,505,000 | Derived; Count: Counted | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | Yes |
| Northern America | 2025 | 10.3 | 271,779,000 | 2,645,317,000 | Derived; Count: Model | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | Yes |
| Oceania | 1900 | 0.87 | 4,837,000 | 558,346,000 | Derived; Count: Reconstruction | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | Yes |
| Oceania | 1970 | 1.5 | 18,045,000 | 1,216,131,000 | Derived; Count: Counted | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | Yes |
| Oceania | 2000 | 1.2 | 24,366,000 | 1,987,905,000 | Derived; Count: Counted | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | Yes |
| Oceania | 2020 | 1.2 | 29,589,000 | 2,519,505,000 | Derived; Count: Counted | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | Yes |
| Oceania | 2025 | 1.2 | 30,472,000 | 2,645,317,000 | Derived; Count: Model | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | Yes |
| Middle East (17 countries) | 1900 | 1.0 | 5,803,000 | 558,346,000 | Derived; Count: Reconstruction | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | No |
| Middle East (17 countries) | 1970 | 0.69 | 8,428,000 | 1,216,131,000 | Derived; Count: Counted | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | No |
| Middle East (17 countries) | 2000 | 0.77 | 15,403,000 | 1,987,905,000 | Derived; Count: Counted | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | No |
| Middle East (17 countries) | 2020 | 0.78 | 19,546,000 | 2,519,505,000 | Derived; Count: Counted | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | No |
| Middle East (17 countries) | 2025 | 0.77 | 20,386,000 | 2,645,317,000 | Derived; Count: Model | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) | No |
Gordon-Conwell's count divided by each continent's population in 1900 and 2025, with marks for the Pew and RCS-Dem figures nearest in time. Where Gordon-Conwell prints its own percentage, that figure sits beside the computed one.
What to notice: Africa moves from about 10 percent to about 49 while Europe and Northern America fall from over 90 to between 70 and 75. Where Pew's mark sits well below Gordon-Conwell's, as it does for Europe, Northern America and Latin America in 2020, the gap follows in part what each counts: Gordon-Conwell starts from church membership, which can include people who would not name the faith in a survey, and Pew counts only those who do.
Divided by: Each continent's own population in the same year.
Caveats:
| Region | Year | Percent | Counter | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Africa | 1900 | 9.6 (printed 9.0) | Gordon-Conwell | Derived | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
| Africa | 2025 | 48.7 (printed 49.3) | Gordon-Conwell | Derived | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
| Africa | 1900 | 8.8 | RCS-Dem | Reconstruction | Davis Brown and Patrick James, Religious Characteristics of States Dataset Project, Demographics v. 2.0 (RCS-Dem 2.0), regions file |
| Africa | 2015 | 48.0 | RCS-Dem | Reconstruction | Davis Brown and Patrick James, Religious Characteristics of States Dataset Project, Demographics v. 2.0 (RCS-Dem 2.0), regions file |
