As of the early 21st century, Christianity has approximately 2.4 billion adherents, out of about 7.2 billion people.[ 1] [ 2] [ 3] [ 4] [ a] The faith represents approximately one-third of the world's population and is the largest religion in the world, with the three largest groups of Christians being the Catholic Church , Protestantism , and the Eastern Orthodox Church .[ 5] The largest Christian denomination is the Catholic Church, with 1.09 billion adherents.[ 6] The second largest Christian branch is either Protestantism (if it is considered a single group), or the Eastern Orthodox Church (if Protestants are considered to be divided into multiple denominations).
Christianity is the predominant religion in Europe , Russia , the Americas , the Philippines , East Timor , Southern Africa , Central Africa , East Africa and Oceania .[ 7] There are also large Christian communities in other parts of the world, such as Central Asia and the Middle East , where Christianity is the second-largest religion after Islam . The United States of America has the largest Christian population in the world, followed by Brazil and Mexico .[ 8]
Christianity, in one form or another, is the state religion of the following 14 nations: Argentina (Roman Catholic Church),[ 9] Tuvalu (Church of Tuvalu ), Tonga (Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga ), Costa Rica (Roman Catholic Church),[ 10] Kingdom of Denmark (Danish National Church ),[ 11] England (Church of England ),[ 12] Greece (Eastern Orthodox Church), Georgia (Eastern Orthodox Church),[ 13] [ 14] Iceland (Church of Iceland ),[ 15] Liechtenstein (Roman Catholic Church),[ 16] Malta (Roman Catholic Church),[ 17] Monaco (Roman Catholic Church),[ 18] Norway (Church of Norway ),[ 19] Vatican City (Roman Catholic Church).[ 20]
By country [ edit ]
Note : Population statistics by religious affiliations are based upon statistical science and are subject to observational error (technically referred to as estimates ). The proportion of Christians is based on the proportion of the population in each country who are members of a Christian denomination or who identify themselves as Christian. It says nothing about the proportion of such as believe in God and are regularly in the church . People who mix Christianity with tribal religions are defined in this article as Christians . Most of the percentage of Christian population of each country was taken from the US State Department 's International Religious Freedom Report , the CIA World Factbook , Joshua Project , Open doors , Pew Forum and Adherents.com .
Sovereign states and dependent territories [ edit ]
Christianity by country
Country
Christians
% Christian
% Catholic
% Protestant/ Orthodox/ Other
GDP/Capita PPP World Bank 2012
Afghanistan (details )
6,250
0.02%
1,399
Albania (details )
580,000
17.0%
10%
7%
9,443
Algeria (details )
270,000
2%
1%
1%
8,515
American Samoa (details )
70,000
98.3%
20%
78%
Andorra (details )
78,000
94.0%
90.1%
3.9%
Angola (details )
17,094,000
75%
50%
25%
6,105
Anguilla (details )
15,000
90.5%
3%
87%
Antigua and Barbuda (details )
66,000
74.0%
10%
64%
19,964
Argentina (details )
37,561,000
90%
77%
13%
