Frequently Asked Questions

On this page you will find answers to frequently asked questions and more indepth information about the World Christian Database.

Status of Global Christianity 2025

An annual snapshot of global Christianity from the International Bulletin of Mission Research.

Methodology

Detailed explanation of WCD sources and methodology.

Field definitions

Definitions for data fields in the database.

Glossary

Standard and unusual terms related to the WCD.

Abbreviations

Abbreviations related to the WCD.

Religions

Religions related to the WCD.

Search examples

1. Introduction to the new World Christian Database

Check out the new PowerBI platform for the World Christian Database, including how to download data and view data in maps and charts.

2. Religions

Explore data on 18 categories of religion and non-religion in the past, present, and future.

3. Denominations

Explore Christian denominations by continent, region, or country, or by church tradition.

4. Cities

Explore Christianity and other religions in the world’s largest cities.

5. Provinces

View data on any province in the world, including its population size and largest religion.

6. Indicators

Put religion data in global context by exploring socio-economic, health, gender, and other data. Create scatterplot graphs to compare variables.

7. Evangelicals

How many Evangelicals are in the world? Explore World Christianity by its two major movements, Evangelicals and Pentecostal/Charismatics.

8. Churches in Latin America

Find out how many churches are in Latin America in the past and present, and learn how to filter by Christian tradition.

Religions

Data on 18 categories of religion, including non-religious, by country, province, and people.

Countries and regions

Data on all religions, Christian activities, and trends.

Denominations

Membership data, year begun, and rates of change.

Cities & provinces

Population and religion data on all major cities & provinces.

Peoples & languages

Detailed information covering religion, culture, and geography.

Archive

A repository of historical data, including a chronology of Christianity from the 1st to 21st centuries.