Major Stake Realignment in Kinshasa, DR Congo

I have received a report that tomorrow, May 1st, there will be a major realignment of stakes in Kinshasa in what will probably result in the creation of more stakes. There are currently 11 stakes in Kinshasa. I will provide an update once I receive more information.

Membership by US State in 2021, Percent Membership Growth by US State for 2020-2021

State-specific membership figures for year-end 2021 are provided below. States and the District of Columbia are ranked in order for largest to smallest in regard to official Church-reported membership. States/Districts in bold do not have a temple announced or dedicated.

1. Utah - 2,161,526
2. California - 734,989
3. Idaho - 471,241
4. Arizona - 438,249
5. Texas - 371,007
6. Washington - 283,609
7. Nevada - 182,569
8. Florida - 164,558
9. Oregon - 151,151
10. Colorado - 149,007
11. Virginia - 96,748
12. North Carolina - 91,521
13. Georgia - 87,908
14. New York - 82,866
15. Missouri - 75,375
16. Hawaii - 74,858
17. New Mexico - 69,069
18. Wyoming - 67,454
19. Ohio - 63,007
20. Illinois - 56,535
21. Tennessee - 55,456
22. Pennsylvania - 52,149
23. Montana - 51,289
24. Oklahoma - 50,800
25. Indiana - 46,253
26. Michigan - 45,185
27. Maryland - 43,309
28. South Carolina - 42,902
29. Alabama - 38,845
30. Kansas - 38,640
31. Kentucky - 37,077
32. New Jersey - 34,163
33. Arkansas - 34,027
34. Alaska - 33,250
35. Minnesota - 32,863
36. Louisiana - 29,550
37. Iowa - 28,471
38. Massachusetts - 27,932
39. Wisconsin - 27,582
40. Nebraska - 25,055
41. Mississippi - 21,936
42. West Virginia - 17,179
43. Connecticut - 15,625
44. South Dakota - 11,297
45. North Dakota - 11,287
46. Maine - 10,987
47. New Hampshire - 8,967
48. Delaware - 5,595
49. Vermont - 4,655
50. Rhode Island - 4,283
51. District of Columbia - 3,136

See below for a list of states and the District of Columbia ranked in order by biennial membership growth rate for the two-year period of 2020 and 2021. The biennial membership growth rate is reported because the Church did not publish state-by-state membership statistics for the year 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 10 states with the most members in this list are indicated in italics:

1. South Dakota 6.48%
2. Arkansas 5.32%
3. Tennessee 4.79%
4. Missouri 3.93%
5. South Carolina 3.73%
6. Kentucky 3.32%
7. Oklahoma 3.20%
8. Alabama 2.86%
   
9. North Carolina 2.74% 
10. Florida 2.68%
11. Texas 2.48%
12. Idaho 1.98%
13. Wisconsin 1.68%
14. Utah 1.66%
15. Montana 1.46%
16. Mississippi 1.33%
17. New Hampshire 1.07%
18. Kansas 0.86%
19. Vermont 0.69%
20. Indiana 0.66%
21. Ohio 0.61%
22. Georgia 0.57%
23. Rhode Island 0.56%
24. Arizona 0.40%
25. Maine 0.26%
26. Virginia 0.26%
27. Michigan 0.25%
28. Iowa 0.24%
29. West Virginia 0.21%
30. New Jersey -0.03%
31. Louisiana -0.13%
32. Nebraska -0.17%
33. Hawaii -0.20%
34. Maryland -0.23%
35. District of Columbia -0.25%
36. Pennsylvania -0.27%
37. Massachusetts -0.39%
38. Wyoming -0.41%
39. New York -0.51%
40. New Mexico -0.56%
41. Illinois -0.62%
42. Delaware -0.69%
43. Alaska -0.73%
44. Colorado -1.00%
45. Nevada -1.16%
46. Minnesota -1.24%
47. Oregon -1.56%
48. Connecticut -2.01%
49. Washington -2.03%
50. North Dakota -2.28%
51. California -2.84%

Previous lists of membership growth rates by US state are available for 2017 and 2018.

UPDATED: List of the Countries with the Most Latter-day Saints without a Stake or District: April 2022 Edition

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 2021), number of congregations (at present), and current, if any, affiliation with another stake or district.

1. Armenia - 3,537 members - 5 branches
   
2. Bulgaria - 2,395 members - 7 branches
3. Northern Mariana Islands - 897 members - 1 ward - part of the Barrigada Guam Stake
4. Greece - 792 members - 2 branches
5. Qatar - 700 members? - 2 wards, 1 branch - part of the Abu Dhabi Stake
6. US Virgin Islands - 589 members (2019 statistic)- 2 branches
7. Curacao - 575 members - 1 branch - part of the ABC District based in Aruba 
8. Turkey - 573 members - 9 branches 
9. Palau - 532 members - 1 branch - part of the Barrigada Guam Stake
   
10. Luxembourg - 523 members - 1 ward, 1 branch  - part of the Nancy France Stake
11. French Guiana - 482 members - 1 branch - part of the Guadeloupe District
    