12,034
Armenia (details )
3,250,000
98.7%
3%
95%
6,645
Aruba (details )
98,000
88%
80.8%
7.8%
Australia (details )
14,000,990
63%
25.8%
37%
44,462
Austria (details )
6,119,000
71.4%
61.4%
10%
43,324
Azerbaijan (details )
450,000
4.8%
4.8%
10,624
Bahamas (details )
350,000
81%
13.5%
67.6%
31,629
Bahrain (details )
77,000
9.0%
9.0%
23,886
Bangladesh (details )
420,000
0.3%
0.3%
1,883
Barbados (details )
244,000
74%
4.2%
70%
18,805
Belarus (details )
5,265,109
55.4%[ 21]
7.1%
48.3%
15,579
Belgium (details )
6,860,000
64.1%
57%
7%
38,884
Belize (details )
247,000
76.7%
40%
36.7%
7,529
Benin (details )
3,943,000
42.8%
27%
15%
1,583
Bermuda (details )
44,004
64.7%
15%
50%
Bhutan (details )
7,000
1.0%
0.1%
0.9%
6,699
Bolivia (details )
9,730,000
89.0%
76%
13%
5,281
Bosnia and Herzegovina (details )
2,120,000
52.0%
15%
37%
9,235
Botswana (details )
1,416,000
71.6%
5%
66%
16,986
Brazil (details )
175,770,000
90.2%
63%
27%
11,909
British Virgin Islands (details )
23,000
94.0%
85%
9%
Brunei (details )
45,000
11.0%
53,348
Bulgaria (details )
6,364,000
84.0%
1%
83%
15,933
Burkina Faso (details )
3,746,000
22.0%
18%
4%
1,513
Burundi (details )
7,662,000
75.0%
60%
15%
560
Cambodia (details )
148,000
1.0%
0.15%
0.85%
2,494
Cameroon (details )
13,390,000
65.0%
38.4%
26.3%
2,324
Canada (details )
22,102,700
67.3%[ 22]
38.7%
29%
42,693
Cape Verde (details )
487,000
97.0%
93%
4%
4,430
Cayman Islands (details )
42,000
73.8%
Central African Republic (details )
2,302,000
80%
29%
51%
857
Chad (details )
3,833,000
35.0%
20%
15%
1,493
Chile (details )
9,900,000
68%[ 23]
55%
13%
22,655
People's Republic of China (details )
31,219,740[ 24]
2.3%
0.3%
2%
9,233
Colombia (details )
47,000,000
90%
75%
15%
10,587
Comoros (details )
15,000
2.1%
1,230
Cook Islands (details )
19,000
86%
16.8%
69.6%
Congo, Republic of (details )
3,409,000
90.7%
50%
40%
4,426
Congo, Democratic Republic of (details )
63,150,000
92%
50%
42%
422
Costa Rica (details )
3,912,000
83%
69%
14%
12,943
Côte d'Ivoire (details )
7,075,000
32.8%
28.9%
3.9%
2,039
Croatia (details )
4,107,000
91.06%
86.28%
4.78%
20,532
Cuba (details )
9,523,000
85.0%
85%
Cyprus (details )
863,000
79.3%
75%
30,597
Czech Republic (details )
1,175,091
11.2%
10.4%
0.8%
26,426
Denmark (details )
4,610,000
81%
1%
80%
41,388
Djibouti (details )
53,000
6.0%
1%
5%
2,784
Dominica (details )
59,000
88.7%
61%
27%
12,643
Dominican Republic (details )
9,734,000
95.2%
80%
10,204
East Timor (details )
1,152,000
98.4%
98%
1%
Ecuador (details )
14,099,000
94.0%
74%
20%
9,738
Egypt (details )
13,892,000
18.0%
18%
6,723
El Salvador (details )
5,073,000
81.9%
52.6%
29.3%
7,069
Equatorial Guinea (details )
683,000
98.6%
98%
30,233
Eritrea (details )
3,310,000
62.9%
60%
2%
566
Estonia (details )
310,481
23.9%
23%
23,024
Ethiopia (details )
52,580,000
64%
0.7%
63.4%
1,139
Falkland Islands (details )
3,000
94.3%
94%
Faroe Islands (details )
46,000
94.0%
94%
Fiji (details )
540,000
64.4%
8.9%
55.5%
4,943
Finland (details )
4,380,000
81.6%
81%
38,230
France (details )
27,683,920-40,560,000
55%[ 25] -60%[ 26]
41%-50%[ 27]
5-10%
35,845
Gabon (details )
1,081,000
72.0%
50%
22%
16,086
Gambia (details )
158,000
9.0%
2%
7%
1,948
Georgia (details )