| Asia | 1900 | 2.5 (printed 2.0) | Gordon-Conwell | Derived | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
| Asia | 2025 | 8.6 (printed 8.7) | Gordon-Conwell | Derived | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
| Asia | 1900 | 2.1 | RCS-Dem | Reconstruction | Davis Brown and Patrick James, Religious Characteristics of States Dataset Project, Demographics v. 2.0 (RCS-Dem 2.0), regions file |
| Asia | 2015 | 7.4 | RCS-Dem | Reconstruction | Davis Brown and Patrick James, Religious Characteristics of States Dataset Project, Demographics v. 2.0 (RCS-Dem 2.0), regions file |
| Europe, including Russia | 1900 | 94.0 (printed 95.0) | Gordon-Conwell | Derived | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
| Europe, including Russia | 2025 | 74.1 (printed 74.5) | Gordon-Conwell | Derived | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
| Europe, including Russia | 1910 | 94.5 | Pew | Reconstruction | Pew Research Center, Global Christianity (December 2011) |
| Europe, including Russia | 2010 | 76.2 | Pew | Counted | Pew Research Center, Global Christianity (December 2011) |
| Europe, including Russia | 2010 | 74.6 | Pew | Counted | Pew Research Center, How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020 (June 2025) |
| Europe, including Russia | 2020 | 67.1 | Pew | Counted | Pew Research Center, How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020 (June 2025) |
| Europe, including Russia | 1900 | 94.1 | RCS-Dem | Reconstruction | Davis Brown and Patrick James, Religious Characteristics of States Dataset Project, Demographics v. 2.0 (RCS-Dem 2.0), regions file |
| Europe, including Russia | 2015 | 66.0 | RCS-Dem | Reconstruction | Davis Brown and Patrick James, Religious Characteristics of States Dataset Project, Demographics v. 2.0 (RCS-Dem 2.0), regions file |
| Latin America and the Caribbean | 1900 | 96.2 (printed 95.2) | Gordon-Conwell | Derived | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
| Latin America and the Caribbean | 2025 | 92.8 (printed 91.9) | Gordon-Conwell | Derived | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
| Latin America and the Caribbean | 2010 | 90.1 | Pew | Counted | Pew Research Center, How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020 (June 2025) |
| Latin America and the Caribbean | 2020 | 84.6 | Pew | Counted | Pew Research Center, How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020 (June 2025) |
| Latin America and the Caribbean | 1900 | 90.5 | RCS-Dem | Reconstruction | Davis Brown and Patrick James, Religious Characteristics of States Dataset Project, Demographics v. 2.0 (RCS-Dem 2.0), regions file |
| Latin America and the Caribbean | 2015 | 88.3 | RCS-Dem | Reconstruction | Davis Brown and Patrick James, Religious Characteristics of States Dataset Project, Demographics v. 2.0 (RCS-Dem 2.0), regions file |
| Northern America | 1900 | 96.8 (printed 97.1) | Gordon-Conwell | Derived | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
| Northern America | 2025 | 70.1 (printed 70.9) | Gordon-Conwell | Derived | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
| Northern America | 2010 | 77.2 | Pew | Counted | Pew Research Center, How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020 (June 2025) |
