April 2019 Monthly Newsletter - Cumorah.com

Click here to access the April 2019 monthly newsletter for www.cumorah.com.

UPDATED - Country-by-Country Membership Statistics Released for 2018

I previously posted on the countries with the highest membership growth rates during 2018. These data came from the Church's Newsroom site at http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/facts-and-statistics. However, I have obtained additional year-end 2018 membership totals that I want to include in an updated post as there are eight additional nations that experienced an annual membership growth rate of 10% or higher during 2018.

Countries with the highest annual membership growth rates in 2018 (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, 2015, 2016, and 2017. The percentage next to the country name is the annual growth rate percentage, which is followed by the country's membership at year-end 2018. Countries in bold experienced an annual membership increase greater than 200 during 2018. Countries in red are ones added to this list with additional official membership data I have recently obtained.

1. Guinea - 103.3% - 61 
2. Senegal - 63.6% - 108
3. Cuba - 47.5% - 357
4. Oman - 30.5% - 107
5. Rwanda - 25.7% - 749
6. Montenegro - 21.1% - 23 
7. North Macedonia - 20.6% - 41
8. Angola - 19.3% - 2,933
9. Bosnia and Herzegovina - 15.9% - 80
10. Israel - 15.3% - 332
11. Gabon* - 15.3% - 151
12. Togo - 14.6% - 4,736
13. Mozambique - 13.3% - 12,274
14. Solomon Islands - 12.8% - 1,240
15. Benin - 11.5% - 3,463
16. Turks and Caicos Islands - 11.4% - 147
17. Cote d'Ivoire - 11.1% - 48,776
18. Morocco - 10.5% - 95
19. Sint Maarten - 10.4% - 277

*Membership total only reflects one of the two branches as one of the Gabonese branches is incorrectly reported under the Republic of the Congo.

Also, see below for membership totals for additional countries not reported on the Church Newsroom site.

• Bahrain - 223
• Belarus - 511
• Bermuda - 197
• British Virgin Islands - 138
• Mali* - 9
• Qatar - 537
• Vietnam - 2,466

*Membership appears to comprise those who live outside of the Bamako Branch under the Africa West Area Branch. The Bamako Branch is incorrectly reported under Cote d'Ivoire. However, membership in Mali appeared to increase by more than 100% during 2018. Local members report that membership nationwide appeared to be around 80-100 at year-end 2018. There were 42 members in Mali as of April 2018. 

New Districts Created in Ghana and Kenya

Ghana
The Church organized a new district in Ghana on April 28th.

The Axim Ghana District was organized from a division of the Tarkwa Ghana District (organized in 2016). The new district includes the following three branches: Axim, Esiama, and Nkroful. The Tarkwa Ghana District now has only two branches (Brenu-Akyirim and Tarkwa) and one member group (Bogoso) although the member group appears to have become a branch or may become a branch in the near future.

There are now 24 stakes and 12 districts in Ghana.

Kenya
The Church organized a new district in western Kenya.

The Kitale Kenya District was organized from a division of the Eldoret Kenya District (organized in 2011). The new district includes the following five branches: Kitale, Mautuma, Misikhu, Naitiri, and Sikhendu. The realigned Eldoret Kenya district now has four branches (all located in the city of Eldoret): Eldoret, Huruma, Langas, and Sosiani.

There are now two stakes and five districts in Kenya.

Significant Realignment of Missions in Nigeria Announced

On April 23rd, the Africa West Area Presidency announced a significant realignment of the seven missions in Nigeria. No missions will be closed or opened as part of the changes. However, the Nigeria Calabar Mission will be renamed the Nigeria Uyo Mission, which was the original name of the mission from 2002-2008, and mission headquarters will be relocated to Uyo. Here are additional changes that have been announced:

• Reassignment of four mission branches from the Nigeria Calabar Mission to the Nigeria Enugu Mission (Ikom, Ogoja, Ugep 1st, and Ugep 2nd Branches)
• Transfer of two stakes from the Nigeria Calabar Mission to the Nigeria Owerri Mission (Abak Nigeria Stake and Ikot Ekpene Nigeria Stake)
• Transfer of two stakes from the Nigeria Calabar Mission to the Nigeria Port Harcourt Mission (Ikot Akpaden Nigeria Stake and Ikot Akpatek Nigeria Stake)
• Transfer of two stakes and one district from the Nigeria Enugu Mission to the Nigeria Lagos Mission (Abuja Nigeria North Stake, Abuja Nigeria South Stake, and Jos Nigeria District)
• Transfer of one stake and one district from the Nigeria Owerri Mission to the Nigeria Enugu Mission (Umuahia Nigeria Stake and Asaga Ohafia Nigeria District)

The area presidency announced that these changes "are being made to better position the missions in Nigeria for the future growth and establishment of the Church," and added, "We anticipate significant future growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Nigeria and recognize the Lord’s hand in bringing this about."

The Church in Nigeria has indeed experienced some of the most impressive worldwide growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in recent decades. Church membership increased from 12,000 in 1989 to 42,746 in 1999, 88,374 in 2008, and 177,280 in 2018. Annual membership growth rates have exceeded 7% since 2013. The number of congregations (i.e. wards and branches) has grown from 72 in 1989 to 185 in 1999, 260 in 2008, and 649 in 2018. There has been a net increase of approximately 30 wards and branches in 2019 thus far. Stake growth in the past decade has been particularly significant with the number of stakes increasing from 16 to 56.

Despite recent progress, the Church in Nigeria remains comparatively small. Church membership accounts for only 0.087% of the population, or one Latter-day Saint per 1,148. There remain 12 states in Nigeria without a single ward or branch although most are in the predominantly Muslim north. Several cities with more than 500,000 people have no Church presence. Nigeria will also soon surpass Pakistan and Brazil in population as the world's fifth most populous country as there are now more than 200 million people. If the Church in Nigeria were to maintain the same ratio of population to missions (one mission per seven million people), there would need to be 29 missions in Nigeria.

The mission realignments announced by the area presidency have good potential to better distribute mission resources and Church units across the seven missions. Many of the changes have good potential to help the Church expand into previously unreached areas, particularly those with high population densities nearby cities with a well-established Church presence such as between Port Harcourt and Efik, and between Enugu and Umuahia. Greater expansion in Central and Northern Nigeria may occur. The Nigeria Calabar Mission previously had 14 stakes and two districts - the largest number of stakes assigned to a single mission in all of Africa. Now, the realigned Nigeria Uyo Mission will have a more manageable number of stakes with 10 stakes and two districts.

The changes also appear inspired with long-term plans to organize additional missions. For example, the Nigeria Lagos Mission will now have two separate geographical areas, one in the Lagos metropolitan area and the other including most of central and northern Nigeria. It appears that the Church may organize a mission headquartered in Abuja in the foreseeable future given this change. Also, the Church may organize a mission headquartered in Delta State to service the rapidly growing Nigeria Benin City Mission which now has 11 stakes and three districts within its boundaries.

Many new stakes will likely be organized in the near future due to steady growth in active membership and the organization of new wards and branches. See below for a list of stakes likely to divide in the near future to create additional stakes:

• Aba Nigeria North (10 wards, 4 branches)
• Abak Nigeria (9 wards, 1 branch) 
• Abuja Nigeria North (10 wards, 2 branches)
• Abuja Nigeria South (11 wards, 3 branches)
• Benin City Nigeria Oregbeni  (9 wards, 1 branch)
• Benin City Nigeria Ugbowo (10 wards, 3 branches) 
• Ikot Ekpene Nigeria (11 wards, 1 branch)
• Lagos Nigeria Ojodu (9 wards, 1 branch)
• Lagos Nigeria Yaba (9 wards)
• Onitsha Nigeria (10 wards, 4 branches)
• Ukat Aran Nigeria  (11 wards, 2 branches)
• Warri Nigeria (14 wards, 2 branches)

Many districts also appear close to becoming stakes. There are currently a total of 17 districts. See below for a list of stakes likely to be created from districts in the near future.

