Below is a list of the countries where the Church reported a net
increase of four or more units for the year 2025. The annual percentage
increase for the number of wards and branches for each country is also
provided:
- Democratic Republic of the Congo +85 (24.6% increase)
- United States +63 (0.43% increase)
- Philippines +46 (3.47% increase)
- Nigeria +40 (4.76% increase)
- Kenya +26 (34.2% increase)
- Sierra Leone +24 (25.5% increase)
- Zimbabwe +21 (20.6% increase)
- Ghana +14 (3.62% increase)
- Peru +12 (1.51% increase)
- Spain +12 (8.70% increase)
- Tanzania +11 (32.4% increase)
- Argentina +10 (1.37% increase)
- Mozambique +10 (12.5% increase)
- Uganda +8 (14.8% increase)
- Cote d'Ivoire +7 (2.62% increase)
- Botswana +6 (35.3% increase)
- Republic of the Congo +6 (16.2% increase)
- Haiti +6 (12.0% increase)
- Liberia +6 (7.50% increase)
- Madagascar +6 (13.0% increase)
- Bolivia +5 (1.75% increase)
- Angola +4 (13.8% increase)
- Australia +4 (1.35% increase)
- Ecuador +4 (1.20% increase)
- Guatemala +4 (0.92% increase)
- Solomon Islands +4 (66.7% increase)
- Brazil -88 (4.20% decrease)
- Russia -5 (8.93% decrease)
- United Kingdom -5 (1.65% decrease)
Previous lists for annual congregational growth by country are available for 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020-2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Several key observations with the 2025 congregational numbers by country.
First, the number of countries that have had a net increase of at least four congregations continues to climb from previous years and set what appears to be a new all-time record. There were 26 countries where there was a net increase of four or more congregations in 2025, up from 23 in 2024, 16 in 2023, and 12 in 2022. The average year in the past quarter century has had 15-16 countries with a net increase of four or more congregations. Thus, more countries are reporting stronger congregational growth than ever before in the 21st century. However, it is also important to note that there were approximately 160 countries where growth was essentially flat with the number of congregations in the Church (i.e., a net change of three or fewer congregations for the year).
Fourth, the Church in the United States reversed a previous three-year trend of net losses in the number of congregations, as there was a net increase of 63 congregations. The Church reported a decline of 15 congregations in 2024, 21 congregations in 2023, and 62 congregations in 2022. Historically, the Church has generally posted net increases of more than 100 congregations in the United States annually. With a net loss of a couple hundred members in 2025 for the Church in the United States, the Church reported higher rates of congregational growth than membership growth, reflecting continued stability in the average number of members per congregation (which was 473) and suggesting a period of structural stabilization following several years of unit consolidation outpacing unit creations. The average congregation in the United States has remained remarkably stable for the past 40 years, oscillating from 450 to 475.
Fifth, the Church in Brazil continues to have widespread congregation consolidations that have far outpaced new unit creations. As I noted with the 2024 numbers, contraction mirrors past restructuring periods—most notably in 2000 (-116 units) and 2001 (-74 units)—when the Church consolidated congregations with low activity levels. Current and past efforts have appeared aimed at strengthening existing units and optimizing administrative efficiency rather than reflecting a broader membership decline. Moreover, unlike the early 2000s, restructuring efforts in the mid-2020s have not resulted in the discontinuation of stakes or cessation of creating new branches in previously unreached cities. Additionally, unlike earlier restructuring periods, current consolidation in Brazil is occurring alongside unprecedented global expansion elsewhere, particularly in Africa. Finally, it appears that widespread efforts in Brazil to consolidate congregations with few active members are reaching an end, as these efforts have lasted for multiple consecutive years.
Sixth, Spain was the only country in Europe to make the list of countries with a net increase of at least four congregations and actually tied with Peru for the country with the ninth largest net increase (12). Europe has been noticeably absent from this list of countries where there are substantial net increases in congregations due to stagnant growth or slight decline in nearly all nations. Spain has made a substantial turnaround with creating new branches in many cities where no branches previously operated, as well as the creation of a couple new wards in major cities like Barcelona.