| Northern America | 2020 | 62.9 | Pew | Counted | Pew Research Center, How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020 (June 2025) |
| Northern America | 1900 | 79.9 | RCS-Dem | Reconstruction | Davis Brown and Patrick James, Religious Characteristics of States Dataset Project, Demographics v. 2.0 (RCS-Dem 2.0), regions file |
| Northern America | 2015 | 67.5 | RCS-Dem | Reconstruction | Davis Brown and Patrick James, Religious Characteristics of States Dataset Project, Demographics v. 2.0 (RCS-Dem 2.0), regions file |
| Oceania | 1900 | 77.6 (printed 77.4) | Gordon-Conwell | Derived | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
| Oceania | 2025 | 65.4 (printed 65.3) | Gordon-Conwell | Derived | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
| Oceania | 1900 | 74.8 | RCS-Dem | Reconstruction | Davis Brown and Patrick James, Religious Characteristics of States Dataset Project, Demographics v. 2.0 (RCS-Dem 2.0), regions file |
| Oceania | 2015 | 61.2 | RCS-Dem | Reconstruction | Davis Brown and Patrick James, Religious Characteristics of States Dataset Project, Demographics v. 2.0 (RCS-Dem 2.0), regions file |
| Middle East (17 countries) | 1900 | 12.7 (printed 12.7) | Gordon-Conwell | Derived | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
| Middle East (17 countries) | 2025 | 4.0 (printed 4.1) | Gordon-Conwell | Derived | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
| The Americas (Pew 2011) | 1910 | 95.9 | Pew | Reconstruction | Pew Research Center, Global Christianity (December 2011) |
| The Americas (Pew 2011) | 2010 | 86.0 | Pew | Counted | Pew Research Center, Global Christianity (December 2011) |
| Sub-Saharan Africa (Pew) | 1910 | 9.1 | Pew | Reconstruction | Pew Research Center, Global Christianity (December 2011) |
| Sub-Saharan Africa (Pew) | 2010 | 62.7 | Pew | Counted | Pew Research Center, Global Christianity (December 2011) |
| Sub-Saharan Africa (Pew) | 2010 | 61.7 | Pew | Counted | Pew Research Center, How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020 (June 2025) |
| Sub-Saharan Africa (Pew) | 2020 | 62.0 | Pew | Counted | Pew Research Center, How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020 (June 2025) |
| Asia-Pacific (Pew) | 1910 | 2.7 | Pew | Reconstruction | Pew Research Center, Global Christianity (December 2011) |
| Asia-Pacific (Pew) | 2010 | 7.0 | Pew | Counted | Pew Research Center, Global Christianity (December 2011) |
| Asia-Pacific (Pew) | 2010 | 6.1 | Pew | Counted | Pew Research Center, How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020 (June 2025) |
| Asia-Pacific (Pew) | 2020 | 5.9 | Pew | Counted | Pew Research Center, How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020 (June 2025) |
| Middle East and North Africa (Pew) | 1910 | 9.5 | Pew | Reconstruction | Pew Research Center, Global Christianity (December 2011) |
| Middle East and North Africa (Pew) | 2010 | 3.8 | Pew | Counted | Pew Research Center, Global Christianity (December 2011) |
| Middle East and North Africa (Pew) | 2010 | 3.3 | Pew | Counted | Pew Research Center, How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020 (June 2025) |