12. Moldova - 448 members, 2 branches
    
13. Grenada - 396 members - 1 branch - part of the Kingstown St Vincent District
    
14. Saint Lucia - 394 members - 3 branches - part of the Kingstown St Vincent District
15. Kuwait - 359 members - 1 ward - part of the Manama Bahrain Stake 
16. Tuvalu - 335 members, 1 branch
17. Iceland - 331 members - 3 branches
18. Niue - 312 members - 2 branches
19. Gabon - 300 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 - 286 members - 1 branch - part of Lesser Antilles North District
    
23. Jersey - 281 members - 1 ward - part of the Poole England Stake
24. Antigua and Barbuda - 276 members, 1 branch - part of Lesser Antilles North District
25. Central African Republic - 263 members, 1 branch 
26. Martinique - 261 members, 1 branch - part of Guadeloupe District
    
27. Republic of Georgia - 258 members - 2 branches
28. Cayman Islands - 224 members, 1 branch - part of the Nassau Caribbean District
29. Malta - 223 members - 1 branch
    
30. Saint Kitts and Nevis - 212 members, 1 branch - part of Lesser Antilles North District
    
31. Kazakhstan - 205 members - 3 branches

Of these 31 countries and dependencies, 10 previously had a district including Bulgaria (2), Armenia, Greece, Curacao, Palau, French Guiana, Moldova, Turkey, Niue, and Iceland.

Congregational Growth by Country: 2020-2021

Below is a list of the countries where the Church reported a net increase of four or more units for the two-year period including the years 2020 and 2021. The Church did not publish official congregational statistics for the year 2020. The biennial percentage increase for the number of wards and branches for each country is also provided:

1. United States +217 (1.50% increase)
2. Democratic Republic of the Congo +44 (20.9% increase)
3. Nigeria +36 (4.99% increase)
4. Brazil +34 (1.59% increase)
5. Philippines +17 (1.37% increase) 
6. Ghana +13 (3.96% increase)
7. Cote d'Ivoire +7 (2.80% increase) 
8. Sierra Leone +7 (8.86% increase) 
9. Mexico +6 (0.33% increase) 
10. Mozambique +6 (13.6% increase) 
11. Papua New Guinea +6 (7.41% increase) 
12. Colombia +5 (2.01% increase) 
13. Dominican Republic +5 (2.55% increase) 
    
14. Kiribati +5 (13.51% increase) 
15. Liberia +5 (9.43% increase) 
16. Tanzania +5 (62.5% increase) 
17. Venezuela +5 (2.19% increase) 
    
18. Malawi +4 (50.0% increase) 
19. Zambia +4 (30.8% increase) 
20. Zimbabwe +4 (8.75% increase) 

The net increase in the number of wards and branches in these 20 countries totals 435; a larger number than the net increase in the number of wards and branches for the entire Church for the two-year period of 2020 and 2021 (375). Seven countries experienced a net decrease of four or more units during the two-year period of 2020 and 2021. Altogether, the net decrease in congregations in these seven nations totaled 55. 

1. Japan -10 (3.83% decrease)
2. Taiwan -10 (9.26% decrease) 
   
3. Argentina -9 (1.23% decrease)
4. Russia -7 (7.22% decrease) 
   
5. Armenia -6 (54.6% decrease) 
6. Uruguay -5 (3.73% decrease) 
7. Portugal -5 (7.46% decrease)

Previous lists for annual congregational growth by country are available for 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.

New Stakes Created in Nigeria and Utah; New District in Nigeria

Nigeria

The Church recently organized a new stake in Nigeria. The Mbaise Nigeria Stake was organized from the Mbaise Nigeria District. Originally organized in 2010 with four branches from the Owerri Nigeria Stake, the Mbaise Nigeria District had 12 branches at the time it was reorganized into a stake. The new stake includes the following five wards and seven branches: the Amuzi, Eziala, Oboama 1st, River-Rine, and the Umuelem Wards and the Ahiara, Amumara, Egbelu, Ibeku, Mbutu, Oboama 2nd, and Owutu Branches. The Umuelem Branch (now the Umuelem Ward) was one of the first branches of the Church created in Nigeria in 1978.

The Church also recently organized a new district in Ugep where the Church organized its first branch in 2016. The new district includes four branches in central Cross Rivers State - the Ekori, Ikom, Ugep 1st, and Ugep 2nd Branches - all of which have never been assigned to a stake or district before. 

There are now 63 stakes and 17 districts in Nigeria.

Utah

The Church organized a new stake in Cache County, Utah. The Hyde Park Utah North Stake was organized from a division of the Hyde Park Utah Stake and the North Logan Utah Stake. The new stake includes the following seven wards and one branch: the Aspen Meadows, Green Canyon, Greenville, Hyde Park 3rd, Hyde Park 9th, Hyde Park 10th, and Meadow View Wards and the Pioneer Branch (Retirement). 

There are now 621 stakes and two districts in Utah.

