New study shows Christianity expanding while challenges multiply worldwide
Report by Duncan Williams for Pulman’s Weekly News
A major new global study has revealed that Christianity enters 2026 facing significant challenges despite continued worldwide growth.
The findings come from the Status of Global Christianity 2026 report by the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Researchers identified demographic change, persecution, urbanisation, displacement and financial crime among the most pressing issues confronting church leaders today.
One of the report’s most striking findings is that while Christianity continues to grow globally, Islam is expanding at a faster pace. Analysis by Lifeway Research shows the global Christian population is increasing by 0.95% annually, while Islam is growing at 1.57% each year. The global Muslim population has now surpassed 2 billion and is projected to reach 3.4 billion by 2075, significantly narrowing the gap.
The report also highlights continued decline in regions long associated with Christianity. Europe, once home to the world’s largest concentration of Christians, now has around 553 million Christians and is experiencing an annual decline of 0.41%.
North America’s Christian population, estimated at 275 million, is also shrinking, with an annual decline of 0.16%.
Christianity is continuing to decline in the Middle East, the birthplace of the faith. Christians accounted for 12.7% of the region’s population in 1900. That figure fell to 6.1% by 1970 and now stands at 4.2%, with further decline expected at an annual rate of -0.07%.
Rapid urban growth is creating both challenges and opportunities for evangelism. The number of cities with populations exceeding one million has surged from just 20 in 1900 to 670 today. Yet many of these growing urban centres have little Christian presence. More than 60% of the world’s key cities are now considered minority-Christian, compared with only a quarter 125 years ago.
Despite progress in missionary work and Bible translation, more than a quarter of the world’s population still has no access to the gospel. Researchers estimate that 27.7% of people globally - around 2.3 billion individuals - remain unreached. In addition, fewer than 20% of non-Christians personally know a Christian.
Although the long-term number of Christians killed for their faith has declined compared with previous decades, persecution remains severe. Around 900,000 Christians are estimated to have died for their faith over the last 10 years.
The report also points to the growing refugee crisis, with global displacement levels rising sharply in recent decades. The refugee rate now stands at 450 per 100,000 people worldwide.
Another major concern raised by researchers is financial loss within Christian ministries and churches. An estimated £55 billion is lost every year through theft, fraud and other forms of ecclesiastical crime, up sharply from around £15 billion in 2000.
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