Surveys find good news not just in Africa
A comprehensive Pew Research study covering 2010 to 2020 revealed tremendous growth for Christianity in Africa. However, newer surveys in the five years since 2020—especially in the post-pandemic era—point to an unexpected shift in global Christian trends.
According to Pew’s June 9 report, although the global Christian population rose from 2.1 billion to 2.3 billion during the 2010–2020 decade, its share of the global population actually declined from 31% to 29%. This drop is mainly due to growing religious disaffiliation. Still, sub-Saharan Africa has emerged as a central hub of global Christianity: by 2020, it accounted for 30.7% of the world’s Christians—up from 24.8% in 2010—overtaking Europe.
This surge in African Christianity is fueled by high birth rates, a predominantly youthful population, and relatively low rates of religious departure. For instance, Mozambique experienced a 5-point increase in Christian identification, and across the region, 62% of people now identify as Christian amid a 31% population increase.
Western Christianity: Stabilization and Youth Renewal
At the same time, Western countries—long known for declining Christian affiliation—are now showing signs of stabilization. In the U.S., Christian identity has hovered steadily around 62% since 2020, reversing years of decline. Among Gen Z Americans, church affiliation grew from 45% to 51% between 2023 and 2024, with the share of religious “nones” dropping from 45% to 41%, according to The Economist.
Similar trends are evident in Canada, the UK, France, Ireland, and other Western European nations, where the rapid rise of the non-religious appears to be slowing, and Christian affiliation has plateaued.
Many sociologists attribute this reversal to the COVID-19 pandemic, which triggered a wave of spiritual searching amid isolation and uncertainty—especially among youth. Notably, young men are increasingly engaging with structured religious life, reversing a longstanding pattern of higher female church attendance.
Catholic Conversions Rise in Australia and Europe
This resurgence isn’t confined to North America or Europe. In Australia, Sydney’s Archbishop Anthony Fisher has reported a 26% increase in adult Catholic conversions for five consecutive years, citing a renewed spiritual hunger in post-pandemic society.
Across Europe, including Ireland, France, Austria, Belgium, and England, adult baptisms have surged. Easter 2025 saw France record its highest number of adult baptisms in two decades, with 40% of those baptized belonging to Generation Z (born 1995–2012). In England, Catholics may soon outnumber Anglicans—a development once thought unlikely.
A Global Church in Motion
The global picture of Christianity today reflects a striking contrast: explosive growth and influence in sub-Saharan Africa, alongside a surprising revival among youth in the West.
This dual movement presents both opportunities and challenges. The task ahead is to maintain this spiritual momentum—anchoring faith in deep conviction while remaining open and relevant to increasingly secular societies—and to strengthen connections between the Church’s vibrant communities across continents.