Picture a typical Christian today. Not a European in a stone cathedral or an American in a suburban church: about half of the world's Christians now live in Africa or Latin America. The centre of the Church has moved — and it changes how we think about mission.
The short answer
Most of the world's roughly 2.6 billion Christians now live in the Global South — Africa, Latin America and Asia. In 1900 that share was 17.6%. Today it is about 69%, and researchers project around 78% by 2050. The single region with the most Christians is Sub-Saharan Africa, with about 718 million.
A century of movement
Share of the world's Christians living in the Global South (Center for the Study of Global Christianity):
- 1900 — 17.6%
- 1950 — 28%
- 1970 — 43%
- 2000 — 58.9%
- 2020 — 66.6%
- 2025 — 69%
- 2050 — 78% (projected)
In 1900 there were perhaps 9 million Christians in all of Africa. The shift since then is one of the largest religious changes in history, and it happened mostly without headlines.
Where Christians live today, region by region
| Region | Christians | Share of population | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 718 million | 59.8% | fastest growing |
| Latin America | 603 million | 90.7% | strong |
| Europe | 553 million | 73.9% | declining |
| Asia-Pacific | 387 million | 8.2% | growing |
| North America | 278 million | 74.1% | declining |
| Middle East / North Africa | 24 million | 4% | under pressure |
Sub-Saharan Africa now holds more Christians than any other region on earth — more than all of Europe — and it is growing fastest. Asia-Pacific holds the fewest Christians as a share of its people — about eight in a hundred — which is another way of saying that most of the remaining task is there.
What the new centre looks like
- Nigeria — about 46% of 230 million people identify as Christian; one of the largest churches on earth, and also one of the most pressured.
- Kenya — about 85% Christian and around 48% evangelical, the highest evangelical share among the nations profiled here.
- Brazil — about 85% Christian, and now one of the world's largest senders of missionaries.
- Philippines — about 90% Christian; Filipino workers carry their faith into places traditional missionaries cannot easily go.
- China — only about 7% Christian, but out of 1.41 billion people that is one of the largest Christian populations anywhere.
After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could count, out of every nation and of all tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.
Revelation 7:9 (WEB)
Why it matters for mission
The sending has changed direction. The largest sending nations by total workers are now United States, Brazil, South Korea, Philippines, Nigeria — several of them mission fields a century ago. Mission is no longer "the West to the rest". It is from everywhere to everywhere.
The remaining task is concentrated. Asia-Pacific holds over half the world's people but only about 8.2% of them are Christian, and the Middle East and North Africa about 4%. Most people who have never heard the Gospel live there.
Learning flows both ways. Churches in the West have much to receive from believers in Lagos, São Paulo and Manila — about prayer, about suffering, and about evangelism as ordinary life.
Go deeper
- Where is Christianity growing fastest? — the direct answer.
- Regions of the world — the church in each region, with figures and prayer points.
- Which country has the most Christians? — the top ten, ranked.
- The State of the Great Commission — every figure, sourced.
Questions people ask
Where do most Christians live?
In the Global South — Africa, Latin America and Asia — which is home to about 69% of the world's Christians, up from 17.6% in 1900.
Which region has the most Christians?
Sub-Saharan Africa, with about 718 million Christians, followed by Latin America (603 million) and Europe (553 million).
What is the Global South?
A broad term for Africa, Latin America and most of Asia and Oceania, used by researchers in contrast to Europe and North America (the Global North).
Will more Christians live in the Global South in the future?
Yes, on current projections: about 78% of Christians are expected to live in the Global South by 2050.