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World Evangelization Research Center
Pointing the way to the least evangelized
Status of Global Mission, 2002, in context of 20th
and 21st centuries
| Year: |
1900 |
1970 |
mid-2000 |
Trend |
mid-2002 |
2025 |
| GLOBAL POPULATION |
|
|
|
% p.a. |
|
|
| 1. Total population |
1,619,626,000 |
3,696,148,000 |
6,055,049,000 |
1.22 |
6,203,789,000 |
7,823,703,000 |
| 2. Urban dwellers (urbanites) |
232,695,000 |
1,353,370,000 |
2,881,079,000 |
1.90 |
2,991,572,000 |
4,611,677,000 |
| 3. Rural dwellers |
1,386,931,000 |
2,342,778,000 |
3,173,970,000 |
0.60 |
3,212,217,000 |
3,212,026,000 |
| 4. Adult population (over 15s) |
1,074,058,000 |
2,310,543,000 |
4,254,647,000 |
1.76 |
4,405,603,000 |
5,987,079,000 |
| 5. Literates |
296,258,000 |
1,475,194,000 |
3,261,345,000 |
1.76 |
3,377,265,000 |
5,046,637,000 |
| 6. Nonliterates |
777,800,000 |
835,349,000 |
993,302,000 |
1.75 |
1,028,338,000 |
940,442,000 |
| WORLDWIDE EXPANSION OF CITIES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 7. Metropolises (over 100,000 population) |
300 |
2,400 |
4,050 |
1.84 |
4,200 |
6,500 |
| 7. Metropolises (over 100,000 population) |
300 |
2,400 |
4,050 |
1.84 |
4,200 |
6,500 |
| 8. Megacities (over 1 million population) |
20 |
161 |
402 |
2.21 |
420 |
650 |
| 9. Urban poor |
100 million |
650 million |
1,400 million |
3.16 |
1,490 million |
3,000 million |
| 10. Urban slumdwellers |
20 million |
260 million |
700 million |
2.82 |
740 million |
1,500 million |
| GLOBAL POPULATION BY RELIGION |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 11. Total all distinct religions |
1,000 |
6,000 |
9,900 |
1.70 |
10,200 |
15,000 |
| 12. Christians (total all kinds) (=World
C) |
558,132,000 |
1,236,374,000 |
1,999,564,000 |
1.27 |
2,050,616,000 |
2,616,670,000 |
| 13. Muslims |
199,941,000 |
553,528,000 |
1,188,243,000 |
2.11 |
1,239,029,000 |
1,784,876,000 |
| 14. Nonreligious |
3,024,000 |
532,096,000 |
768,159,000 |
0.80 |
780,557,000 |
875,121,000 |
| 15. Hindus |
203,003,000 |
462,598,000 |
811,336,000 |
1.54 |
836,543,000 |
1,049,231,000 |
| 16. Buddhists |
127,077,000 |
233,424,000 |
359,982,000 |
1.04 |
367,538,000 |
418,345,000 |
| 17. Atheists |
226,000 |
165,400,000 |
150,090,000 |
0.24 |
150,804,000 |
159,544,000 |
| 18. New-Religionists |
5,910,000 |
77,762,000 |
102,356,000 |
0.94 |
104,280,000 |
114,720,000 |
| 19. Ethnoreligionists |
117,558,000 |
160,278,000 |
228,367,000 |
1.30 |
234,341,000 |
277,247,000 |
| 20. Sikhs |
2,962,000 |
10,618,000 |
23,258,000 |
1.84 |
24,124,000 |
31,378,000 |
| 21. Jews |
12,292,000 |
14,763,000 |
14,434,000 |
0.81 |
14,670,000 |
16,053,000 |
| 22. Non-Christians (=Worlds A and
B) |
1,061,494,000 |
2,459,774,000 |
4,055,485,000 |
1.20 |
4,153,173,000 |
5,207,033,000 |
| GLOBAL CHRISTIANITY |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 23. Total Christians as % of world
(=World C) |
34.5 |
33.5 |
33.0 |
0.05 |
33.1 |
33.4 |
| 24. Unaffiliated Christians |
36,489,000 |
106,268,000 |
111,125,000 |
0.65 |
112,575,000 |
125,712,000 |
| 25. Affiliated Christians (church
members) |
521,643,000 |
1,130,106,000 |
1,888,439,000 |
1.30 |
1,938,041,000 |
2,490,958,000 |
| 26. Crypto-Christians |
3,571,000 |
59,195,000 |
123,727,000 |
2.18 |
129,173,000 |
190,490,000 |
| 27. Church attenders |
469,303,000 |
885,777,000 |
1,359,420,000 |
1.04 |
1,387,834,000 |
1,760,568,000 |
| 28. Evangelicals |