Seventh, the Church in the Philippines reported its highest net increase in congregations (46) since 2001 when there was a net increase of 71 congregations. The number of congregations in the Philippines increased by 3.47% in 2025 - a higher rate than total Church membership (2.56%), suggesting good rates of convert retention and success with member reactivation. Congregational growth rates in the Philippines have steadily increased over the past decade (0.58% in 2017, 0.74% in 2018, 0.98% in 2019, 0.56% in 2020, 0.80% in 2021, 1.27% in 2022, 1.89% in 2023, and 2.16% in 2024).
Eighth, there are several countries in Latin America reporting more meaningful increases in the total number of congregations than what has been seen in many years. However, membership growth rates continue to outpace congregational growth rates, suggesting ongoing problems with convert retention and member activity. For example, membership grew by 3.66% in Ecuador, 3.05% in Peru, 2.98% in Argentina, and 2.95% in Bolivia in 2025, yet the total number of congregations increased by only 1.20% in Ecuador, 1.51% in Peru, 1.37% in Argentina, and 1.75% in Bolivia for the year.
31 comments:
Matt, what's going on with Brazil - it has the highest numerical increase in members, but the largest decrease in units.
Growth: 47,924 - 12.7%
Units lost: 88
The Brazil Area Presidency has made a nationwide effort to consolidate wards with fewer active members to create wards that are more in line with new standards for wards to operate. It just so happens this has occurred during a year when there has been a large number of convert baptisms. This year and next should be telling with whether we start to see a net increase in congregations, and I would wager this would be with branches or branches becoming wards and not new wards being organized from dividing units.
Our son is serving in Brazil right now. Brazil continues to have many convert baptisms (his mission had a 100 baptism month, and pushed for a new goal of 200), but struggles with retention and activity. The push is high-pressure sales, avoid teaching at all (Restoration or Plan of Salvation), and just push baptisms. As my son has said they should try to teach people first, he has had a lot of pressure from the mission leadership machinery (top to bottom) to fall in line and just ask people to be baptized. His (native Brazilian) companions have been very annoyed with him refusing to use "do you want to be baptized" as a street or door (gate) approach. His president suggested that he try saying to a family on the street "you have a beautiful family. You need to be baptized so you can be together forever." His biggest struggle has been that when he wants to teach people, and they want to learn more and want to be taught, his companion gets very annoyed and wants to shut down teaching and just continue to push baptism. If that's all you do, then you will be able to strongarm people into agreeing to be baptized, but they aren't going to stick.
I could go on and on. He has also incurred the wrath of his companions for not refusing to pay 200 reais per couple to get them married so they can hurry and be baptized. He's expected to pay this as the American.
I think this is a big reason why baptism numbers in Brazil don't translate to tangible signs of growth like wards and stakes. The baptisms are essentially meaningless, and a foundation isn't being laid for actual growth and progress.
Brazil tends to be the worst chronic offender when it comes to low quality teaching and high pressure tactics to baptize. This has been an ongoing problem, but I had not heard about this more recently (the last accounts I received were 5-10 years ago in Manaus). Very disappointment to hear this, but it is also in line with a lot of the historical data. Thank you for sharing.
I hope he can talk to his mission president openly about his concerns.
You are describing my experience in Mexico perfectly.
That's too bad. I think this kind of stuff is heavily mission president dependent (and honestly, from what I've heard, the Latin American mission presidents tend to be more pushy in this department than the American ones, surprisingly - of course, that's just anecdotal) In my own Latin American mission, we were never pushed to baptize that way, but were actually frequently pushed to ensure as much as possible that the people baptized would be able to be good members of the Church. We would still baptize around 100 a month as a mission.
This sounds a lot like what I have heard happened during the 90s in Latin America. I'm very sad to see it is happening now and that people who have a true understanding of the Gospel would be pushing for it. I'm really glad that culture didn't exist on my mission. Yes, it was encouraged to ask people to be baptized in the first lesson, but then it was always followed with months of teaching and preparing them for baptism.