• Akamkpa Nigeria (9 branches)
• Asaga Ohafia Nigeria (7 branches)
• Ijebu-Ode Nigeria (8 branches)
• Jos Nigeria (8 branches)
• Mbaise Nigeria (12 branches)
• Ogwashi Nigeria (8 branches)
• Okrika Nigeria (10 branches) - or division into several districts
• Ondo Nigeria (6 branches)
• Oron Nigeria (7 branches)

Altogether, the Church in Nigeria may add as many as 21 new stakes in the next two years.

Additionally, a couple new districts appear likely to be organized from mission branches in the near future. Probable locations with the likely number of branches include:

• Sapele (3 branches)
• Ugep (4 branches)

Membership by US State in 2018, Percent Membership Growth by US State in 2018

See below for a list of states in the United States ranked in order by the most members as of year-end 2018. Locations in bold do not have a temple dedicated or announced.

1. Utah - 2,109,578
2. California - 761,054
3. Idaho - 456,496
4. Arizona - 432,161
5. Texas - 357,625
6. Washington - 289,068
7. Nevada - 184,565
8. Florida - 158,617
9. Oregon - 153,338
10. Colorado - 150,958
11. Virginia - 95,873
12. North Carolina - 87,768
13. Georgia - 85,927
14. New York - 82,732
15. Hawaii - 74,699
16. Missouri - 71,774
17. New Mexico - 69,333
18. Wyoming - 67,421
19. Ohio - 62,326
20. Illinois - 57,001
21. Pennsylvania - 51,954
22. Tennessee - 51,863
23. Montana - 50,333
24. Oklahoma - 48,268
25. Indiana - 45,395
26. Michigan - 45,039
27. Maryland - 44,094
28. South Carolina - 40,887
29. Kansas - 38,077
30. Alabama - 37,913
31. Kentucky - 35,779
32. New Jersey - 33,926
33. Minnesota - 33,331
34. Alaska - 32,298
35. Arkansas - 31,765
36. Louisiana - 29,750
37. Iowa - 28,408
38. Massachusetts - 27,805
39. Wisconsin - 27,003
40. Nebraska - 25,046
41. Mississippi - 21,561
42. West Virginia - 17,045
43. Connecticut - 15,834
44. North Dakota - 11,406
45. Maine - 10,994
46. South Dakota - 10,654
47. New Hampshire - 8,875
48. Delaware - 5,620
49. Vermont - 4,622
50. Rhode Island - 4,165
51. District of Columbia - 2,805

See below for a list of states and the District of Columbia ranked in order by membership growth rate for the year 2017. The 10 states with the most members in this list are indicated in italics:

1. North Carolina +1.90%
2. Kentucky +1.86%
3. Delaware +1.68%
4. Arkansas +1.63%
5. Tennessee +1.59%
6. North Dakota +1.44%
7. Idaho +1.37%
8. Texas +1.22%
9. Florida +1.21%
10. New Hampshire +1.19% 
11. Indiana +1.16%
12. Alabama +1.14%
13. Minnesota +0.97%
14. Arizona +0.96%
15. Wisconsin +0.93%
16. Utah +0.92%
17. Iowa +0.88%
18. Oklahoma +0.87%
19. Maryland +0.85%
20. Massachusetts +0.83%
21. Missouri +0.79%
22. Kansas +0.79%
23. South Carolina +0.69%
24. West Virginia +0.66%
25. Georgia +0.66%
26. New Jersey +0.59%
27. Ohio +0.58%
28. Hawaii +0.57%
29. Virginia +0.52%
30. Nevada +0.50%
31. New York +0.45%
32. Maine +0.43%
33. Michigan +0.42%
34. Nebraska +0.40%
35. Pennsylvania +0.37%
36. South Dakota +0.26%
37. Wyoming +0.22%
38. Washington +0.19%
39. Vermont -0.06%
40. Louisiana -0.12% 
41. Montana -0.17%
42. Illinois -0.19%
43. Connecticut -0.23%
44. Rhode Island -0.29%
45. Colorado -0.31%
46. Oregon -0.40%
47. New Mexico -0.42%
48. Alaska -0.58%
49. Mississippi -0.75%
50. California -0.81%
51. District of Columbia -1.51%

Membership growth rates by state in 2018 were very similar compared to membership growth rates by state in 2017. The most significant development in 2018 was ongoing slowing of membership growth rates in the United States. I believe this is the first time in many decades that the annual membership growth rate did not exceed 2.0% for any state.

