Panel: WORLD CHRISTIANITY AND SOCIO-CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION



951.3 - WORLD CHRISTIANITY 2025-2075: A DEMOGRAPHIC ASSESSMENT

AUTHORS:
Zurlo G. (Harvard Divinity School ~ Cambridge ~ United States of America)
Text:
In 1900, only 18% of Christians lived in what the United Nations defines as the "global South" - Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania. By 2025, this number had grown to 69%, and if current trends continue this figure will rise to 83% by 2075 (with 17% of Christians living in the global North: Europe and North America). Utilizing new data from the World Christian Database (Brill) and the forthcoming Compact Atlas of Global Christianity (Edinburgh University Press, 2025), this paper will explore Christianity's ongoing demographic shift to the global South. It includes an examination of diverse expressions of Christianity including Catholicism, Orthodoxy, Protestantism, and Pentecostalism, as well as continental trends in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe, North America, and Oceania (especially the Pacific Islands). The presentation will also address contemporary issues facing Christians today, such as the importance of historical studies, climate activism, and women's rights. It concludes with an analysis of women's challenges and opportunities worldwide in congregational membership, participation, and leadership.