| Middle East and North Africa (Pew) | 2020 | 2.9 | Pew | Counted | Pew Research Center, How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020 (June 2025) |
Two world maps shading each country by the percentage of its people RCS-Dem counts as Christian, one for 1900 and one for 2015.
What to notice: The largest change is south of the Sahara, where much of the map moves from under a tenth to over half. Across much of northern and western Europe the share falls.
Divided by: Each country's own population in 1900 and in 2015.
Caveats:
| Country code | 1900 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|
| ABW | 95 | 80 |
| AFG | 0 | 0 |
| AGO | 1 | 93 |
| AIA | 99 | 85 |
| ALB | 28 | 21 |
| AND | 90 | 76 |
| ANT | 76 | |
| ARE | 0 | 13 |
| ARG | 89 | 90 |
| ARM | 54 | 96 |
| ASM | 100 | 87 |
| ATG | 99 | 76 |
| AUS | 95 | 59 |
| AUT | 94 | 68 |
| AZE | 21 | 3 |
| BDI | 0 | 88 |
| BEL | 98 | 67 |
| BEN | 1 | 43 |
| BES | 18 | 63 |
| BFA | 0 | 26 |
| BGD | 0 | 1 |
| BGR | 82 | 80 |
| BHR | 0 | 15 |
| BHS | 94 | 91 |
| BIH | 65 | 47 |
| BLR | 86 | 58 |
| BLZ | 81 | 75 |
| BMU | 99 | 61 |
| BOL | 81 | 93 |
| BRA | 94 | 86 |
| BRB | 83 | 71 |
| BRN | 1 | 12 |
| BTN | 0 | 1 |
| BWA | 11 | 33 |
| CAF | 0 | 69 |
| CAN | 97 | 57 |
| CHE | 99 | 70 |
| CHL | 96 | 88 |
| CHN | 0 | 8 |
| CIV | 0 | 38 |
| CMR | 0 | 47 |
| COD | 1 | 95 |
| COG | 3 | 89 |
| COK | 99 | 93 |
| COL | 77 | 95 |
| COM | 0 | 0 |
| CPV | 99 | 95 |
| CRI | 100 | 89 |
| CUB | 89 | 59 |
| CUW | 95 | 80 |
| CYM | 99 | 82 |
| CYN | 79 | 7 |
| CYP | 78 | 69 |
| CZE | 90 | 6 |
| DEU | 99 | 64 |
| DJI | 1 | 2 |
| DMA | 98 | 82 |
| DNK | 100 | 81 |
| DOM | 93 | 95 |
| DZA | 12 | 0 |
| ECU | 88 | 95 |
| EGY | 11 | 11 |
| ERI | 15 | 46 |
| ESH | 1 | 0 |
| ESP | 97 | 72 |
| EST | 97 | 29 |
| ETH | 37 | 64 |
| FIN | 100 | 76 |
| FJI | 86 | 69 |
| FLK | 95 | 61 |
| FRA | 99 | 65 |
| FRO | 100 | 88 |
| FSM | 63 | 99 |
| GAB | 6 | 79 |
| GBR | 97 | 60 |
| GEO | 80 | 85 |
| GHA | 6 | 60 |
| GIB | 93 | 82 |
| GIN | 0 | 9 |
| GLP | 98 | 94 |
| GMB | 4 | 4 |
| GNB | 4 | 12 |
| GNQ | 5 | 88 |
| GRC | 97 | 86 |
| GRD | 98 | 92 |
| GRL | 90 | 96 |
| GTM | 98 | 87 |
| GUF | 93 | 84 |
| GUM | 99 | 91 |
| GUY | 51 | 65 |
| HKG | 2 | 14 |
| HND | 97 | 91 |
| HRV | 90 | 91 |
| HTI | 26 | 37 |
| HUN | 96 | 48 |
| IDN | 1 | 10 |
| IMN | 96 | 65 |
| IND | 1 | 2 |
| IRL | 99 | 88 |
| IRN | 1 | 0 |
| IRQ | 3 | 1 |
| ISL | 100 | 85 |
| ISR | 2 | |
| ITA | 97 | 80 |
| JAM | 94 | 67 |
| JOR | 6 | 2 |
| JPN | 0 | 1 |
| KAZ | 5 | 21 |
| KEN | 0 | 81 |
| KGZ | 3 | 7 |
| KHM | 1 | 3 |
| KIR | 79 | 97 |
| KNA | 92 | 77 |
| KOR | 1 | 35 |
| KOS | 12 | 3 |
| KWT | 0 | 9 |
| LAO | 1 | 3 |
| LBN | 76 | 32 |
| LBR | 11 | 41 |
| LBY | 1 | 2 |
| LCA | 98 | 81 |
| LIE | 99 | 84 |
| LKA | 10 | 8 |
| LSO | 13 | 90 |
| LTU | 85 | 83 |
| LUX | 97 | 68 |
| LVA | 93 | 74 |
| MAC | 8 | 7 |
| MAR | 1 | 0 |
| MCO | 97 | 83 |
| MDA | 85 | 99 |
| MDG | 39 | 54 |
| MDV | 0 | 0 |
| MEX | 99 | 93 |
| MHL | 54 | 90 |
| MKD | 61 | 59 |
| MLI | 0 | 3 |
| MLT | 94 | 94 |
| MMR | 1 | 8 |
| MNE | 94 | 77 |
| MNG | 0 | 3 |
| MNP | 60 | 81 |
| MOZ | 0 | 53 |
| MRT | 0 | 0 |
| MSR | 89 | 88 |
| MTQ | 93 | 91 |
| MUS | 32 | 30 |