I think we're seeing a similar pattern in other places in the world too. My stake here in St. George just did the same thing, and closed two wards.
I saw this at times in Brazil too. Chile, the Philippines, and other countries have been through this too. The church has made many efforts to slow things down, but this problem keeps bubbling up again it seems.
Regarding Roberts' comment above, I disagree somewhat.
I believe that these challenges may be happening in the son's mission in Brazil, but that doesn't mean it's the case in all missions.
The quality of teaching has improved a lot; people are being well-taught and better prepared to be baptized.
I believe the biggest challenge here in Brazil is for the Wards and Branches to be prepared to receive the new converts.
We don't do the work that should be done and we blame the missionary work.
They have been teaching and preparing people very well; it's up to the Wards and Branches to understand that the responsibility for retention lies with the Ward and not the missionary (night member work, grandma).
Portland Maine is the only temple announced in the past year.
Having lived for the last seven years in a branch I can see lots of advantages to having larger units.
The fact that DR Congo had the highest net congregation growth is very encouraging.
I wonder though if with two new missions there we may see even more in 2026.
Kenya is also really taking off. The increase in the number of church units there is also very encouraging.
As you know, I am Brazilian. In fact, that was the approach to teaching in the 90s, but I don't want to believe that it's still being done that way. The mention of payments for weddings seems extremely anecdotal to me. I'm not saying it's a lie, not at all, but civil marriage in Brazil is free in all registry offices, except if the couple wants to reserve a specific date for the event (in which case there is a fee). I have never heard of any pressure on any missionary to pay these costs, whether Brazilian or American, but I have heard of bishops who covered this through the ward budget. All members know that missionaries, regardless of nationality, have scarce resources just for survival, and cannot afford any costs beyond their own food.
I sincerely hope that this view is just an isolated case, as it doesn't seem to be the case everywhere in the country.
They consolidated two stakes in England today, Manchester and Ashton, into the Greater Manchester Stake-IIRC that's the new name
Having served in Chile in the early 1990s, and having returned twice later to the country for a total of nine months, and serving in as a second counselor in the Bishopic in Angol, 9th province, I know of conversion inflation/ retention reduction issues in South America.
Some people get baptized very easily, and barely attend correctly. Others attend for a year or two, or worst of all, in my opinion, local branch presidents and even bishops are released and fall away into less activity. So typical and sad.
Chile has issues apart from this. No air conditioning or heating in chapels, in many places where it is needed. It is shameful. Poor planning on us North Americans, for sure. Have you ever tried attending a church for three months in 35-55 degrees with no heat?
Why should hundreds of thousands of Chileans?
Our tithing should do more. A lot of fingers to point blame, but I cannot help but think that some of it is back on us.
Does anyone know of a single ward house in California with no central air? Please let me know.
The majority of Chileans live in the same climate and conditions. Only less money, cars, and chances to move around.
Missionary efforts are one thing, yes, and numbers hyperbole and poor teaching and retention methods, but let us look at just attending in comfort.
I wonder if Brazil or Mexico, or Peru or Colombia face such issues.
I think that the Africans such it up in that great continent, but South Africa is one of the few places there with the chilly or less inviting winters of the Mediterranean climate.
We have had over a dozen baptisms in my Virginia ward with low retention, too, lately. It is hard to keep our converts active in many, many places.
But the Church of Jesus Christ is growing, still!
I've updated the new membership statistics in Wikipedia yesterday.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_membership_statistics_(LDS_Church)
Today the Santa Rosa de Copán Honduras District (616524), with currently 9 branches, had a "Special Conference" under the Presiding Elder Giuffre, Central America Area President and Mission Leaders, today. And no future District conferences posted on meetinghouse site for 2026/
https://maps.churchofjesuschrist.org/stakes/616524
Which sounds like a possible new Stake organized, in my gut feeling, under the guidance of the Area President.
