Second Stake in Liberia

The Church is organizing its second stake in Liberia this weekend according to multiple reports I have received. I have not been able to confirm which district is advancing into a stake, but it appears that it will be the Monrovia Liberia District. The Church reestablished a stake in Liberia in November 2016. There are currently three districts and one stake in Liberia.

I will provide more details on this new stake, as well as other new stakes and districts recently organized in the last couple months, within the near future. I have not posted about new stakes and districts organized in March and April as I am still awaiting details on congregations within several of these organizations.

April 2017 Newsletter

Click here to access our April 2017 monthly newsletter for cumorah.com in regards to recent LDS growth developments.

UPDATED: List of the Countries with the Most Latter-day Saints without a Stake or District

The Church in 2016 and thus far in 2017 has organized its first district in a couple nations where no districts or stakes previously operated, namely Lesotho (February 2016) and Rwanda (March 2017). As a result, I wanted to update my list of the countries with the most Latter-day Saints without a stake or district. Previous lists for this measure can be found here. For those who may be unfamiliar with what a district is, please refer to our Missiology Encyclopedia entry for "district" that can be found here.

Each country or territory with at least 200 members without a stake or district is provided below with the number of members (as of year-end 2016), number of congregations (at present), and current, if any, affiliation with another stake or district. Countries in green appear likely to have their first districts/stakes created in the near future. Countries in yellow generally have a large number of recent converts and few active priesthood holders to hold leadership positions, but have a high likelihood for districts to be organized in the coming years. Countries in red have problems with member inactivity or too few members to create a district in the foreseeable future. Countries in blue pertain to other stakes or districts and do not appear likely to become their own districts due to reasonably close proximity to their current stake or district headquarters. Countries in dark blue have a poor likelihood for the organization of a district due to few members spread over large geographic areas.

1. Bulgaria - 2,429 members - 9 branches
2. Bahamas - 1,029 members - 3 branches (includes Turks and Caicos Islands)
3. Northern Mariana Islands - 786 members - 1 ward - part of the Barrigada Guam Stake
4. Greece - 772 members - 3 branches
5. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - 653 members - 2 branches, 1 group
6. Qatar - 625 members? - 2 wards, 1 branch - part of the Abu Dhabi Stake
7. Burundi - 604 members - 3 branches 
8. US Virgin Islands - 597 members - 2 branches
9. Curacao - 550 members - 1 branch - part of the ABC District based in Aruba 
10. Turkey - 513 members - 7 branches 
11. Mauritius - 512 members - 3 branches - part of the St. Denis Reunion-Mauritius District
12. Palau - 505 members - 1 branch
13. Luxembourg - 431 members - 1 ward - part of the Nancy France Stake
14. Grenada - 416 members - 1 branch
15. French Guiana - 403 members - 1 branch 
16. Saint Lucia - 351 members - 2 branches, 1 group?
17. Kuwait - 315 members? - 1 ward - part of the Manama Bahrain Stake
18. Jersey - 305 members - 1 ward - part of the Poole England Stake
19. Niue - 301 members - 2 branches
20. Laos - 300 members? - 2 branches 
21. Isle of Man - 299 members - 1 ward - part of the Liverpool England Stake
22. Saint Maarten/Saint Martin - 281 members - 1 branch 
23. Iceland - 277 members - 2 branches
24. Republic of Georgia - 265 members - 1 branch, 1 group
25. Saint Kitts and Nevis - 238 members, 1 branch
26. Antigua and Barbuda - 230 members, 1 branch
27. Tuvalu - 229 members, 1 branch
28. Cayman Islands - 216 members, 1 branch
29. Central African Republic - 216 members, 1 branch 
30. Kazakhstan - 212 members - 2 branches
31. Martinique - 212 members, 1 branch, 1 group
32. Gabon - 200 members?, 2 branches

Of these 32 countries and dependencies, 10 previously had a district including Bulgaria (2), the Bahamas, Greece, Curacao, Palau, Mauritius, French Guiana, Turkey, Niue, and Iceland.

Percent LDS by Country - 2016

Below is a list of all of the countries and dependencies/territories of the world with the percentage of Latter-day Saints in each location as of 2016. Countries with an asterisk indicate that LDS membership figures are estimated due to no official LDS membership data released to the public. Previous data from 2008 can be found here. Population figures were obtained from the CIA World Factbook for all locations except of overseas departments of France. Population data for French overseas collectivities/departments was accessed via http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/OA.