| MWI | 2 | 79 |
| MYS | 9 | |
| MYT | 0 | 1 |
| NAM | 9 | 91 |
| NCL | 70 | 72 |
| NER | 0 | 0 |
| NGA | 1 | 49 |
| NIC | 85 | 88 |
| NIU | 100 | 66 |
| NLD | 95 | 40 |
| NOR | 99 | 87 |
| NPL | 0 | 2 |
| NRU | 20 | 75 |
| NZL | 91 | 44 |
| OMN | 0 | 4 |
| PAK | 0 | 2 |
| PAN | 91 | 87 |
| PCN | 100 | 82 |
| PER | 94 | 93 |
| PHL | 81 | 92 |
| PLW | 64 | 87 |
| PNG | 3 | 69 |
| POL | 85 | 88 |
| PRI | 98 | 91 |
| PRK | 0 | 0 |
| PRT | 100 | 88 |
| PRY | 97 | 95 |
| PSE | 9 | 2 |
| PYF | 93 | 89 |
| QAT | 0 | 10 |
| REU | 34 | 87 |
| ROU | 94 | 90 |
| RUS | 84 | 48 |
| RWA | 0 | 90 |
| SAU | 0 | 4 |
| SDN | 1 | 5 |
| SEN | 2 | 6 |
| SGP | 3 | 20 |
| SHN | 100 | 96 |
| SLB | 17 | 98 |
| SLE | 5 | 13 |
| SLV | 95 | 83 |
| SMR | 100 | 92 |
| SOM | 0 | 0 |
| SPM | 98 | 89 |
| SRB | 77 | 94 |
| SSD | 0 | 58 |
| STP | 3 | 82 |
| SUR | 56 | 46 |
| SVK | 72 | |
| SVN | 95 | 81 |
| SWE | 99 | 62 |
| SWZ | 1 | 25 |
| SXM | 9 | 74 |
| SYC | 96 | 91 |
| SYR | 16 | 5 |
| TCA | 93 | 69 |
| TCD | 0 | 35 |
| TGO | 1 | 48 |
| THA | 1 | 1 |
| TJK | 1 | 1 |
| TKL | 100 | 99 |
| TKM | 1 | 1 |
| TLS | 9 | 86 |
| TON | 98 | 95 |
| TTO | 70 | 63 |
| TUN | 2 | 0 |
| TUR | 31 | 0 |
| TUV | 100 | 72 |
| TWN | 0 | 5 |
| TZA | 2 | 55 |
| UGA | 7 | 85 |
| UKR | 90 | 85 |
| URY | 63 | 55 |
| USA | 79 | 69 |
| UZB | 1 | 1 |
| VAT | 100 | 100 |
| VCT | 90 | 90 |
| VEN | 90 | 93 |
| VGB | 90 | 81 |
| VIR | 96 | 82 |
| VNM | 8 | |
| VUT | 23 | 88 |
| WLF | 80 | 97 |
| WSM | 98 | 99 |
| YEM | 0 | |
| YMD | 1 | |
| ZAF | 40 | 62 |
| ZMB | 0 | 82 |
| ZWE | 4 | 55 |
For 2020 Gordon-Conwell counts about 2.52 billion Christians and Pew about 2.27 billion, a gap of about 250 million people that on its face makes every figure look arbitrary.
Part of the gap comes from what each counter counts. Gordon-Conwell takes the widest group, which its tables call professing Christians plus secret believers (those who hold the faith in hiding): church members of every tradition and Christians who belong to no church. Pew takes anyone who names Christianity as their religion in a census or survey, so a person on a church's rolls who tells a survey he has no religion can count for Gordon-Conwell and not for Pew. RCS-Dem estimates the followers of every denomination from several dozen sources, Barrett's among them. Another part is disagreement over the same people: Pew's 2025 report stopped adjusting for Christians in China and India who may not report their faith, and puts China at 1.8 percent Christian in 2020.
What matters in an estimate is whether anything corrects it when it is wrong. For the modern figures something does: censuses and surveys keep coming, and each edition of the Gordon-Conwell table revises its own past (figure 9). Most changes are small and run both ways. The largest in people is Pew's world count for 2010, cut by about 37 million between its two reports, and its Asia-Pacific figure alone fell by about 32 million, 11 percent of the region's figure, in the report that dropped the adjustment.
The oldest figures have no census behind them and none coming. They may be right, and the charts mark them as models or a single reconstruction so that no one reads them as counted.