71,726,000 |
93,449,000 |
210,603,000 |
1.72 |
217,896,000 |
327,835,000 |
| 29. Great Commission Christians (evangelicals) |
77,931,000 |
277,152,000 |
647,821,000 |
1.44 |
666,640,000 |
887,579,000 |
| 30. Pentecostals/Charismatics/Neocharismatics |
981,000 |
72,223,000 |
523,767,000 |
1.87 |
543,578,000 |
811,552,000 |
| 31. Average Christian martyrs per
year |
34,400 |
377,000 |
160,000 |
1.24 |
164,000 |
210,000 |
| MEMBERSHIP BY 6 ECCLESIASTICAL MEGABLOCS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 32. Anglicans |
30,571,000 |
47,501,000 |
79,650,000 |
1.34 |
81,799,000 |
113,746,000 |
| 33. Independents |
7,931,000 |
95,605,000 |
385,745,000 |
2.17 |
402,641,000 |
581,642,000 |
| 34. Marginal Christians |
928,000 |
11,100,000 |
26,060,000 |
1.79 |
27,000,000 |
45,555,000 |
| 35. Orthodox |
115,844,000 |
139,662,000 |
215,129,000 |
0.52 |
217,371,000 |
252,716,000 |
| 36. Protestants |
103,024,000 |
210,759,000 |
342,002,000 |
1.36 |
351,362,000 |
468,633,000 |
| 37. Roman Catholics |
266,548,000 |
665,954,000 |
1,057,328,000 |
1.24 |
1,083,708,000 |
1,361,965,000 |
| MEMBERSHIP BY 6 CONTINENTS, 21 UN
REGIONS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 38. Africa (5 regions) |
8,756,000 |
117,069,000 |
335,116,000 |
2.62 |
352,886,000 |
600,526,000 |
| 39. Asia (4 regions) |
20,759,000 |
97,329,000 |
307,288,000 |
2.12 |
320,439,000 |
459,029,000 |
| 40. Europe (including Russia; 4 regions) |
368,210,000 |
468,480,000 |
536,832,000 |
0.08 |
537,656,000 |
532,861,000 |
| 41. Latin America (3 regions) |
60,027,000 |
263,597,000 |
475,659,000 |
1.57 |
490,701,000 |
635,271,000 |
| 42. Northern America (1 region) |
59,570,000 |
168,932,000 |
212,167,000 |
0.81 |
215,633,000 |
235,112,000 |
| 43. Oceania (4 regions) |
4,322,000 |
14,699,000 |
21,375,000 |
1.22 |
21,898,000 |
28,152,000 |
| CHRISTIAN ORGANIZATIONS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 44. Denominations |
1,900 |
18,600 |
33,800 |
2.48 |
35,500 |
63,000 |
| 45. Congregations (worship centers) |
400,000 |
1,450,000 |
3,448,000 |
1.53 |
3,554,000 |
5,035,000 |
| 46. Service agencies |
1,500 |
14,100 |
23,000 |
2.15 |
24,000 |
40,000 |
| 47. Foreign-mission sending agencies |
600 |
2,200 |
4,000 |
1.24 |
4,100 |
6,000 |
| CHRISTIAN WORKERS (clergy, laypersons) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 48. Nationals (citizens; all denominations) |
1,050,000 |
2,350,000 |
5,104,000 |
0.97 |
5,204,000 |
6,500,000 |
| 49. Aliens (foreign missionaries) |
62,000 |
240,000 |
420,000 |
1.07 |
429,000 |
550,000 |
| CHRISTIAN FINANCE (in US$, per year) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 50. Personal income of church members,
$ |
270 billion |
4,100 billion |
15,198 billion |
2.28 |
15,900 billion |
26,000 billion |
| 51. Personal income of Renewalists,
$ |
250,000,000 |
157 billion |
3,508 billion |
4.08 |
3,800 billion |
9,500 billion |
| 52. Giving to Christian causes, $ |
8 billion |
70 billion |
270 billion |
5.41 |
300 billion |
870 billion |
| 53. Churches' income, $ |
7 billion |
50 billion |
108 billion |
4.53 |
118 billion |
300 billion |
| 54. Parachurch and institutional income,
$ |
1 billion |
20 billion |
162 billion |
5.99 |
182 billion |
570 billion |
| 55. Cost-effectiveness (cost per baptism,
$) |
17,500 |
128,000 |
330,000 |
2.80 |
349,000 |
650,000 |
| 56. Ecclesiastical crime, $ |
300,000 |
5,000,000 |
16 billion |
6.07 |
18 billion |
65 billion |