ASIA

THE CARIBBEAN

EUROPE

MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA

NORTH AMERICA

OCEANIA

SOUTH AMERICA

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Significant Member Activity Improvements in the Philippines

Scores of surveys completed by Filipino members during the past week indicate significant, long-term improvements in member activity rates in the Philippines. Local reports indicate that most wards generally have between 100 and 300 active members, with many wards currently reporting at least 200 members in attendance. This is a significant finding as the number of active members in many Filipino wards is becoming more consistent with the Church in countries where the Church exhibits greater self-sufficiency in leadership and church administration such as the United States and western Canada. Many branches in districts also reported significant improvements in church attendance. Some members state that meetinghouses are unable to adequately accommodate those who attend sacrament meeting services, resulting in some members standing in the back of the chapel due to a lack of seats.

The Church in the Philippines reported that sacrament meeting attendance has steadily increased within the past five years. Sacrament meeting attendance totaled more than 125,000 in late 2013, indicating that the average ward or branch had 109 people in attendance. In contrast, the Church reported nearly 116,000 attending church services in late 2011. However, the average ward or branch had 599 members on its records in 2013 (e.g. total church membership divided by the number of congregations). Thus, no more than 20% of LDS membership in the Philippines appeared to regularly attend church at the time. By late 2015, the Church in the Philippines indicated that sacrament meeting attendance had reached 146,000 - a 26% increase within the past four years. In contrast, LDS membership increased by 10% during this four-year period. These most recent numbers suggest that significant improvements in member activity have occurred within recent years. The average ward or branch in late 2015 had 121 people in attendance. Thus, member activity rates in the Philippines may have slightly increased to as high as 22-24% at present given these sustained recent improvements in sacrament meeting attendance statistics reported by the area presidency and the results of recent surveys completed by local members. More information from the area presidency can be found here.

It is also interesting to note that the Church in the Philippines used to experience high member activity and convert retention rates. During the mid-1970s, the Church in the Philippines appeared to experience activity rate well over 50%. Attendance at some major meetings with church leaders nearly equaled the number of church-reported membership for the Philippines at the time. However, decades of quick-baptism tactics and leadership development problems between the 1980s and 2000s have posed significant challenges for sustaining growth and maintaining acceptable convert retention and member activity rates. These recent developments for the Church in the Philippines indicate that significant improvements in member activity and convert retention rates are possible even in nations with low member activity and convert retention rates, especially if mission and area leaders sustain the needed vision and motivation to help these efforts succeed. However, progress to improve activity rates are often slow, especially in a nation like the Philippines where there are a three-quarters of a million members and comparatively few convert baptisms.

Countries with the Highest Members-to-Units Ratio: 2016 Figures

The members-to-units ratio is a statistic ascertained by dividing church-reported membership by the total number of congregations. Countries with high member-to-unit ratios invariably experience low member activity rates as there are an insufficient number of active members to create additional congregations.

Below is a list of the 24 countries and dependencies with the highest members-to-units ratios for 2016 (more than 600 members per unit). Forty-two percent (42%) of LDS membership in 2016 resided in these 24 countries. The 2013 list can be found here. The 2014 list can be found here.

1. Chile - 973
2. Nicaragua - 879
3. Bolivia - 803
4. Northern Mariana Islands - 786
5. Ecuador - 785
6. Peru - 772
7. Colombia - 768
8. El Salvador - 760
9. Uruguay - 743
10. Honduras - 733
11. Panama - 732
12. South Korea - 730
13. Mexico - 703
14. Dominican Republic - 680
15. Venezuela - 678
16. Paraguay - 671
17. Brazil - 659
18. Kiribati - 656
19. Costa Rica - 633
20. Guatemala - 622
21. Philippines - 616
22. Portugal - 609
23. Guam - 608
24. Hong Kong - 607

Rapid LDS Growth in West Africa Continues

The Church in West Africa continues to experience unprecedented growth. Area leadership estimates that the Church in West Africa will reach 100 stakes by 2018. This indicates that there may be as many as 25 new stakes organized in West Africa during the next 18 months. Growth has been driven by increasing numbers of convert baptisms, leadership development, and increases in active membership. For example, church membership in West Africa increased by 10% during 2016 - the third highest annual membership growth rate for the region since 2002. Thus far in 2017, the Church in Nigeria has reported a net increase of 28 new wards a branches - more than any other country in the worldwide church for 2017 thus far. If this rate of congregational growth is sustained for the remainder of 2017, there may be as many as 100 new wards and branches organized in Nigeria. Since the beginning of 2017, the net increase in wards and branches by country has been as follows: 10 in Cote d'Ivoire, six in Ghana, four in Sierra Leone, one in Benin, and zero in Liberia, Senegal, and Togo.