These counts try to take in every professing Christian alive. Paul describes God's foundation as sealed with two sayings: “The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity” (2 Timothy 2:19). The Lord alone knows the first; the second is addressed to every person these counts include.
Six figures as successive editions of the Gordon-Conwell table and Pew's two reports printed them: Christians in Africa and in Europe in 2020, in the world in 1970, 2010 and 2020, and in Pew's Asia-Pacific region in 2010.
What to notice: Most changes are small and run both ways. Africa's 2020 count rose by about 7 million across three editions, and Europe's fell by about 7 million. The largest in people is Pew's world count for 2010, cut by about 37 million between its two reports; its Asia-Pacific figure alone fell by about 32 million, 11 percent of the region's own figure.
Divided by: Nothing: a count.
Caveats:
| Figure | Edition | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christians in Africa in 2020, by edition of the Gordon-Conwell table | Status of Global Christianity 2024 | 661,349,000 | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2024, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
| Christians in Africa in 2020, by edition of the Gordon-Conwell table | Status of Global Christianity 2025 | 663,664,000 | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
| Christians in Africa in 2020, by edition of the Gordon-Conwell table | Status of Global Christianity 2026 | 668,451,000 | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2026, in the Context of 1900-2075 (World Christian Database) |
| Christians in Europe in 2020, by edition of the Gordon-Conwell table | Status of Global Christianity 2024 | 573,692,000 | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2024, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
| Christians in Europe in 2020, by edition of the Gordon-Conwell table | Status of Global Christianity 2025 | 566,985,000 | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
| Christians in Europe in 2020, by edition of the Gordon-Conwell table | Status of Global Christianity 2026 | 567,040,000 | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2026, in the Context of 1900-2075 (World Christian Database) |
| Christians in the world in 1970, by edition of the Gordon-Conwell table | 2013 journal table (International Bulletin of Missionary Research) | 1,228,972,000 | Johnson, Barrett and Crossing, "Christianity 2013: Renewalists and Faith and Migration", International Bulletin of Missionary Research 37:1 (2013), table "Status of Global Mission, 2013, in the Context of AD 1800-2025" |
| Christians in the world in 1970, by edition of the Gordon-Conwell table | Christianity in its Global Context (2013) | 1,228,609,000 | Center for the Study of Global Christianity, Christianity in its Global Context, 1970-2020 (Gordon-Conwell, June 2013) |
| Christians in the world in 1970, by edition of the Gordon-Conwell table | 2015 journal table (International Bulletin of Missionary Research) | 1,230,548,000 | Johnson, Zurlo, Hickman and Crossing, "Christianity 2015: Religious Diversity and Personal Contact", International Bulletin of Missionary Research 39:1 (2015) |
| Christians in the world in 1970, by edition of the Gordon-Conwell table | Status of Global Christianity 2023 | 1,216,131,000 | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2023, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
| Christians in the world in 1970, by edition of the Gordon-Conwell table | Status of Global Christianity 2024 | 1,216,131,000 | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2024, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
| Christians in the world in 1970, by edition of the Gordon-Conwell table | Status of Global Christianity 2025 | 1,216,131,000 | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
| Christians in the world in 1970, by edition of the Gordon-Conwell table | Status of Global Christianity 2026 | 1,222,867,000 | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2026, in the Context of 1900-2075 (World Christian Database) |
| Christians in the world in 2020, by edition of the Gordon-Conwell table | Status of Global Christianity 2024 | 2,521,460,000 | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2024, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
| Christians in the world in 2020, by edition of the Gordon-Conwell table | Status of Global Christianity 2025 | 2,519,505,000 | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2025, in the Context of 1900-2050 (Gordon-Conwell) |