17 New Temples - Analysis - Part II

San Luis Potosí Mexico Temple

The San Luis Potosí Mexico Temple will be the Church's 18th temple in México and the first temple in San Luis Potosí State. The new temple district will likely include six stakes in north-central Mexico in San Luis Potosí State, Aguascalientes State, and Zacatecas State. The first stake in San Luis Potosí was organized in 1981. There are only two stakes in the city of San Luis Potosí, and prospects appear likely for a third stake to be organize in the foreseeable future if additional wards are organized. Stakes in San Luis Potosí currently attend the Guadalajara México Temple.

Mexico City Benemérito Mexico Temple

México City Benemérito Mexico Temple will be the Church's 19th temple in México and its second temple in the México City metropolitan area. The México City Mexico Temple has one of the largest temple districts in the Church with 88 stakes and six districts currently assigned. However, there are several previously announced temples that will reduce the number of stakes assigned to the México City México Temple such as the Puebla México Temple and the Querétaro Mexico Temple. Local members have reported that the more than 40 stakes in the México City metropolitan area have historically had low rates of temple attendance. Combined with the large size of the México City Mexico Temple, the the announcement of a second temple in México City has occurred later than other major metropolitan areas with large numbers of stakes. There are only five other metropolitan areas outside of the United States with two temples, namely São Paulo, Brazil; Santiago, Chile; Guatemala City, Guatemala; Lima, Peru; and Manila, Philippines. The Church in México has previously dedicated or announced the following temples: the México City México Temple (dedicated in 1983), the Colonia Juárez Chihuahua México Temple (dedicated in 1999), the Ciudad Juárez México Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Hermosillo Sonora México Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Oaxaca México Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Tuxtla Gutiérrez México Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Tampico México Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Villahermosa México Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Mérida México Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Veracruz México Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Guadalajara México Temple (dedicated in 2001), the Monterrey México Temple (dedicated in 2002), the Tijuana México Temple (dedicated in 2015), the Puebla Mexico Temple (announced in 2018), the Querétaro Mexico Temple (announced in 2021), the Torreón Mexico Temple (announced in 2021), and the Culiacán Mexico Temple (announced in 2021).

The Church in Mexico has reported very slow membership growth rates (less than 2%) since 2014. Church membership increased by 1.13% between year-end 2019 and year-end 2021. Furthermore, a significant consolidation of wards and stakes occurred in 2018 resulting in a net loss of approximately 100 congregations and nine stakes. The Church reported 1,498,296 members, 1,849 congregations, 222 stakes, 47 districts, and 32 missions as of year-end 2021. The Church in Mexico is soon to be eclipsed by the Church in Brazil in regard to the number of Church-reported members as the Church in Brazil reported 1,456,238 members, 2,176 congregations, 281 stakes, 40 districts, and 36 missions as of year-end 2021. Church membership in Brazil increased by 1.84% between year-end 2019 and year-end 2021.

Tampa Florida Temple

The Tampa Florida Temple will be the Church's fourth temple in Florida following the Orlando Florida Temple (dedicated in 1994), the Fort Lauderdale Florida Temple (dedicated in 2014), and the Tallahassee Florida Temple (announced in 2021). The new temple district will likely include six stakes in the temple district - all located in the Tampa area and nearby cities. The first stake in Tampa was organized in 1959. Church membership in Florida increased by 2.7% between year-end 2019 and year-end 2021. As of year-end 2021, there were 164,558 members, 282 congregations, 34 stakes, and four missions in Florida.

Knoxville Tennessee Temple

The Knoxville Tennessee Temple will be the Church's third temple in Tennessee following the Memphis Tennessee Temple (dedicated in 2000) and the Nashville Tennessee Temple (dedicated in 2000). The new temple district will likely include all four stakes in eastern Tennessee and one stake in western North Carolina. The first stake was organized in Knoxville in 1972, and there are two stakes in Knoxville today. Church membership in Tennessee increased by 4.8% between year-end 2019 and year-end 2021. As of year-end 2021, there were 55,456 members, 112 congregations, 12 stakes, and two missions. The Church in Tennessee has often reported some of the most rapid membership growth rates among states in the United States during the past two decades.

Cleveland Ohio Temple

The Cleveland Ohio Temple will be the Church's second temple in Ohio in modern times following the Columbus Ohio Temple (dedicated in 1999). It is important to note that the first temple of the Church following its founding in 1830 was built in Kirtland, Ohio and is now owned by the Community of Christ. Kirtland is essentially a suburb of Cleveland today. The original Kirtland Stake was organized in 1834, but it was later discontinued. In modern times, the first stake in Cleveland was organized in 1961. The new temple district will likely include five stakes in northern Ohio that are currently assigned to the Detroit Michigan Temple. The Church in Ohio has reported extremely slow membership growth for many years. As of year-end 2021, there were 63,007 members, 127 congregations, 14 stakes, and two missions.

