2005
Church Growing in More than 160 Countries
January 2005


“Church Growing in More than 160 Countries,” Ensign, Jan. 2005, 76–77

Church Growing in More than 160 Countries

In 2004, worldwide Church membership reached 12 million, the Church was ranked among the fastest-growing churches in the United States, and Mexico became the first nation outside of the U.S. to top one million members. Brazil is projected to surpass one million members during 2007.

Growth outside of the United States continues to surpass growth within the U.S. More than half of all Church members live outside the United States. Members of the Church are found in more than 160 countries and territories, speaking more than 178 languages.

The accompanying map shows membership distribution around the world.

Image
world map

Countries with Highest Church Membership

1. United States

5,503,192

2. Mexico*

980,053

3. Brazil

866,988

4. Chile

530,739

5. Philippines

526,178

6. Peru

384,663

7. Argentina

330,349

8. Guatemala

192,207

9. Canada

166,442

10. Ecuador

161,396

Based on 2003 year-end totals.

  • Mexico surpassed the one million mark after these figures were compiled.

Countries with Highest Percentages of Church Membership*

1. Tonga

46.0

(1 out of 2)

2. Samoa

34.0

(1 out of 3)

3. American Samoa

19.1

(1 out of 5)

4. Kiribati

10.0

(1 out of 10)

5. French Polynesia

7.8

(1 out of 13)

6. Chile

3.4

(1 out of 30)

7. Uruguay

2.4

(1 out of 42)

8. New Zealand

2.3

(1 out of 43)

9. Honduras

1.6

(1 out of 62)

10. Bolivia

1.5

(1 out of 64)

Based on 2003 year-end totals.

  • Minimum 10,000 members. Four countries have higher percentages but fewer than 10,000 members: Niue (13.0), Marshall Islands (6.8), Cook Islands (6.5), and Micronesia (3.2).

Languages Most Frequently Spoken by Church Members

1. English

5,828,000

2. Spanish

3,681,000

3. Portuguese

907,000

4. Tagalog (Philippines)

165,000

5. Cebuano (Philippines)

126,000

6. Japanese

117,000

7. Ilokano (Philippines)

109,000

8. Samoan

102,000

9. Tongan

76,000

10. Korean

75,000

Estimates based on 2003 year-end data.