3,930,000
88.6%
0.9%
87.7%
5,902
Germany (details )
50,000,000
61%
30%
31%
40,394
Ghana (details )
16,741,000
68.8%
13.1%
55.5%
2,048
Greece (details )
11,000,000
98.0%
98%
24,667
Greenland (details )
55,000
96.6%
96.6%
Grenada (details )
101,000
97.3%
53%
45%
10,827
Guatemala (details )
14,018,000
87%
47%
40%
5,100
Guinea (details )
1,032,000
10.0%
5%
5%
1,069
Guinea-Bissau (details )
165,000
10.0%
10%
1,192
Guyana (details )
434,000
57.0%
8%
49%
3,399
Haiti (details )
9,597,000
96.0%
80.0%
16%
1,228
Honduras (details )
6,660,000
88%
47%
41%
4,194
Hong Kong (details )
710,000
10.1%
5%
5%
51,946
Hungary (details )
5,240,000[ 28]
53.0-72%[ 28]
39.0-53.5%[ 28]
13.8-18.9%%[ 28]
21,570
Iceland (details )
300,000
95.0%
2.5%
92.5%
37,533
India (details )
31,850,000
2.6%
1.6%
1
3,876
Indonesia (details )
24,000,000
10%
3%
7%
4,956
Iran (details )
300,000
0.4%
0.4%
11,395
Iraq (details )
944,000
3.0%
3%
4,246
Ireland (details )
4,220,000
94.1%
82%
12%
42,662
Israel (details )
266,000
3.5%
3.5%
28,809
Italy (details )
53,230,000[ 29]
83%
81.2%
2%
32,512
Jamaica (details )
1,784,000
65.3%
2%
63.3%
7,083
Japan (details )
3,548,000
2.0%
1%
1%
35,204
Jordan (details )
388,000
6.0%
6,148
Kazakhstan (details )
8,152,000
51.0%
0.16
50%
13,892
Kenya (details )
34,774,000
85.1%
23.4%
61.7%
1,761
Korea, North (details )
480,000
4.0%
Korea, South (details )
14,601,297
29.2%
10.9%
18.3%
30,722
Kuwait (details )
458,000
15.0%
3.2%
12.8%
49,001
Kyrgyzstan (details )
944,000
17.0%
17%
2,409
Laos (details )
145,000
2.2%
1%
1%
2,926
Latvia (details )
1,250,000
57%
25%
32.2%
21,005
Lebanon (details )
1,647,000
41.0%
26%
15%
16,610
Lesotho (details )
1,876,000
90.0%
45%
45%
1,963
Liberia (details )
1,391,000
85.5%[ 30]
85.5%
655
Libya (details )
131,000
2.0%
0.5%
1.5%
17,665
Liechtenstein (details )
30,000
89%
75.9%
12.8%
Lithuania (details )
2,827,000
84.9%
77.2%
7.6%
23,487
Luxembourg (details )
360,000
71%
69%
2
88,318
Macedonia, Republic of (details )
1,334,000
65.1%
11,710
Madagascar (details )
8,260,000
41.0%
978
Malawi (details )
12,538,000
79.9%
902
Malaysia (details )
2,820,000
9.2%[ 31]
17,143
Maldives (details )
300
0.08%
9,072
Mali (details )
726,000
5.0%
1,214
Malta (details )
400,000
97.0%
97.0%
29,013
Mauritania (details )
5,000
0.14%
2,603
Mauritius (details )
418,000
32.2%
15,649
Mexico (details )
107,780,000
92%
82.7%
9.7%
16,676
Micronesia, Federated States of (details )
106,000
95.4%
3,824
Moldova (details )
3,480,000
97.53%
93%
3,424
Monaco (details )
30,000
86.0%
Mongolia (details )
58,000
2.1%
5,462
Montenegro (details )
500,000
78.8%
3.4%
72.07%
14,206
Morocco (details )
651,000
2.1%
0.1%
2%
5,193
Mozambique (details )
13,120,717
56.1%
28.4%
27.7%
1,024
Myanmar (details )
3,790,000
7.9%
1%
6.9%
Namibia (details )
1,991,000
90.0%
13.7%
76.3%
7,488
Nepal (details )
269,000
0.9%
0.1%
0.8%
1,484
Netherlands (details )
5,750,297
34%
23.7%[ 32]
10.2%[ 33]
42,938
New Zealand (details )
2,000,000
43%
11%
32%
31,499
Nicaragua (details )
5,217,000
84.6%
58.8%
25.8%
4,072
Niger (details )
795,000
5.0%
5%
665
Nigeria (details )
80,510,000
50%
14%
36%
6,204
Norway (details )
4,210,000
86.2%
3%
83.5%
62,767
Oman (details )
73,000
2.5%