Wichita Kansas Temple

The Wichita Kansas Temple will be the Church's first temple in Kansas. The new temple district will likely include five stakes in Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma. The first stake in Wichita was organized in 1962, and a second stake in the greater Wichita metropolitan area was organized in 1998 in Derby. The Church in Kansas generally experiences slow membership growth. There were 38,640 members, 74 congregations, seven stakes, and one mission in Kansas as of year-end 2021. Prior to the announcement of the Wichita Kansas Temple, Kansas was the state in the United States with the most Latter-day Saints without a temple. The Church in Kansas generally reports slow, but steady, rates of membership growth.

Austin Texas Temple

The Austin Texas Temple will be the Church's seventh temple in Texas following the Dallas Texas Temple (dedicated in 1984), the Houston Texas Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Lubbock Texas Temple (dedicated in 2002), the San Antonio Texas Temple (dedicated in 2005), the McAllen Texas Temple (announced in 2019), and the Fort Worth Texas Temple (announced in 2021). The new temple will likely include nine stakes in central Texas. The first stake in Austin was organized in 1973. The Church has experienced rapid membership and congregational growth in the Austin area during the past 15 years. As of year-end 2021, the Church in Texas reported 371,007 members, 737 congregations, 78 stakes, two districts, and 10 missions. The Church reported moderate rates of membership growth (over three percent annually) for decades until the mid-2010s when annual membership growth rates have slowed to 1-2%.

Missoula Montana Temple

The Missoula Montana Temple will be the Church's third temple in Montana following the Billings Montana Temple (dedicated in 1999) and the Helena Montana Temple (announced in 2021). The new temple district will likely include four stakes in western Montana. The Church organized the Missoula Montana Stake in 1957. As of year-end 2021, the Church in Montana reported 51,289 members, 127 congregations, 13 stakes, and one mission. The Church in Montana generally experiences very slow membership growth rates.

Montpelier Idaho Temple

The Montpelier Idaho temple will be the Church's ninth temple in Idaho following the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple (dedicated in 1945), Boise Idaho Temple (dedicated in 1984), the Rexburg Idaho Temple (dedicated in 2008), the Twin Falls Idaho Temple (dedicated in 2008), the Meridian Idaho Temple (dedicated in 2017), the Pocatello Idaho Temple (dedicated in 2021), the Burley Idaho Temple (announced in 2021), and the Rexburg Idaho North Temple (announced in 2021). The new temple will likely include six stakes in its temple district in extreme southeastern Idaho and western Wyoming. As of year-end 2021, the Church in Idaho reported 471,241 members, 1,213 congregations, 136 stakes, and 3 missions. The Church in Idaho has generally reported annual membership growth rates of approximately one percent for the past 15 years.

Modesto California Temple

The Modesto California Temple will be the Church's 10th temple in California following the Los Angeles California Temple (dedicated in 1956), the Oakland California Temple (dedicated in 1964), the San Diego California Temple (dedicated in 1993), the Fresno California Temple (dedicated in 2000), the Redlands California Temple (dedicated in 2003), the Newport Beach California Temple (dedicated in 2005), the Sacramento California Temple (dedicated in 2006), the Feather River California Temple (announced in 2018), and the Yorba Linda California Temple (announced in 2021). The new temple district will likely include seven stakes in the central San Joaquin Valley. Unlike any other state in the United States, the Church in California has consistently experienced a net decline in membership since 2014, and there was four-year period of negative membership growth in the mid-2000s. The Church in California reached an all-time high for Church membership in 2013 at 780,200. As of year-end 2021, there were 734,989 members, 1,189 congregations, 147 stakes, and 15 missions. Annual membership growth rates since 2014 have ranged from zero to -1.0%, albeit church membership declined by 2.85% between year-end 2019 and year-end 2021. High cost of living and a desire for many Latter-day Saints to move closer to family in other states have numbered among the most common reasons why Church membership in California continues to decrease.

UPDATED: List of the Countries with the Most Members without a Stake - April 2022 Edition

Below is an updated list of the countries with the most Latter-day Saints without a stake. Membership totals are as of 2021 and 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 - 12,500 members? - 12 districts
2. Malaysia - 10,719 members - 28 branches - 5 districts
3. Guyana - 6,417 members - 11 branches - 2 districts
4. Belize - 5,519 members - 12 branches - 2 districts
5. Pakistan - 5,300 members? - 13 branches - 3 districts
6. Malawi - 3,612 members - 12 branches - 2 districts
7. Armenia - 3,537 members - 5 branches - 0 districts
8. Romania - 3,087 members - 15 branches - 3 districts
9. Cameroon - 2,409 members - 14 branches - 2 districts
10. Bulgaria - 2,395 members - 7 branches - 0 districts
11. Tanzania - 2,309 members - 15 branches - 1 district
12. Eswatini - 2,158 members - 6 branches - 1 district
13. Poland - 2,089 members - 11 branches - 1 district
14. Ethiopia - 1,943 members - 5 branches - 1 district
15. Cook Islands - 1,893 members - 5 branches - 1 district
16. Suriname - 1,759 members - 5 branches - 1 district
17. Sri Lanka - 1,671 members - 5 branches - 1 district
18. Macau - 1,456 members - 2 branches - 1 district 
19. Solomon Islands - 1,374 members - 5 branches, 1 district
20. Lesotho - 1,369 members - 6 branches - 1 district
    