| Christians in the world in 2020, by edition of the Gordon-Conwell table | Status of Global Christianity 2026 | 2,526,029,000 | Zurlo, Johnson and Crossing, Status of Global Christianity, 2026, in the Context of 1900-2075 (World Christian Database) |
| Christians in the world in 2010, by Pew report | Pew, Global Christianity (2011) | 2,184,060,000 | Pew Research Center, Global Christianity (December 2011) |
| Christians in the world in 2010, by Pew report | Pew, How the Global Religious Landscape Changed (2025) | 2,147,230,000 | Pew Research Center, How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020 (June 2025) |
| Christians in Pew's Asia-Pacific region in 2010, by Pew report | Pew, Global Christianity (2011) | 285,120,000 | Pew Research Center, Global Christianity (December 2011) |
| Christians in Pew's Asia-Pacific region in 2010, by Pew report | Pew, How the Global Religious Landscape Changed (2025) | 253,420,000 | Pew Research Center, How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020 (June 2025) |
Five slides in the History course carry growth figures, one in Class 1 and four in Class 13. Two count Christians alone; the Roman chart divides by an empire whose size it never states, the Center of Gravity plate by all Christians, and the teaching map by each country's people. Each is paired with the figure here that covers the same ground. The Class 1 era panel's 1.1 million Christians in 250 and 6 million in 300 are Hopkins's rounding of Stark's model, about 2 and 10 percent of a 60-million empire.
At 350 Ehrman's rates and Lucero's curve, computed here, put Christians near a sixth of the Roman Empire; the majority figure comes only from Stark's steady-rate model. By 400 the figures for the empire run from 43.5 to 50 percent, all tracing to one anchor, and before 400 no total was counted.
Rodney Stark's model, the one that gives a majority at 350, is also the one tested against a record: its percentages rose with the share of Christian names in Egyptian papyri from 239 to 315, and Stark calls his projections very plausible through 350. Set beside the same papyri, Ehrman's rates and Lucero's curve, computed here, give about 7 percent for 313, against Stark's 16.2 and Bagnall's 18 for Egypt. Bart Ehrman's 30 million for 400 is an anchor, which Jorge Lucero calls the accepted estimate of half the empire, and Lucero's curve was fitted to it, so the two agree because one rests on the other.
The papyri test ends at 315 and covers one province, and Harnack puts Egypt in his second class, above most provinces, so a match there may run high for the empire as a whole; nothing checks any model at 350. The figures for 400 share one anchor, Ehrman's 30 million, and a map-maker's transcription of David Barrett and Todd Johnson, choosing the lowest figures he found, has 25.3 million Christians in the whole world by 400, about 42 percent of the empire even if all of them lived inside it. Every estimate agrees that Christians were well short of half the empire in 300: the highest, von Hertling's 15 million, is a quarter of it, and Harnack's judgment province by province puts the thickest Christian regions in and around Asia Minor and the fewest in inland and northern Gaul, the Rhine and Alpine provinces and Piedmont.
Professing Christians have been about a third of the world since 1900: about 34 percent in 1900 and about 32 percent in 2025, on Gordon-Conwell's count.
The share has not grown in 125 years. Christians multiplied more than four and a half times between 1900 and 2025 while the world multiplied about five times, so professing Christians kept roughly level and slipped a little. On Pew's count, which takes only those who name themselves Christian, the share fell from 30.6 to 28.8 percent between 2010 and 2020 alone.
Held against the whole span, a third of the world is the highest level on the chart. From 500 to 1500, on the one reconstruction that covers those centuries, Christians were about 13 to 18 percent of humanity, and about a fifth in 1700 and 1800. Those medieval shares lean low, since they divide the lowest Christian totals available by HYDE, the highest world series for most of those centuries, and even on McEvedy and Jones's lower world figures the share at 1300 would be only about 23 percent. The rise to a third came between 1800 and 1900, and the share has held there while the world's population grew about five times.
In 1900 about two in three professing Christians lived in Europe; by 2025 about one in five did, and more lived in Africa than on any other continent, on Gordon-Conwell's count. Within Africa the share went from about one person in ten to about one in two.
