Major Shift: Protestants Now Surpass Catholics in Attendance Worldwide; Protestants to Outnumber Catholics Before 2050

In a major shift in global Christianity, Protestants (including historic, evangelical, and Pentecostal varieties) will represent nearly half of all Christians.

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, August 19, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A groundbreaking report and meta-analysis reveals a seismic shift in global Christianity, with self-identified Protestants now surpassing Roman Catholics in monthly religious service attendance in 2025, and poised to outnumber them in total adherents by 2050.

In 2025, the worldwide Christian population stands at approximately 2.645 billion. Among them, Roman Catholics number between 1.15 and 1.25 billion, comprising 43.5% to 47% of global Christians. Protestants, broadly defined to include historical Protestants, evangelicals, Trinitarian Pentecostals, independents, non-denominational Trinitarian Christians, and unaffiliated Trinitarian Christians, total 1.04 to 1.12 billion, or 39% to 42%. Eastern Orthodox adherents range from 200 to 220 million, about 7% to 8%.

A key highlight is attendance: While Catholics see 438 to 506 million attending services at least monthly (35–44% rate), Protestants boast higher engagement with 504 to 560 million regular attendees (45–54% rate). Eastern Orthodox attendance lags at 57 to 75 million (26–37%). These figures, adjusted for disaffiliation and based on Pew Research Center surveys, underscore stronger commitment among Protestants, driven by evangelical and Pentecostal subgroups in Africa and Latin America, where rates reach 60–70%.

Looking ahead, trends point to accelerating changes by 2050, with the global Christian population projected to reach 3.312 billion. Growth in the Global South, particularly sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, fuels this expansion, while secularization erodes numbers in Europe and North America. Religious switching plays a pivotal role: Net losses from Catholicism to Protestantism and unaffiliated status, especially in Latin America and Africa, as per Pew data, combined with robust conversions to Pentecostalism (projected to approach 1 billion adherents), will reshape the landscape.

By 2050, Protestants are estimated at 1.48 to 1.6 billion (45–48%), overtaking Catholics at 1.33 to 1.45 billion (40–44%). Eastern Orthodox will grow modestly to 220–240 million (7–8%). Strikingly, Trinitarian Protestantism, broadly defined, will exceed Catholicism and may even surpass the combined total of Catholics and Eastern Orthodox, signaling a profound realignment. Monthly attendees reflect this: Protestants at 666–864 million, Catholics at 465–638 million, and Orthodox at 57–89 million.

This report, incorporating data from Pew, Gallup, and the Center for the Study of Global Christianity, highlights Christianity’s dynamic evolution, with Protestant vitality challenging Catholic dominance amid global demographic shifts.

David Lynn
Covenant Christian Coalition
media@ccc.one

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