As noted in the list from 2021, prospects appear most favorable for the formation of stakes within the next few years in mainland China, Malaysia, Guyana, Belize, Pakistan, Swaziland, and Cameroon as all of these countries have at least one district that is close to reaching the minimum qualifications for a stake to operate. Tanzania also appears a likely candidate for a stake in the near future since most members live in Dar Es Salaam. There are too few members and growth rates are too slow for stakes to be likely in the next couple years in Sri Lanka, the Solomon Islands, and Lesotho. Low member activity rates, an insufficient number of branches in individual member districts, slow or stagnant 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 with the Most Members without a Temple Announced, Under Construction, or in Operation - April 2022

I have updated the list of the countries with the most members without a temple using year-end 2021 membership totals. Temples that service stakes, districts, and mission branches in each country are identified. Previous lists are also available for March 2022, November 2020, April 2020, April 2019, October 2018, April 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2013, mid-2011, late 2008, and late 2007. Countries in Italics do not have a stake. The Republic of the Congo was removed from this list given the announcement of the Brazzaville Republic of the Congo Temple on April 3rd, 2022. Togo has since ascended to the list to replace the Republic of the Congo.

1. Uganda

• 18,995 members
• 3 stakes, 3 districts
• 37 congregations (18 wards, 19 branches)
• Johannesburg South Africa Temple (Nairobi Kenya Temple under construction)

2. Mongolia

• 12,301 members
• 2 stakes, 1 district
• 23 congregations (12 wards, 11 branches)
• Hong Kong China Temple (Shanghai China Temple announced)

3. Malaysia

• 10,719 members
• 0 stakes, 5 districts
• 28 congregations (28 branches)
• Hong Kong China Temple (Singapore Republic of Singapore Temple announced)

4. Indonesia

• 7,564 members
• 2 stakes, 1 district
• 24 congregations (16 wards, 8 branches)
• Hong Kong China Temple (Singapore Republic of Singapore Temple announced)

5. Marshall Islands

• 6,977 members
• 2 stakes
• 13 congregations (12 wards, 1 branch)
• Suva Fiji Temple (Tarawa Kiribati Temple announced)
  

6.  Jamaica

• 6,718 members
• 1 stake, 1 district
• 18 congregations (6 wards, 12 branches)
• Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple

7.  Guyana

• 6,417 members
• 0 stakes, 2 districts
• 11 congregations (11 branches)
• Caracas Venezuela Temple

8.  Federated States of Micronesia

• 6,107 members
• 1 stake, 2 districts
• 22 congregations (5 wards, 17 branches)
• Cebu City Philippines Temple (Yigo Guam Temple scheduled for dedication)
  

9.  Togo

• 5,997 members
• 2 stakes
• 22 congregations (15 wards, 8 branches)
• Ghana Accra Temple
  

 10.  Belize

• 5,519 members
• 2 districts
• 12 congregations (12 branches)
• Guatemala City Guatemala Temple (Coban Guatemala Temple announced)

Country-by-Country Membership Statistics Released for 2021

The Church has released year-end 2021 membership and congregation totals for most nations with a reported Church presence. These statistics can be accessed on Church's official website at https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/facts-and-statistics. Only Samoa and the United States Virgin Islands were omitted from the analysis below because there is a current error on the Church's Newsroom site that prevents access to these data.

Unlike previous years when I have provided this list, I am unable to provide the annual membership growth rate for the year 2021 for each country with published membership data. This is because the Church did not publish year-end 2020 membership data due to the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on the accuracy of membership data. Consequently, membership growth rates presented below represent the two-year period from year-end 2019 to year-end 2021 (interesting fact: prior to 1999, the Church used to only release country-by-country membership data biennially). Countries with the highest biennial membership growth rates for 2020-2021 (10% or greater) are listed below. Lists for nations with the most rapid annual membership growth rates are also available for 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. The percentage next to the country name is the biennial growth rate percentage, which is followed by the country's membership at year-end 2021. Countries in bold experienced a biennial membership increase greater than 400 during 2020-2021 (I usually do an annual membership increase of 200 so this way it provides more of an apples-to-apples comparison to prior years. However, I did not think it would be accurate to divide the biennial membership growth rate in half to get the annual membership growth rate as this would assume the growth rate was constant for both 2020 and 2021, and this is obviously incorrect given the global membership totals reported by the Church in its annual statistical reports).

1. Democratic Republic of the Congo - 29.4% - 89,136
2. Tanzania - 28.8% - 2,309
3. Liberia - 22.6% - 17,823
   
4. Angola - 19.2% - 4,160
   
5. Benin - 18.6% - 4,765
6. Republic of the Congo - 15.8% - 9,892
   
7. Malawi - 14.9% - 3,612
8. Sierra Leone - 14.6% - 26,108
9. Papua New Guinea - 13.7% - 35,033
10. Tuvalu - 13.2% - 335
11. Togo - 12.7% - 5,997
12. Turkey - 11.9% - 573
13. Rwanda - 11.7% - 843
14. Iceland - 10.3% - 331
    

The following is a list of the top ten countries with the highest negative growth rates (i.e., fastest rate of membership decline) during the biennial period of 2020-2021. The percent growth rate is provided next to the country name, and the number to the right of the percentage growth rate is the year-end 2021 membership total for the country. Only France (-1,730) and Reunion (-117) experienced a net decline of 100 or more members during the biennial period of 2020-2021 among these ten countries with the greatest percentage decrease in membership.