The start of that change was never counted. The 1900 figures are reconstructions, their denominators had to come from a different dataset than the counts, and the 2025 figures are projected from trend. Pew's own counts cover only 2010 to 2020, when its sub-Saharan share barely moved, from 61.7 to 62.0 percent. The counters also disagree on how far: Pew puts Northern America at 62.9 percent in 2020, nearly ten points below Gordon-Conwell.
Pew's census and survey figures, built separately from Gordon-Conwell's, put sub-Saharan Africa at 62 percent Christian in 2020 and Europe at 67.1, so a Christian majority south of the Sahara and a falling share in Europe are not one counter's result. RCS-Dem, which pools several dozen sources with Barrett's World Christian Encyclopedia among them, shows the same direction from 1900: Africa from 8.8 percent to 48.0 in 2015, Europe from 94.1 to 66.0. Pew's 1910 figure of 9.1 percent for sub-Saharan Africa is its own reading of Gordon-Conwell's data, so it confirms the arithmetic rather than the count.
A count of Christians measures profession: church membership, people naming their own religion, or a scholar's estimate of both. Who among them belongs to the remnant God alone knows.
Scripture itself keeps count: Luke records about three thousand souls added at Pentecost and the number of the men who believed at about five thousand soon after (Acts 2:41; 4:4). He also says who did the adding: “the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:47). If the apostles' own historian counted the church and credited the Lord with its growth, it is hard to say that a tally tells a reader nothing about the work of God.
Luke's first tally counted people baptized, and his own book shows what such a count can hold: Simon the sorcerer believed and was baptized and was still “in the gall of bitterness” (Acts 8:13; 8:23). Luke could say the Lord added; the counters on this page can report who was baptized or who names Christ, but not which of them the Lord added. Paul wrote of “a remnant according to the election of grace” (Romans 11:5), and John saw “a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations” (Revelation 7:9).
Modern counts of Christians differ by stated definitions and by method, and each is corrected as censuses, surveys and later editions come in; the oldest estimates have one partial check, papyri from one province, and otherwise only their own starting points.
For 2020 Gordon-Conwell counts about 2.52 billion Christians and Pew about 2.27 billion, a difference of about 250 million people. Gordon-Conwell's tables have printed five different world totals for 1970 across seven editions, and Pew lowered its own 2010 figure by about 37 million between two reports, its Asia-Pacific figure alone by about 32 million.
Part of the gap follows the definitions. Gordon-Conwell counts church members of every tradition plus Christians who belong to no church, including those who hold the faith in hiding; Pew counts those who name Christianity in a census or survey; RCS-Dem pools several dozen sources. Another part is method: Pew no longer adjusts for Christians in China and India who may not report their faith. Where one is wrong, the next census or edition can show it, and most revisions on record are small and run both ways: about 7 million up for Africa in 2020 and about 7 million down for Europe.
Around 1000 the churches of Asia and Africa held nearly as many Christians as Europe: Philip Jenkins puts Asia at 17 to 20 million and Africa at about 5 million, against 25 to 30 million in Europe. By 1500, on Barrett's estimate as Jenkins reports it, Africa and Asia held about 6 percent of the world's Christians.
Jenkins takes his figures for Asia and Africa from Barrett's World Christian Encyclopedia of 1982, and his figure for Europe around 1000 is his own reasoning. The Barrett and Johnson line for the same centuries comes from the same work of reconstruction, read here only in a map-maker's transcription. No census, register or independent estimate exists to check them.
The direction does not rest on Barrett's table alone. Asia Minor, where the seven churches of Revelation stood, had 373 bishops' seats in 1050 and a population that was virtually all Christian; about 1450 it had three bishops, and Jenkins puts Christians there at 10 to 15 percent. The bishops' seats come from Speros Vryonis's history of the region, not from Barrett. On Barrett's figures Asia's Christians fell from about 21 million in 1200 to about 3.4 million in 1500, and Jenkins judges the real fall was probably sharper.