UPDATED: List of the Countries with the Most Members without a Stake - April 2026 Edition

Below is an updated list of the 19 countries/territories with the most Latter-day Saints (at least 1,500) without a stake. This list highlights countries where the Church has established a meaningful presence but has not yet reached the organizational maturity required to form a stake. According to the Church Handbook, the creation of a stake requires that several minimum qualifications be met. These include:

• At least 2,000 total members (active and less active) within the proposed stake boundaries
• At least 150 active, full-tithe-paying Melchizedek Priesthood holders capable of serving in leadership positions
• At least 500 participating adults
• At least 100 participating youth (recommended but not required)
• A minimum of five wards

These criteria underscore that stake organization depends not only on total membership, but more importantly on activity rates, leadership depth, and institutional maturity. Consequently, some countries with relatively large nominal membership totals may take longer to organize stakes if these core requirements are not yet met, whereas others with smaller but more active and concentrated membership may reach stake status sooner.

Membership totals by country are as of year-end 2025, whereas congregational and district totals are current. Estimated membership for mainland China and Pakistan is provided as official statistics are unavailable. The number of branches in mainland China is not provided due to the sensitive nature of the Church in that country. Previous lists of the countries with the most members without a stake can be found here.

1. China - 13,000 members? - 12 districts
2. Malaysia - 11,341 members - 24 branches - 5 districts
3. Guyana - 7,400 members - 12 branches - 2 districts
4. Pakistan - 6,750 members? - 19 branches - 4 districts
   
5. Belize - 5,741 members - 12 branches - 2 districts
6. Rwanda - 3,625 members - 10 branches - 1 district  
7. Armenia - 3,579 members - 6 branches - 1 district
8. Solomon Islands - 3,232 members - 11 branches - 1 district 
9. Romania - 3,127 members - 15 branches - 1 district
10. Ethiopia - 2,626 members - 10 branches - 2 districts
11. Eswatini - 2,598 members - 6 branches - 1 district
12. Bulgaria - 2,424 members - 7 branches - 1 district
13. Poland - 2,315 members - 11 branches - 1 district
14. Lesotho - 2,278 members - 8 branches - 1 district 
15. Burundi - 2,070 members - 12 branches - 1 district
16. Suriname - 1,991 members - 6 branches - 1 district 
17. Cook Islands - 1,890 members - 5 branches - 1 district
18. Sri Lanka - 1,732 members - 4 branches - 1 district 
19. Macau - 1,595 members - 2 branches - 1 district 

Cameroon was the only country removed from this list since April 2025, following the organization of its first stake in June 2025.

As noted in the 2025 list, prospects for near-term stake creation appear most favorable in mainland China, Malaysia, Guyana, Belize, Pakistan, Eswatini, Rwanda, Burundi, and Suriname, as each has at least one district approaching minimum stake qualifications. Rwanda appears most likely among the countries on this list to have its first stake created in the near future, given its rapid growth, relatively strong member activity rates, and the concentration of nearly all Latter-day Saints in the country within the capital, Kigali. The Solomon Islands and Lesotho also appear increasingly likely to have their first stakes organized within the next 1–2 years. Notably, several of the most likely candidates for near-term stake creation have relatively concentrated membership within 1-2 districts, suggesting that organizational efficiency and leadership development may be more decisive factors than total membership alone. In contrast, low activity rates, insufficient numbers of branches within individual districts, slow or stagnant growth, and limited numbers of full-tithe-paying Melchizedek Priesthood holders will likely continue to delay stake organization in other countries for several more years.