2.1%
0.4%
27,015
Pakistan (details )
2,500,000
1.6%
0.8%
0.8%
2,891
Palau (details )
16,000
77.9%
65%
12.9%
19,031
Panama (details )
3,057,000
92.0%
80%
12%
16,615
Papua New Guinea (details )
6,800,000
97%
27%
70%
2,898
Paraguay (details )
6,260,000
96%
88%
7.9%
6,138
Peru (details )
27,635,000
96%
81%
15%
10,940
Philippines (details )
86,500,000
85%[ 34] [ 35]
80%
5%
4,413
Pitcairn Islands (details )
50
100.0%
100%
Poland (details )
36,090,000
94.3%
86.3%
8%
21,903
Portugal (details )
10,110,000[ 36]
84%
81%
3.3%
25,305
Puerto Rico (details )
3,878,000
97.0%
50%
47%
Qatar (details )
262,675
13.8%
86,507
Romania (details )
21,380,000
99.5%
5.7%
93.8%
16,518
Russia (details )
66,000,000-99,775,000[ 37] [ 38]
46.6%[ 39] -77.0%[ 40] [ 41]
<0.1%
46.6%-77.0%
23,549
Rwanda (details )
9,619,000
93.6%
56.9
26
1,354
San Marino (details )
31,000
97.0%
97%
Saudi Arabia (details )
1,500,000
5%[ 42]
Senegal (details )
900,000
7.0%
4.2%
3%
1,944
Serbia (details )
7,260,000
93.5%
4.97%
79.4%
11,544
Seychelles (details )
80,000
94.7%
82%
15.2%
27,008
Sierra Leone (details )
1,751,000
30.0%
3%
27%
1,359
Singapore (details )
900,000
18.0%[1]
5.7%
12%
61,803
Slovakia (details )
4,730,000
76.0%
62.0%
14.0%
24,896
Slovenia (details )
1,610,000
79.2%
57%
22.2%
26,801
Somalia (details )
1,000[ 43]
0.01%
0.0002%
0.01%
South Africa (details )
40,243,000
80%
5%
75%
11,440
South Sudan (details )
6,010,000[ 44]
60.5%[ 45]
30%
30%
Spain (details )
36,240,000
73%
71%
2%
32,129
Sri Lanka (details )
1,531,000
7.5%
6.1%
1.4%
6,247
Sudan (details )
?
2%
Suriname (details )
262,000
48.4%)[ 46]
21.6%
26.8%
8,858
Swaziland (details )
994,000
82.7%
25%
57.7%
5,246
Sweden (details )
6,320,000
67.2%
2%
65%
42,217
Switzerland (details )
5,700,000
71%
38%
33%
5,246
Syria (details )
2,251,000
10.0%
10%
5,436
Tajikistan (details )
99,000
1.4%
0.1%
1.3%
2,247
Tanzania (details )
27,118,000
62.0%
1,601
Thailand (details )
778,000
1.2%
0.6%
0.6%
9,815
Togo (details )
1,966,000
29.0%
1,051
Tonga (details )
84,000
81.0%
16%
65%
5,026
Trinidad and Tobago (details )
774,000
57.6%
21.5%
33.4%
26,647
Tunisia (details )
24,000
0.2%
0.2%
9,795
Turkey (details )
120,000[ 47]
0.2%
17,651
Turkmenistan (details )
466,000
9.0%
9%
10,583
Uganda (details )
29,943,000
88.6%
41.9%
46.7%
1,352
Ukraine (details )
15,070,965[ 48]
33.6%
5.9%
27.7%
7,418
United Arab Emirates (details )
424,000
9.0%
7%
2%
42,384
United Kingdom (details )[ 49]
33,200,417
59.3%
8.9%
50%
35,819
United States (details )
246,780,000
73%
22%
51%
49,965
Uruguay (details )
2,127,000
58.4%
47%
11%
16,037
Uzbekistan (details )
710,000
2.6%
2.6%
Vatican City (details )
836
100.0%
100%
Venezuela (details )
28,340,000
88.0%
71%
17%
13,475
Vietnam (details )
703,000
8.0%
7%
1%
3,635
Western Sahara (details )
200
0.04%
0.04%
Yemen (details )
3,000
0.013%
0.013%
2,489
Zambia (details )
12,939,000
97.6%
25%
72%
1712
Zimbabwe (details )
10,747,000
85.0%
7%
77%
559
Total[ 50]
2,384,311,733
33%
17%
16%
-
Unrecognised states [ edit ]
Note : Includes non-United Nations member states not recognized by any state , non-UN member states recognized only by non-UN members and non-UN member states recognized by at least one UN member.