1. Montenegro - -16.7% - 30
2. Reunion (Department of France) - -12.2% - 841
3. Kazakhstan - -10.9% - 205
4. Grenada - -9.59% - 396
5. Bosnia and Herzegovina - -8.22% - 67
6. Guernsey (part of the United Kingdom) - -8.06% - 57
7. Saint Kitts and Nevis - -7.83% - 212
8. Bahrain - -6.94% - 228
9. France - -4.33% - 38,200
10. Sint Maarten - -3.70% - 286
    

Below is a list of the top ten countries by numerical membership increase for the biennial period of 2020-2021. Each country is provided with the numerical national increase in membership for this two-year period. Additionally, the percentage of total church membership increase is provided for each country. Lists are also available for 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. 72.8% of the 2020-2021 net increase in Church membership can be attributed to the following 10 nations.

1. United States - 41,987 - 17.5%
2. Philippines - 27,836 - 11.6%
3. Brazil - 26,303 - 10.9%
4. Democratic Republic of the Congo - 20,265- 8.4% 
5. Nigeria - 19,075 - 7.9%
6. Mexico - 16,766 - 7.0%
7. Ghana - 7,373 - 3.1%
8. Peru - 5,524 - 2.3%
9. Bolivia - 5,183 - 2.2%
10. Venezuela - 4,586 - 1.9%

Below is a list of the top ten countries by numerical membership decrease for the biennial period of 2020-2021. Each country is provided with the numerical national decrease in membership for this two-year period. Coincidentally, there were ten countries where membership experienced a net decreased by 100 or more during 2020-2021.

1. France - -1,730
2. United Kingdom - -1,378
3. Germany - -268
4. Uruguay - -248
5. Hong Kong - -224
6. Federated States of Micronesia - -200
7. Malaysia - -126
8. Sweden - -121
9. Reunion - -117
10. Belgium - -106 

The most significant developments with membership growth trends by country during the past two years have been the rapid acceleration of membership growth in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (a country where only 0.53% of total Church membership is located but where 8.4% of total membership growth during the past two years has occurred), the significant slowdown in membership growth in the countries with the most Church-reported members (like the United States, Mexico, Brazil, the Philippines, Peru, and Chile), and stagnant membership growth or a decline in the number of Church members in many countries with few (less than 10,000) members (excluding Sub-Saharan Africa). The trend for many, if not most, countries in the Church during the past two years has been similar to the Church's global membership growth rate in that the growth rate for the two-year period is comparable to what the annual growth rate was prior to 2020, or that it has decreased by approximately 50% from normal. This decline appears primarily attributed to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on missionary work and Church operations in nearly all countries of the world.

17 New Temples - Analysis - Part I

This is part one of the analysis regarding new temples announced today due to the large number of announced temples. I will post part two within the next week.

Wellington New Zealand Temple

The Wellington New Zealand Temple will be the Church's third temple in New Zealand after the Hamilton New Zealand Temple (dedicated in 1958) and the Auckland New Zealand Temple (announced in 2018). The new temple will probably service six stakes on the southern North Island and the two stakes and one district on the South Island. There are three stakes in the Wellington metropolitan area - the most recent of which was created in 1997. The most recently organized stake in the probable temple district was organized in 2016 on the South Island. There were 115,236 Church-reported members in New Zealand as of year-end 2019. The Church has reported steady membership and congregational growth in New Zealand in recent years. Stakes in southern New Zealand pertain to the Hamilton New Zealand Temple.

There are now 19 temples planned or dedicated in Oceania (including Hawaii).

Brazzaville Republic of the Congo Temple

The Brazzaville Republic of the Congo Temple will be the Church's first temple in the Republic of the Congo. The Church reported 8,542 Latter-day Saints in the country as of year-end 2019. Based on year-end 2019 membership data (the most recent membership data published by the Church at the moment), the Republic of the Congo had the fourth most Latter-day Saints among countries without a temple. The Church has reported rapid membership growth in the Republic of the Congo since the mid-2010s. The first stake in the country was organized in 2013, and two new stakes were recently created in 2020. Moreover, the Brazzaville Republic of the Congo Temple will likely be within close geographic proximity to the neighboring Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple (dedicated in 2019) as only the Congo river separates the two cities. Thus, the two temples will likely be the two closest temples to one another on the Afro-Euroasian landmass when it the Brazzaville Republic of the Congo Temple is completed. There are three stakes in Brazzaville. The new temple will likely include the four stakes in the Republic of the Congo and two districts in Cameroon. The Republic of the Congo is currently assigned to the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple.

There are now 20 temples planned or dedicated in Africa.