UPDATED: List of the Countries with the Most Members without a Stake

Below is an updated list of the countries with the most Latter-day Saints without a stake. Membership totals are as of 2016 and congregational and district totals are current. Estimated membership for mainland China and Pakistan is provided as official statistics are available. The number of branches and districts 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 - 11,000 members?
2. Malaysia - 10,010 members - 33 branches - 6 districts
3. Guyana - 5,674 members - 12 branches - 1 district
4. Belize - 5,332 members - 12 branches - 2 districts
5. Pakistan - 4,200 members? - 13 branches - 3 districts
6. Armenia - 3,612 members - 11 branches - 1 district
7. Romania - 3,059 members - 16 branches - 2 districts
8. Malawi - 2,486 members - 8 branches - 2 districts
9. Bulgaria - 2,429 members - 9 branches - 0 districts
10. Angola - 2,123 members - 11 branches - 2 districts
11. Poland - 1,940 members - 12 branches - 3 districts
12. Swaziland - 1,940 members - 6 branches - 1 district
13. Ethiopia - 1,916 members - 4 branches - 1 district
14. Cook Islands - 1,843 members - 5 branches - 1 district
15. Cameroon - 1,628 members - 13 branches - 1 district
16. Suriname - 1,545 members - 5 branches - 1 district
17. Tanzania - 1,516 members - 6 branches - 1 district
18. Sri Lanka - 1,436 members - 3 branches - 1 district
19. Macau - 1,429 members - 3 branches - 1 district

Prospects appear most favorable for the formation of stakes within the next few years in mainland China, Malaysia, Guyana, Belize, Pakistan, Swaziland, and Angola as all of these countries have at least one district that is close to reaching the minimum qualifications for a stake to operate.  Low member activity rates, an insufficient number of branches in individual member districts, slow or stagnant LDS growth, and few full-tithe paying Melchizedek Priesthood holders will likely continue to delay the organization of stakes in other countries for several more years to come

UPDATED: The 10 Countries/Dependencies with the Most Members without a Temple Announced, Under Construction, or in Operation

I have updated the list of the countries and dependencies with the most members without a temple. Membership data is as of year-end 2016, whereas stake, district, and congregational data are current.  Temples that service stakes, districts, and mission branches in each country are identified. Previous lists are also available for 2016, 2015, 2013, mid-2011, late 2008, and late 2007.

1. Nicaragua

• 95,768 members
• 11 stakes, 4 districts
• 111 congregations
• Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple

2. Papua New Guinea

• 25,856 members
• 2 stakes, 11 districts
• 75 congregations
• Sydney Australia Temple

3. Puerto Rico

• 23,328 members
• 5 stakes, 0 districts
• 41 congregations
• Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Temple

4. Russia

• 23,328 members
• 3 stakes, 9 districts
• 99 congregations
• Helsinki Finland Temple, Kyiv Ukraine Temple, Seoul Korea Temple

5. Kiribati

• 18,368 members
• 2 stakes, 2 districts
• 30 congregations
• Suva Fiji Temple, Laie Hawaii Temple

6. Sierra Leone

• 17,671 members
• 1 stake, 6 districts
• 59 congregations
• Accra Ghana Temple

7. American Samoa

• 16,180 members
• 5 stakes
• 41 congregations
• Apia Samoa Temple

8. Uganda

• 15,157 members
• 3 stakes, 0 districts
• 28 congregations
• Johannesburg South Africa Temple

9. Cambodia

• 13,716 members
• 2 stakes, 4 districts
• 29 congregations
• Hong Kong China Temple

10. Cape Verde

• 13,504 members
• 3 stakes, 2 districts
• 42 congregations
• Spain Madrid Temple

Congregational Growth by Country: 2016

Below is a list of the countries where the Church reported a net increase of four or more units for the year 2016.  The annual percentage increase for the number of wards and branches for each country is also provided:

1. United States +65 (0.5% increase)
2. Cote d'Ivoire +52 (40.0% increase) 
3. Nigeria +46 (10.1% increase)
4. Ghana +33 (13.5% increase)
5. Brazil +17 (0.8% increase) 
6. Democratic Republic of the Congo +16 (10.5% increase)
7. Guatemala +10 (2.4% increase) 
8. Philippines +10 (0.8% increase)
9. Sierra Leone +10 (15.4% increase)
10. South Africa +9 (5.4% increase)
11. Canada +8 (1.6% increase) 
12. Samoa +8 (5.5% increase)
13. Liberia +6 (25.0% increase)
14. Nicaragua +6 (5.8% increase)
15. Angola +4 (57.1% increase)
16. Cape Verde +4 (10.5% increase)
17. Taiwan +4 (3.5% increase)
18. Zimbabwe +4 (5.6% increase)