Updated Country Profile - Norway

Click here to access the updated Reaching the Nations country profile for Norway. The Church in Norway has arguably experienced one of the slowest growth rates during the past century in the worldwide Church as Church membership has increased from only 1,507 in 1930 to 4,598 in 2018. It has taken nearly 20 years for the Church to report a net increase of 600 members between the late 1990s and 2018. Most convert baptisms in recent years have appeared to be immigrants from Latin America, Asia, and Africa. The Church in Norway maintains an impressive level of national outreach as 53% of the population lives within 10 kilometers of a Church meetinghouse or a city or town with its own ward or branch. The establishment of a second stake in Drammen in 2012 indicated some progress with leadership development although the number of active members nationwide has not appeared to noticeably change in two decades. Oslo appears a likely candidate for a small temple one day as Norway is the only Nordic country with at least 1,000 members without a temple. See below for the future prospects section of the article.

The Church has established congregations in most areas and has the basic infrastructure to meet outreach needs in most areas, but secularism remains a cultural influence that has reduced receptivity. The missionary complement assigned to Norway has been cut to less than half of its prior levels without noticeably affecting growth. The Church depends heavily on the larger Latter-day Saint populations in the Oslo area and in a few additional cities such as Bergen to stabilize the national church population and looks to this region for future growth. Many members in small branches are considering moving to the Oslo area that, over time, may lead to additional consolidations of smaller branches in northern Norway. The heavy emigration of Latter-day Saints in the nineteenth century has continued, although at a slower rate in recent years and has made local growth harder to achieve. Outreach directed toward youth is needed due to low birth rates among Latter-day Saints and the small number of youth converts in order to ensure long term growth.

Additional Membership Growth Analysis for 2018

As I noted last week, I wanted to provide some additional analysis of membership growth by country for 2018. See below for a list of countries with reported Church membership in 2018. Countries are ranked in order by the percentage growth in membership for the year 2018. I also provide whether this growth rate is the slowest or fastest growth rate since the previous year that surpassed it. Of the 156 countries/territories in the analysis, eight appeared to have had the slowest year of membership growth ever reported during 2018 (Albania, Benin, Brazil, Lithuania, Madagascar, Serbia, the United States, Venezuela). No country reported its fast membership growth rate ever during 2018. Seventy-eight (78) of the 156 countries (50%) reported a slowdown in membership growth compared to 2017. Thus, in regards to the number of countries with a reported Church presence membership growth did not appear to significantly change in regards to acceleration or deceleration of growth. However, the magnitude of membership growth rates has declined - a trend that has been ongoing for decades.