Top ten [ edit ]
On the left: A list of the top ten countries by largest number of Christians. On the right: a list of the top ten countries by highest percentage of the population that is Christian.[ 51] [ 52]
Rank
Country
Christians
% Christian
Country
% Christian
Christians
1
United States
246,780,000
70.6%
Vatican City
100%
800
2
Brazil
175,700,000
91.4%
Romania
99%
21,490,000
3
Mexico
113,500,000
93%
Papua New Guinea
99%
6,860,000
4
Nigeria
92,281,000
52.8%
Tonga
99%
100,000
5
Philippines
86,500,000
85.8%
Armenia
98.5%
3,090,000
6
Russia
67,640,000
73.6%
Greece
98%
11,000,000
7
Congo, Democratic Republic of
68,558,000
95.6%
Namibia
97.6%
2,280,000
8
Ethiopia
54,978,000
64.5%
Marshall Islands
97.5%
50,000
9
Italy
54,070,000
91.5%
Moldova
97.5%
3,570,000
10
Germany
50,000,000
62%
Zambia
97.5%
13,090,000
Countries by highest percentage of the population that is Christian with at least 10 million Christians [ edit ]
Rank
Country
% Christian
Christians
1
Romania
99%
21,300,000
2
Greece
98%
11,000,000
3
Zambia
97.5%
12,800,000
4
Congo, Democratic Republic of
95.7%
63.200,000
5
Peru
95.6%
27,800,000
6
Guatemala
95.2%
13,700,000
7
Mexico
95.0%
107,000,000
8
Poland
94.3%
36,100,000
9
Ecuador
94.1%
13,600,000
10
Colombia
92.5%
42,800,000
Percent (%) Christians
Number of countries
Population
100
2
850
90 - 99
49
739,568,000
80 - 89
28
312,790,200
70 - 79
20
599,319,000
60 - 69
11
177,608,000
50 - 59
16
132,349,929
40 - 49
3
13,594,000
30 - 39
6
15,497,000
20 - 29
5
23,657,000
10 - 19
10
43,409,000
1 - 9
34
124,755,000
- 1
13
1,823,750
In total, 126 countries have a Christian majority, while 71 countries have a Christian minority.
According to Pew Research study, of the 232 countries and territories , 157 have Christian majorities.[ 53]
Population growth [ edit ]
See also [ edit ]
Other religions:
General:
^ Current sources are in general agreement that Christians make up about 33% of the world's population—slightly over 2.4 billion adherents in mid-2015.
References [ edit ]
^ 33.39% of ~7.2 billion world population (under the section 'People') "World" . CIA world facts.
^ "Christianity 2015: Religious Diversity and Personal Contact" (PDF) . gordonconwell.edu. January 2015. Retrieved 2015-05-29 .
^ "Major Religions Ranked by Size" . Adherents.com. Retrieved 2009-05-05 .
^ ANALYSIS (2011-12-19). "Global Christianity" . Pewforum.org. Retrieved 2012-08-17 .
^ Hinnells, The Routledge Companion to the Study of Religion , p. 441.
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