| 57. Income of global foreign missions,
$ |
200,000,000 |
3.0 billion |
15 billion |
6.46 |
17 billion |
60 billion |
| 58. Computers in Christian use (numbers) |
0 |
1,000 |
332 million |
6.40 |
370 million |
1.5 billion |
| CHRISTIAN LITERATURE (titles) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 59. Books about Christianity |
300,000 |
1.8 million |
4.8 million |
3.08 |
5.1 million |
11.8 million |
| 60. Books on Christian mission |
15,000 |
65,000 |
111,000 |
4.00 |
120,000 |
195,000 |
| 61. Christian periodicals |
3,500 |
23,000 |
35,000 |
4.20 |
38,000 |
100,000 |
| 62. New books/articles on evangelization
p.a. |
500 |
3,100 |
16,000 |
6.07 |
18,000 |
80,000 |
| SCRIPTURE DISTRIBUTION (all sources,
per year/p.a.) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 63. Bibles, p.a. |
5,452,600 |
25,000,000 |
53,700,000 |
4.96 |
59,156,000 |
180,000,000 |
| 64. New Testaments, p.a. |
7,300,000 |
45,000,000 |
120,700,000 |
2.96 |
127,940,000 |
250,000,000 |
| 65. Scriptures including gospels,
selections, p.a. |
20 million |
281 million |
4,600 million |
1.08 |
4,700 million |
8,000 million |
| 66. Bible density (copies in place) |
108 million |
443 million |
1,400 million |
2.12 |
1,460 million |
2,280 million |
| CHRISTIAN BROADCASTING |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 67. Christian radio/TV stations |
0 |
1,230 |
4,000 |
0.62 |
4,050 |
5,400 |
| 68. Total monthly listeners/viewers |
0 |
750,000,000 |
2,150,000,000 |
2.30 |
2,250,226,000 |
3,800,000,000 |
| 69. over Christian stations |
0 |
150,000,000 |
600,000,000 |
3.14 |
638,285,000 |
1,300,000,000 |
| 70. over secular stations |
0 |
650,000,000 |
1,810,000,000 |
1.76 |
1,874,291,000 |
2,800,000,000 |
| CHRISTIAN URBAN MISSION |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 71. Non-Christian megacities |
5 |
65 |
226 |
1.10 |
231 |
300 |
| 72. New non-Christian urban dwellers
per day |
5,200 |
51,100 |
129,000 |
1.77 |
133,600 |
200,000 |
| 73. Urban Christians |
159,600,000 |
660,800,000 |
1,160,000,000 |
1.58 |
1,197,000,000 |
1,720,000,000 |
| CHRISTIAN EVANGELISM |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 74. Evangelism-hours per year |
5 billion |
25 billion |
165 billion |
4.45 |
180 billion |
425 billion |
| 75. Hearer-hours (offers) per year |
10 billion |
99 billion |
938 billion |
6.30 |
1,060 billion |
4,250 billion |
| 76. Disciple-opportunities (offers)
per capita per year |
6 |
27 |
155 |
5.03 |
171 |
529 |
| WORLD EVANGELIZATION |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 77. Unevangelized population (=World
A) |
879,672,000 |
1,641,245,000 |
1,629,375,000 |
0.50 |
1,645,685,000 |
1,845,406,000 |
| 78. Unevangelized as % of world |
54.3 |
44.4 |
26.9 |
-0.71 |
26.5 |
23.6 |
| 79. World evangelization plans since
AD 30 |
250 |
510 |
1,500 |
2.96 |
1,590 |
3,000 |
David B. Barrett, a contributing editor, is Hon. Research
Advisor, United Bible Societies, and Research Professor of Missiometrics
at Regent University, Virginia Beach. Todd M. Johnson, a YWAM missionary,
is director of the World Evangelization Research Center in Richmond,
Virginia, and an adjunct professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
for the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement course.
Source: International Bulletin of Missionary Research,
January 2002. David B. Barrett & Todd M. Johnson.
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