2025 Statisical Report - Analysis

This morning, the Church reported its annual statistical report as of December 31st, 2025.

• Membership: 17,887,212 (increase of 377,431 from 2024; a 2.16% annual increase)
• Congregations: 32,046 (increase of 370 from 2024; a 1.17% annual increase)
• Stakes: 3,695 (increase of 87 from 2024; a 2.41% annual increase)
• Districts: 488 (decrease of 6 from 2024; a 1.2% annual decrease)
• Missions: 451 (increase of 1 from 2024; a 0.22% annual increase)
• Convert Baptisms: 385,490 (increase of 76,808 from 2024; a 24.9% annual increase)
• Increase of Children on Record: 91,835 (increase of 218 from 2024; a 0.24% annual increase)
• Full-time Teaching Missionaries: 78,596 (increase of 4,469 from 2024; a 6.03% annual increase)
• Senior Service Missionaries: 31,613 (increase of 493 from 2024; an 1.58% annual increase)
  
• Young Service Missionaries: 4,518 (increase of 326 from 2024; a 7.78% annual increase)

Analysis of the 2025 Statistical Report - Key Takeaways

New All-Time Record for Convert Baptisms

The number of new converts baptized in 2025 stands as the most positive development in the statistical report. The Church baptized the most new converts ever in a single year, continuing a trend of increasing numbers of new converts baptized that began in 2024 when there were 308,682 converts baptized (which was an increase of nearly 57,000 from 2023). Church leaders have shared that the increase in convert baptisms has occurred in all major world regions, although North America had the lowest increase in new converts baptized in 2025 (reported as 17% in October 2025 by Elder Quentin L. Cook versus 20% for other world regions). For the year as a whole, there were 24.9% more converts baptized than in 2024. The previous all-time record for new converts baptized in a single year was set in 1990 (330,877), although this was at a time when prebaptismal standards were less strict than today, making the current numbers more impressive. Convert baptisms have increased at a rate much faster than the total number of full-time proselytizing teaching missionaries serving (24.9% versus 6.03% in 2025). There were 4.9 converts baptized per missionary in 2025 - the highest since 2011 when it was 5.1. This trend has improved in recent years from 3.4 in 2022 to 3.71 in 2023 and 4.2 in 2024, suggesting improved efficiency with proselytizing missionaries attracting more converts into the Church. Nevertheless, the average number of converts baptized per missionary is well below the 1970s-1990s when it ranged from 6-8 converts baptized per missionary a year.

Historically waning receptivity to the Latter-day Saint Gospel message during the past several decades has seemed to take an unexpected turn. The recent surge in convert baptisms appears to be driven more by increased receptivity than by major changes in proselytizing methods or teaching approaches. However, it is important to note that the Church has made unprecedented progress within the past 1-2 years with creating its first branches in cities where no official congregation has ever operated, although this development has been primarily concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa. Thus, a portion of recent membership growth is likely attributable to outreach expansion efforts. However, region- and country-specific membership data have not yet been published, and it is usually posted on the Church's website the week after General Conference.

Sustaining this level of convert growth will depend heavily on improvements in convert retention, as historically many rapidly growing areas have struggled to translate baptisms into long-term activity and leadership development.

Largest Number Net Increase in New Stakes Since 2016

The Church reported a net increase of 87 stakes during 2025, as there were 94 new stakes organized and 7 stakes discontinued. This means that there were roughly 13 new stakes organized for every stake discontinued. Recent years have had many more stakes discontinued and far fewer stakes organized, including 2024 (59 stakes created, 15 stakes discontinued) and 2023 (60 new stakes created, 16 stakes discontinued). Approximately 60% of the new stakes created in 2025 were outside of the United States. The Church increased its standards for stakes to be organized outside the United States in regard to the number of active members and qualified priesthood holders to serve in leadership positions (30 more active, full-tithe paying Melchizedek Priesthood holders than what it was previously), suggesting that stakes organized since early 2024 may, on average, be more structurally robust than those organized in previous decades. Finally, the number of stakes in the Church increased by 2.41% - a rate slightly higher than membership growth and highly encouraging for leadership development and perhaps activity rates as well.

New Record Set for Number of Full-time Teaching Missionaries Serving (Excluding the "Double Cohort" Years)

The number of full-time teaching missionaries serving (78,596) increased by nearly 4,500 in 2025 (6.03%) to reach a new record (when excluding the double cohort years when the minimum age for missionary service was decreased by one year for men and two years for women in October 2012). The rate of increase for young single adults serving full-time proselytizing missions remains several times higher than annual membership growth and suggests an increasing percentage of eligible members choosing to serve missions. It is important to note that many youth and young single adult converts serve missions and have contributed to the momentum in the growing worldwide missionary force. Although these numbers continue to be encouraging, the rate of growth in the number of full-time teaching missionaries is slowing, as the Church reported a year over year increase of 8.52% in 2023 and 9.22% in 2024.

Highest Annual Growth Rate for Total Church Membership Since 2012

Total Church membership increased by 2.16% in 2025 continuing a trend of accelerating membership growth since a low of 0.60% in 2020. This increase was driven not only by record convert baptisms but also by a substantial reduction in membership record removals (approximately 46,000 fewer than in 2024), which significantly amplified net growth. The summation of convert baptisms and children of record was 477,325 in 2025 - the highest ever reported by the Church, breaking the previous record set in 2014 at 413,212. However, the actual net increase in membership in 2025 was 377,431 due to a net removal of 99,894 membership records (it is important to note that this is an estimate, as it does not account for re-baptized members who had their records removed). The net increase in membership in 2025 was the highest reported since 1999 when there was a net increase of 398,745 members. 

Largest Net Increase in Congregations Operating Since 2019; Congregational Growth Continues to Lag Behind Membership Growth

The Church reported a net increase of 370 wards and branches in 2025 - the highest since 2019 when there was a net increase of 404 wards and branches. The number of wards and branches in the Church increased by 1.17% in 2025 which is approximately half of the rate at which membership grew for the year. Congregational growth has long lagged behind membership growth due to compounding retention challenges and persistently low activity rates. The average ward or branch in the Church in 2025 had 558 members, yet most wards have approximately 100-200 active members and the number of active members per branch widely varies. See below for a line graph displaying the average number of members per congregation which indicates steady increases for a quarter of a century. The steady increase in the average number of members per congregation—particularly over the past 25 years—suggests that unit creation has not kept pace with membership growth, and this appears primarily attributed to low activity rates.

Children of Record Increase Remains Low

There was an increase of 91,835 children of record (usually newborns with one or both parents who are members of the Church) added in 2025, which was nearly the same as what was reported in 2024 (91,617). Given a membership of nearly 18 million, this remains a strikingly low figure that reflects declining birth rates, difficulties with young adults marrying (and staying married to have children that they raise in the Church), and problems with creating full-member families in the international Church. The Church regularly reported 100,000-120,000 children of record increase from the years 2008-2018 and has since reported children of record increase ranging from 65,440 in 2020 to 94,266 in 2019. This stands in even starker contrast to the early 1980s when there was only 4-5 million members on Church records yet there were 100,000-124,000 children added to the records annually. If the rate at which children of record were added in the early 1980s were the same today, we would expect approximately 400,000 children added to the records each year.