The center of global Christianity has shifted
Christianity is no longer centered demographically in Europe and North America. Pew Research reports that sub-Saharan Africa held about 31% of the world’s Christians in 2020, ahead of Latin America and the Caribbean and Europe. This reflects a century-long change in the geographic shape of the worldwide church.
The shift changes how Christians should talk about mission. Believers in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and diaspora communities are not merely recipients of mission; they are major leaders, theologians, church planters, missionaries, and movement catalysts.
Is Christianity growing or declining?
Both can be true depending on what is measured. The number of Christians worldwide grew between 2010 and 2020, while Christianity’s share of the global population declined. Some regions are growing rapidly through births and conversions, while parts of Europe, North America, and Latin America have experienced substantial disaffiliation.
National averages can also hide local movements, denominational differences, and communities with little Gospel access. Responsible interpretation compares dates, definitions, sources, confidence, and whether a figure is an observed estimate or a projection.
What does this mean for the mission?
The global church is increasingly polycentric: mission moves from everywhere to everywhere. Churches can build mutual partnerships across regions, recognize diaspora believers as strategic leaders, invest in local theological education, and listen to Christians who understand their own cultures.
At the same time, a large global Christian population does not mean equal Gospel access. People-group research helps reveal communities that national or regional totals can overlook.
- Celebrate and learn from the leadership of the Global South.
- Distinguish historical estimates from current-year projections.
- Pair population data with people-group and local-church insight.
- Build reciprocal partnerships rather than one-directional models.
Questions people ask
How many Christians are there in the world?
Pew Research’s latest comprehensive estimate reports about 2.3 billion Christians in 2020. Some mission databases project higher current totals. Differences reflect dates, definitions, and methods, so figures should always include their source and year.
Where do most Christians live?
Christianity is globally distributed. As of 2020, sub-Saharan Africa had the largest share of the world’s Christians, followed by Latin America and the Caribbean, then Europe.
What is the Global South?
In global Christianity, the term generally refers to Africa, Latin America, much of Asia, and Oceania. It is a broad analytical label, not a single culture or theological tradition.