Barcelona Spain Temple

The Barcelona Spain Temple will be the Church's second temple in Spain following the Madrid Spain Temple (dedicated in 1999). The new temple will likely service four stakes in northern Spain and perhaps the Baleares Spain District. The new temple follows the pattern of recent temple announcements in Europe that have favored locations with relatively few stakes within the prospective temple district. The Church organized its first stake in Barcelona in 1982, and the two most recently organized stakes in the area were created in 2009 and 2012. 

Membership growth rates in Spain have consistently outpaced essentially all other Western European nations for many years, with annual membership growth rates of 2-3% since the late 2000s. The number of congregations in Spain has been essentially stagnant for the past decade, although the number of wards increased from 67 in 2009 to 93 in 2019. Stakes in northern Spain pertain to the Madrid Spain Temple.

Birmingham England Temple

The Birmingham England Temple will be the Church's third temple in England following the London England Temple (dedicated in 1958) and Preston England Temple (dedicated in 1998). The new temple will likely service 8-10 stakes in central England. The last time a new stake was organized in the region was in Coventry in 1993. The Church in England during the past decade has experienced stagnant congregational growth, although the number of wards has slightly increased. Extremely slow membership growth occurs in England for most years. As for the United Kingdom as a whole, the Church has reported slight increases in membership since year-end 2016 from 185,848 to more than 190,000 at present according to the Church's news release today. In contrast, the Church in the United Kingdom reported stagnant membership growth or slight declines in membership between 2009 and 2016. Stakes in the potential new temple district are currently divided between the London England Temple district and the Preston England Temple district.

There are now 21 temples planned or dedicated in Europe.

Cusco Peru Temple

The Cusco Peru Temple will be the Church's fifth temple in Peru following the Lima Peru Temple (dedicated in 1986), the Trujillo Peru Temple (dedicated in 2015), the Arequipa Peru Temple (dedicated in 2019), and the Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple (announced in 2016 and under construction). The new temple will likely have one of the smallest temple districts in Latin America in terms of the number of stakes and districts assigned. Currently, it appears that there will likely be four stakes and five districts assigned to the new temple. It is important to note that the Cusco area has a high percentage of Amerindian peoples and travel is difficult due to the rugged terrain. There are two stakes in Cusco, and the first stake was organized in 1985. The most recently organized stake in the region is the Sicuani Peru Stake which was created in 2006. Stakes in the Cusco area currently attend the Arequipa Peru Temple. The Church in Peru has approximately 625,000 members per the Church's announcement today, and annual membership growth rates have generally ranged from 2-4% since the mid-2000s. Congregational growth rates accelerated immediately prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the impact of the pandemic on the Church in Peru has appeared significant given lockdowns and significant disruptions to Church operations.

Maceió Brazil Temple

The Maceió Brazil Temple will be the Church's 15th temple in Brazil and the first temple in Alagoas State where there are six stakes. There are five stakes in Maceió. The first stake in the city was organized in 1982 and the most recently organized stake was created in 2016. The new temple will likely have nine stakes and one district in its temple district. Stakes in Maceió currently attend the Recife Brazil Temple.

Santos Brazil Temple

The Santos Brazil Temple will be the Church's 16th temple in Brazil and the fourth temple in São Paulo State. The new temple will likely include five stakes and two districts that operate in the coastal areas of São Paulo State. The first stake in the Santos area was organized in 1973, and the most recently organized stake was created in 2007. Multiple new stakes appear likely to be organized in the near future in the Santos area due to steady congregational growth. The Santos area is currently assigned to the São Paulo Brazil Temple.

The Church in Brazil has reported slowing annual membership growth rates that have generally been 2-3% since the mid-2010s. The Church today reported that there are 1.5 million Church-reported members in Brazil, whereas there were 1,429,935 Church-reported members as of year-end 2019. This means that the Church in Brazil is about to surpass, or has surpassed, the number of Church-reported members in Mexico which has been the country with the second most Latter-day Saints according to official Church records.

17 New Temples Announced

This afternoon, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Russell M. Nelson, announced plans to construction 17 new temples in the following locations:

• Wellington, New Zealand
• Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
• Barcelona, Spain
• Birmingham, United Kingdom
• Cusco, Peru
• Maceió, Brazil
• Santos, Brazil
• San Luis Potosí, Mexico
• Mexico City Benemérito, Mexico
• Tampa, Florida
• Knoxville, Tennessee
• Cleveland, Ohio
• Wichita, Kansas
• Austin, Texas
• Missoula, Montana
• Montpelier, Idaho
• Modesto, California

With today's announcement, there are now 282 temples that are planned or dedicated. Furthermore, this is also the first time in Church history when the number of temples planned has surpassed 100.

2021 Statistical Report

This afternoon, the Church reported the following statistics as of December 31st, 2021.