The net increase in the number of wards and branches in these 18 countries totals 312; a larger number than the net increase in the number of wards and branches for the entire Church for the year 2016 (288). Six countries experienced a net decrease of four or more units during 2016. The reason that the Church reported a net decrease of five branches in Turkey was due to the discontinuation of administrative branches to service each nation within the boundaries of the Central Eurasian Mission.

1. Peru -15 (2.0% decrease) 
2. Venezuela -9 (3.5% decrease) 
3. Colombia -8 (3.0% decrease) 
4. Turkey -5 (41.7% decrease)
5. Dominican Republic -5 (2.5% decrease)
6. Chile -4 (0.7% decrease)

Membership by Country Statistics Released for 2016

The Church has released 2016 membership and congregation totals for nations with a reported LDS presence. These statistics can be accessed on Church's official website at http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/facts-and-statistics. Data is available under the country profiles on the right side of the site.

Countries with the highest annual membership growth rates in 2016 (10% or greater) are listed below. Lists for nations with the most rapid membership growth rates are also available for 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. The percentage next to the country name is the annual growth rate percentage which is followed by the country's LDS membership at year-end 2016. Countries in bold experienced a membership increase greater than 200. 

1. Montenegro - 35.3% -23
2. Cote d'Ivoire - 22.7% -39,589
3. Guernsey - 20.8% - 58
4. Antigua and Barbuda - 20.4% - 230
5. Solomon Islands - 19.9% - 952
6. Israel - 19.4% - 258
7. Benin - 17.0% - 2,638
8. Turkey - 16.9% - 513
9. Togo - 16.0% - 3,804
10. Malawi - 16.0% - 2,486
11. Sint Maarten - 15.2% - 281
12. Liberia - 15.1% - 11,135
13. Lesotho - 14.7% - 1,001
14. Rwanda - 13.4% - 390
15. Saint Kitts and Nevis - 12.8% - 238
16. Angola - 11.3% - 2,123
17. Ireland - 11.0% - 3,816
18. Democratic Republic of the Congo - 10.3% - 52,869 
19. Cameroon - 10.0% - 1,628

Below is a list of the top ten countries by numerical membership increase for the year 2016. Each country is provided with the numerical national increase in membership. Additionally, the percentage total Church membership increase accounted by each country is provided. Lists are also available for 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2015. 70.4% of the 2016 net increase in LDS membership can be attributed to the following 10 nations. 

1. United States - 60,539 - 24.4%
2. Brazil - 27,389 - 11.0%
3. Mexico - 22,303 - 9.0%
4. Philippines - 17,664 - 7.1%
5. Nigeria - 10,870 - 4.4%
6. Peru - 9,967 - 4.0%
7. Cote d'Ivoire - 7,331 - 3.0%
8. Argentina - 7,052 - 2.8%
9. Guatemala - 6,457 - 2.6%
10. Ghana - 5,137 - 2.1%

Country-by-country membership statistics shed light unto recent trends in decelerating LDS membership growth rates for the worldwide Church. LDS membership growth rates in the countries with the three most members - the United States, Brazil, and Mexico - continues to decelerate. Annual membership growth rates for these nations in 2016 were as follows: the United States (0.93%), Mexico (1.60%), and Brazil (2.06%). To contrast, the Church during the past 15 years has generally experienced annual membership growth rates between 1.5-2.0% in the United States, 2.0-4.0% in Mexico, and 3.0-5.0% in Brazil. In other words, the rate of membership growth during 2016 in these three nations was approximately half of historical averages since the year 2000. Ineffective proselytism tactics, lack of engagement of ordinary members in missionary activity, increasing secularism and materialism, and decades of low convert retention problems have appeared primarily responsible for this deceleration in growth.

Membership statistics for 2016 also indicate significant accelerations in membership growth in Sub-Saharan Africa - particularly in West Africa. Good receptivity to LDS teachings, expansion of the Church into previously unreached areas, the organization of small branches in lesser-reached urban areas to spur greater growth, strong member-missionary involvement in proselytism in certain nations, and good self-sufficiency in meeting regional missionary needs all appear responsible for this acceleration in growth. Furthermore, most areas also report good convert retention and member activity rates.