Amigos del Distrito Santa Rosa | Santa Rosa de Copán | Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/people/Amigos-del-Distrito-Santa-Rosa/100064535420306/
Missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently returned to Burundi after having been absent for over a year due to a lack of an authorizing document.
The Sacsuha Guatemala District has been approved to become a stake, the Polochic Guatemala Stake. The next district conference is May 31, so I imagine it will occur on that date.
Why is church growth in Europe so stagnant or in decline? (Not counting Russia for obvious reasons)
Temple announced in Marysville, Washington https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/new-temple-marysville-washington?fbclid=IwY2xjawRSbDBleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETExMHNORGhFRmg2VlhzM3lRc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHs1zY9nZhif1VvvjUQPGt0xx7aJaIrmPAoZiq-vbLRf54bN9Op-Z5AZPr9jZ_aem_aFWu6Hu3CA2tlHYZK5BLdg
A new branch was created last week in the Kolwezi DRC mission, the Kawama Branch. Per senior missionaries on Facebook, the Kolwezi mission will soon organize a new mission district, with the Kisamfu, Lualaba, and Kawama mission branches, and a group functioning in Tenke (currently in a stake).
Dallin H. Oaks railed on numerical goals. A talk he gave at byu he said a missionary can’t baptize five people a month without the agency and actions of five othe4 people. Set goals on things you can control.
Not everyone will accept the gospel, in spite of best efforts faithful parents have children who stray. Things happen beyond control of people.
Some converts tragically fall away. Wheat and tares. Where some people are lost and unknown, no contact with church. I’ve had people say there not members anymore . If we found them tell them how to resign there membership.
Some were angry. How many people are active? Is it about ten million that go regularly?
As for temples a temple was announced for Marysville Washington tonight. Anyone’s prediction? For announcements in Conference read somewhere wa# not norm.
I think Spencer W. Kimball announced a few. Most during the year via press release. Gordon B. Hinckley announced a few in conference but most were announced throughout the year.
All but five or six were announced in Conference during President Monsons tenure and Ephraim Utah only temple not announced in conference during President Nelson’s tenure.
Two temples announced so far during President Oaks tenure. Temples announced during Russell M Nelson’s administration 32 dedicated, 10 scheduled for dedication. That will bring number to 42. 21 percent dedicated.
54 in various stages of construction, one scheduled, 55 announced with site locations and 49 without site locations. Some of those numbers may change tommorrow.
Was it actually consolidated today, or just announced? I see that they will consolidate in a couple weeks.
It did indeed become a stake. The stake page says 5 bishops and 5 branch presidents were called to serve in the new stake, so looks like a new unit may have been created as well (and no two branch to one ward consolidations - yay!)
Except for the last year, there where only few converts in Europe for most years. Specially compared to what happend in the 70ies 80ies and 90ies. For many years there has been a trend to have larger congregations. In the 90ies it was said only small congregations grow and that with around 120 attending the members become to comfortable. Another reason is that familiy sizes are getting smaler, and we struggle more with keeping our Youth active. Many congergations have a overaging problem. In many areas the goal is to have a stronger Youth program and that wards have around 100 - 230 attending.
They haven't had replacement level fertility in 50 years, at current rates there will be 2 grandkids for every 4 grandparents. Also, the continent as a whole has become much more secular. Their economic growth, as well as the churches growth, will be in how well they will welcome and help assimilate immigrant populations.
The Marysville Washington Temple was announced. Arlington Washington was on my "Top 20" prediction list. Marysville Washington will have 8 stakes, leaving Seattle with 7 stakes, once all announced temples are dedicated.
This is only about an hour north of Seattle. However, that's assumes without congestion in an metro that can get congested during the week. This also means the Bellingham Washington Stake will no longer have to go cross an international border to get to their temple.
Hawaii is still 2024 stats, all others are 2025. The newsroom site is currently displaying 2024 stats for other countries so I can't add those at this time.
As for your question about active attendees, it has to be much closer to 5 million than to 10 million.
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