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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