• Membership: 16,805,400 (increase of 141,737 from 2020; a 0.85% annual increase)
• Congregations: 31,315 (increase of 179 from 2020; a 0.57% annual increase)
• Stakes: 3,498 (increase of 35 from 2020; a 1.01% annual increase)
• Districts: 520 (decrease of 17 from 2020; a 3.17% annual decrease)
• Missions: 407 (increase of 2 from 2020; a 0.49% annual increase)
• Convert Baptisms: 168,283 (increase of 42,353 from 2020; a 33.6% annual increase)
• Increase of Children on Record: 89,069 (increase of 23,629 from 2020; a 36.1% annual increase)
• Full-time missionaries: 54,539 (increase of 2,720 from 2020; a 5.25% annual increase)
• Church service missionaries: 36,639 (increase of 6,112 from 2020; a 20.0% annual increase)

As noted last year, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the Church's operations in nearly all areas of the world, and this has resulted in a significant decrease in growth rates for most metrics reported in the Church's annual statistical reports. For example, the number of converts baptized into the Church in 2020 was 49.4% less than 2019, and the number of children under age 8 added to Church records was 30.6% less in 2020 than in 2019. Moreover, it is also important to note that 2021 was far from a "normal" year for the Church's operations due to the ongoing pandemic, and as a result growth rates for most metrics again were less than normal but generally substantially higher than for 2020. The number of converts baptized in 2021 was 33.6% higher than in 2020, but the number of converts baptized in 2021 was 32.4% less than the number of converts baptized in 2019. There was a greater rebound in number of children added to Church records in 2021 compared to 2020 (36.1% annual increase) compared to convert baptisms, albeit the number of children added to Church records in 2021 remained less than in 2019 (5.51% less). This was probably the greatest surprise in the 2021 Statistical Report for me given I anticipated there would be children who were not blessed and not had membership records created in 2021 that would have had this done in 2021, and thus result in a "double cohort" of children of record increase. The difference between the summation of converts baptized and new children under age 8 added to Church records and net membership increase for the year totaled 115,615 - representative for most years in the past decade (generally 90,000-120,000). This indicates that the rate of deaths, excommunications, resignations, and removal of records for unbaptized children over age 8 has remained constant during this time. Good way to conceptualize membership growth during 2020 and 2021 is that the net increase in membership for these two years combined (240,364) was approximately the net increase just for the year 2019 (251,301).

Statistics regarding congregational growth and stake/district growth were unremarkable for 2021, especially given the pandemic's impact on the ability to organize and hold conferences, reduced church attendance, and travel restrictions for Church leaders. The net decrease in the number of districts for 2021 was 17 - the largest drop in the number of districts since 2013. However, the number of districts in the Church has steadily decreased at a very low rate every year since 2009 (primarily due to the rate of districts maturing into stakes outpacing the creation of new districts). The net increase in the number of stakes for 2021 was 35 - nine more than 2020, but nonetheless the smallest net increase in the number of stakes (excluding 2020) since 2010. The annual rate of congregational growth for 2021 slightly slowed compared to 2020 to 0.57% - the lowest rate reported since 2018 (when significant congregation consolidations in Mexico artificially lowered the net increase for the year).

There was a significant increase in the number of Church service missionaries in 2021 compared to 2020 (20.0% increase), and the number of Church service missionaries in 2021 was the highest reported by the Church except for when an all-time record for this statistic was set in 2018 (37,963). However, the number of full-time, proselytizing members serving full-time missions increased by only 2,720 (5.25%) to 54,539. Again, it appears that the ongoing pandemic resulted in many young single adults postponing or cancelling plans to serve full-time missionaries. The many messages in General Conference addresses shared today regarding the importance of full-time missionary service for young men is likely in direct response to these disappointing missionary statistics and increasing opportunities for Church growth in the near future. At year-end 2019, the Church reported 67,021 full-time missionaries which indicates an 18.6% decrease for the two-year period. The Church reported gradual increases in the number of members serving full-time missions in the late 2000s and early 2010s from 51,736 in 2009 to 58,990 in 2012 (just a few months after the announcement on the lowering of the minimum age for full-time missionary service) until the number of members serving full-time missions reached an artificial high of 85,147 in 2014 that resulted from a double-cohort of age groups serving full-time missions (i.e., members who began their service at the previous minimum age versus members beginning their service at the revised age). After this double-cohort passed, the number of members serving full-time missions settled to around 65,000-70,000.

Aggregate Predictions for New Temples

Thanks to Nate, one of the followers of this blog, for creating an aggregate of the 10 "most anticipated" temples to be announced. Based on the predictions of 20 lists submitted, the following are the 10 most anticipated temples to be announced:

1. Iquitos, Peru
2. Kampala, Uganda
3. Angeles, Philippines
4. Ribeirao Preto, Brazil
5. Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
6. Spanish Fork, Utah
7. Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
8. Charlotte, North Carolina
9. Uyo, Nigeria
10. Herriman, Utah 

And here are the next 10 most anticipated temples:

1. Colorado Springs, Colorado
2. Osorno, Chile
3. Flagstaff, Arizona
4. Austin, Texas
5. Tacoma, Washington
6. Henderson, Nevada
7. Osaka, Japan
8. Bakersfield, California
9. Santiago, Dominican Republic
10. Rosario, Argentina