The Church in Cote d'Ivoire stands as the quintessential example of the implementation of effective church growth tactics in a nation with a population that is generally receptive to LDS proselytism. Both Ivorian missions are self-sufficient as evidenced by Ivorian members serving as mission presidents and only Black Africans full-time missionaries serving in the country. Church leaders have implemented aggressive national outreach expansion efforts. There are more than three dozen cities and towns with an LDS presence as of early 2017, and the first LDS congregations were organized in two-thirds of these cities within the past five years. Additionally, many congregations report good to excellent member involvement in proselytism and local leadership development. Ivorian members also number among the most active in regards to temple attendance worldwide. For example, three of the five Ivorian stakes in 2012 were among the top 25 stakes in the world for the percentage of adults submitting family names for vicarious temple ordinances. It is therefore not surprising that the Church in Cote d'Ivoire reported an annual membership growth rate of 22.7% in 2016 - the highest reported by the Church in Cote d'Ivoire since 1995 when there were only 2,800 members nationwide. The Church reported 39,589 members, 182 congregations, 11 stakes, 11 districts, and two missions as of year-end 2016.

Analysis regarding 2016 congregational growth trends by country will be posted in the coming days.

Five New Temples Announced

This morning, the Church announced five new temples to be built in the following locations:

• Nairobi, Kenya
• Saratoga Springs, Utah
• Greater Manila Area, Philippines
• Pocatello, Idaho
• Brasilia, Brazil

There are now 182 temples announced, under construction, or in operation.

More analysis to follow in the coming days.

2016 Statistical Report

This afternoon, the Church reported the following statistics as of December 31st, 2016.

• Membership: 15,882,417 (increase of 248,218 from 2015; a 1.59% annual increase)
• Congregations: 30,304 (increase of 288 from 2015; a 0.96% annual increase)
• Stakes: 3,266 (increase of 92 from 2015; a 2.90% annual increase)
• Districts: 556 (decrease of 2 from 2015; a 0.36% annual decrease)
• Missions: 421 (increase of 3 from 2015; a 0.72% annual increase)
• Convert Baptisms: 240,131 (decrease of 17,271 from 2015; a 6.71% annual decrease)
• Increase of Children on Record: 109,246 (decrease of 5,304 from 2015; a 4.63% annual decrease)
• Full-time missionaries: 70,946 (decrease of 3,133 from 2015; a 4.23% annual decrease)
• Church service missionaries: 33,965 (increase of 2,186 from 2015; a 6.88% annual increase)

The increase in the number of stakes constitutes the greatest positive development in the 2016 statistical report. The number of stakes increased by 2.90% during the year - the highest annual percentage growth rate for the Church since 1998. Improvements in leadership development outside North America and emphasis on reducing the number of congregations per stake in certain areas of the United States appear to primarily drive accelerated stake growth in 2016. The number of church service missionaries also increased by 6.88% in 2016 compared to 2015.

Essentially all other indicators of church growth reported in the 2016 Statistical Report suggest slightly decelerating growth for the Church as a whole. Congregational growth trends constitute the greatest concern in the report as the increase in the number of congregations (wards and branches) organized in 2016 significantly declined compared to 2015 (e.g. 288 versus 395). The number of converts baptized, increase of children on record, and the number of full-time missionaries serving all declined compared to 2015 although these declines were slight (e.g. 4-7%). In other words, the productivity of the Church as measured by converts baptized, increase of children on record, and full-time missionaries serving has appeared relatively unchanged or slightly less than 2015. The "double cohort" of full-time missionaries serving that resulted in the reduction in the minimum age for missionary service in late 2012 has appeared to have fully come to an end, resulting in no more artificial inflation in the number of members serving full-time missions. Thus, future changes in the number of missionaries serving will reflect the rate of members serving full-time missionaries.

Membership growth for the Church slowed to 1.59% in 2016 - the lowest annual percentage growth in membership since 1937. The net increase in church membership during 2016 was a mere 248,218 - the lowest annual net increase in church membership since 1983. The summation of convert baptisms and increase of children on record was 349,377 - the lowest since 2005.

Not all aspects of membership growth statistics reported in 2016 indicate negative developments. Fewer members appeared to have had their names removed from church records due to death, resignation, or excommunication during 2016. The difference between the summation of converts baptized and increase of children on record and net increase in church membership was 101,159 in 2016. Although this is the third highest number for this statistics, it is less than what it was for 2015 (110,090) or 2016 (122,903).