Rwanda 25.67% - slowest since 2017
Montenegro 21.05% - fastest since 2016
Angola 19.32% - fastest since 2014
Bosnia and Herzegovina 15.94% - fastest since 2014
Israel 15.28% - fastest since 2016
Togo 14.56% - fastest since 2016
Mozambique 13.28% - slowest since 2017
Solomon Islands 12.83% - slowest since 2017
Benin 11.53% - slowest ever (since Church establishment in 2004)
Cote d'Ivoire 11.12% - fastest since 2017
Kazakhstan 10.66% - fastest since 2014
St. Maarten 10.36% - fastest since 2016
Congo, Republic of 9.96% - fastest since 2003
Sierra Leone 9.48% - slowest since 2017
Vanuatu 9.44% - slowest since 2017
Cameroon 9.37% - slowest since 2015
Liberia 9.20% - same as 2017
Lesotho 8.86% - fastest since 2016
Congo, Democratic Republic of 8.40% - slowest since 2008
Nigeria 8.27% - fastest since 2015
St. Kitts and Nevis 7.58% - fastest since 2016
Ghana 7.16% - slowest since 2009
Malawi 7.14% - slowest since 2008
Zambia 6.96% - slowest since 2015
French Guiana 5.84% - slowest since 2016
Sri Lanka 5.69% - fastest since 2008
Namibia 5.61% - fastest since 2015
Burundi 5.49% - slowest since 2016
Cape Verde 5.36% - fastest since 2016
Uganda 5.28% - slowest since 2005
Tanzania 5.12% - fastest since 2016
United Arab Emirates 4.89% - fastest since 2015
Panama 4.73% - slowest since 2017
Zimbabwe 4.68% - slowest since 2014
Slovakia 4.41% - fastest since 2016
Botswana 4.38% - same as 2017
Tuvalu 4.28% - slowest since 2016
Nauru 4.27% - slowest since 2015
Papua New Guinea 4.00% - slowest since 2013
Kenya 3.98% - fastest since 2012
Fiji 3.74% - slowest since 2015
Ireland 3.56% - fastest since 2016
Kiribati 3.56% - slowest since 2014
St. Vincent 3.51% - slowest since 2015
Isle of Man 3.48% - fastest since 2009
Suriname 3.30% - fastest since 2016
Cambodia 3.29% - slowest since 2016
Madagascar 3.16% - slowest ever (since Church establishment in early 1990s)
Swaziland 3.16% - fastest since 2016
India 3.13% - slowest since 1981
Antigua and Barbuda 2.95% - slowest since 2015
Costa Rica 2.95% - fastest since 2017
Haiti 2.94% - slowest since 2006
Northern Mariana Islands 2.82% - slowest since 2016
Dominican Republic 2.82% - fastest since 2011
Curacao 2.79% - fastest since 2010
Bahamas 2.78% - fastest since 2014
Spain 2.77% - fastest since 2014
Guyana 2.76% - slowest since 2016
Malaysia 2.74% - fastest since 2016
Thailand 2.67% - slowest since 2016
Albania 2.66% - slowest ever (since Church establishment in early 1990s)
Philippines 2.58% - same as 2017
Peru 2.53% - fastest since 2014
Poland 2.52% - fastest since 2016
Mauritius 2.52% - fastest since 2016
Latvia 2.51% - fastest since 2013
Colombia 2.45% - fastest since 2014
St. Lucia 2.45% - slowest since 2013
Singapore 2.44% - fastest since 2011
South Africa 2.42% - slowest since 2016
Malta 2.39% - slowest since 2008
French Polynesia 2.27% - slowest since 2010
Guam 2.23% - slowest since 2015
Bolivia 2.20% - fastest since 2014
Mongolia 2.18% - fastest since 2014
Central African Republic 2.14% - slowest since 2016
Jersey 2.07% - fastest since 2015
Samoa 2.06% - same as 2017
Ecuador 2.02% - fastest since 2016
Guatemala 1.95% - fastest since 2016
Argentina 1.87% - fastest since 2014
Jamaica 1.82% - fastest since 2016
Honduras 1.76% - fastest since 2016
Marshall Islands 1.71% - fastest since 2016
Guernsey 1.61% - slowest since 2015
Portugal 1.61% - same as 2017
Nicaragua 1.58% - slowest since 1989
Paraguay 1.52% - slowest since 2016
Mexico 1.42% - fastest since 2016
Iceland 1.41% - fastest since 2016
Niue 1.31% - same as 2017
El Salvador 1.30% - fastest since 2016
Croatia 1.28% - fastest since 2016
Australia 1.26% - slowest since 2001
World 1.21% - slowest since 1937
Taiwan 1.21% - same as 2017
Czech Republic 1.19% - slowest since 2013
France 1.14% - slowest since 2016
Uruguay 1.12% - fastest since 2014
Tonga 1.09% - fastest since 2016
Bulgaria 1.08% - fastest since 2015
Indonesia 1.05% - slowest since 2013
New Caledonia 1.04% - slowest since 2014
Belize 1.02% - fastest since 2016
Guadeloupe 0.98% - slowest since 2014
Barbados 0.96% - slowest since 2009
Italy 0.95% - slowest since 1993
Trinidad and Tobago 0.95% - fastest since 2016
Chile 0.92% - fastest since 2013
Netherlands 0.89% - slowest since 2015
Luxembourg 0.88% - slowest since 2016
Hungary 0.84% - fastest since 2015
Reunion 0.84% - fastest since 2014
Romania 0.82% - fastest since 2015
Austria 0.81% - slowest since 2016
Brazil 0.78% - slowest ever (since prior to 1940)
New Zealand 0.69% - slowest since 2000
South Korea 0.64% - fastest since 2015
United States 0.60% - slowest in at least one century
Cook Islands 0.60% - fastest since 2011
Canada 0.57% - slowest since 2008
Ethiopia 0.52% - fastest since 2016
Belgium 0.44% - fastest since 2015
Martinique 0.43% - fastest since 2014
Macau 0.41% - slowest since 2013
Japan 0.40% - same as 2017
Switzerland 0.36% - fastest since 2016
Micronesia 0.34% - slowest since 2004
American Samoa 0.31% - slowest since 2016
Puerto Rico 0.31% - fastest since 2016
Hong Kong 0.30% - fastest since 2015
United Kingdom 0.30% - slowest since 2016
Estonia 0.18% - fastest since 2016
Sweden 0.15% - slowest since 2015
Denmark 0.09% - slowest since 2015
Palau 0.00% - slowest since 2012
Slovenia 0.00% - fastest since 2016
Ukraine -0.13% - slowest since 2016
Armenia -0.28% - fastest since 2016
Germany -0.30% - slowest since 2007
Finland -0.43% - fastest since 2016
Greece -0.50% - slowest since 2014
Norway -0.54% - slowest since 2016
Aruba -0.68% - slowest since 2013
Venezuela -0.85% - slowest ever (since Church establishment in the 1960s)
Moldova -0.96% - slowest since 2013
Cyprus -1.09% - slowest since 2010
Grenada -1.18% - slowest since 2006
Turkey -1.65% - slowest since 2009
Serbia -1.85% - slowest ever (since Church establishment in the late 1980s/early 1990s)
Cayman Islands -2.16% - slowest since 2011
Virgin Islands, U.S. -2.60% - fastest since 2016
Lithuania -4.29% - slowest ever (since Church establishment in the early 1990s)
Georgia -5.60% - slowest since 2016
Dominica -9.32% - slowest since 2010

