Ultimatum
Classical Liberal
There are already more Christians in Africa than any other continent—that’s not going to change soon
The size of the Christian population in Nigeria alone—already the largest on the continent—is projected to double by 2060. In addition, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya are projected to join the list of countries with the top ten largest Christian populations, replacing Russia, Germany and China.
In total, the Christian population in the six African countries on the list alone will account for just under a quarter of the projected global Christian population of three billion people.
The upsurge in the African Christian population matches general population growth projections; while around 2.2 billion people could be added to the global population by 2050, more than half of that growth will occur in Africa.
Meanwhile, the decline of Christian population in Europe is especially notable in Britain where, last year, a survey showed “an unrelenting decline in Church of England and Church of Scotland” numbers. Only 14% of Britons identified as members of the Church of England—a record low. Similarly, Church of Scotland numbers dropped to 18% from 31% in 2002.
In contrast, the spread of Christianity is clearly visible in several African countries with an explosion in the number of church denominations and structures across urban centers and even in rural areas. In some cases, mega-church sites are morphing into cities, complete with housing estates, banks, grocery stores and police stations. Beyond dominant architecture, the prominence of Christianity is often visible in other ways: in Ghana, for instance, small and medium scale businesses are often named based on biblical verses.
By 2060, six of the world's 10 largest Christian countries will be in Africa
The size of the Christian population in Nigeria alone—already the largest on the continent—is projected to double by 2060. In addition, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya are projected to join the list of countries with the top ten largest Christian populations, replacing Russia, Germany and China.
In total, the Christian population in the six African countries on the list alone will account for just under a quarter of the projected global Christian population of three billion people.
The upsurge in the African Christian population matches general population growth projections; while around 2.2 billion people could be added to the global population by 2050, more than half of that growth will occur in Africa.
Meanwhile, the decline of Christian population in Europe is especially notable in Britain where, last year, a survey showed “an unrelenting decline in Church of England and Church of Scotland” numbers. Only 14% of Britons identified as members of the Church of England—a record low. Similarly, Church of Scotland numbers dropped to 18% from 31% in 2002.
In contrast, the spread of Christianity is clearly visible in several African countries with an explosion in the number of church denominations and structures across urban centers and even in rural areas. In some cases, mega-church sites are morphing into cities, complete with housing estates, banks, grocery stores and police stations. Beyond dominant architecture, the prominence of Christianity is often visible in other ways: in Ghana, for instance, small and medium scale businesses are often named based on biblical verses.
By 2060, six of the world's 10 largest Christian countries will be in Africa