Missing Country-by-Country Church Data

For many years, I have made numerous requests for the Church Newsroom website staff to publish country-by-country membership and congregational data for all countries with a non-sensitive Church presence. My requests continue to be ignored or redirected without follow through despite my persistent efforts. Moreover, I have credible information that the Statistical Department indeed releases this data to the Newsroom site, but that the site does not publish it for an unknown reason. Here are a list of countries that have been consistently not reported on the website that do not have a sensitive Church presence (i.e. congregational information is published on lds.org/maps):

• Bahrain
• Bermuda
• British Virgin Islands
• Cuba
• Egypt
• Gabon
• Guinea
• Kosovo
• Kuwait
• Lebanon
• Mali
• Morocco
• North Macedonia (FYROM)
• Oman
• Qatar
• Senegal
• Turks and Caicos Islands
• Vietnam

I think that if additional requests are made, the Newsroom site would provide data for these countries as they would see a greater public interest in these data. Please complete the following feedback from the Newsroom site to assist my efforts to provide the public access to this information. The form can be found here: https://ldsrt.allegiancetech.com/cgi-bin/qwebcorporate.dll?idx=HRP7TU. Please copy and paste into your browser.

UPDATED: List of the Countries with the Most Members without a Stake - 2019 Edition

Below is an updated list of the countries with the most Latter-day Saints without a stake. Membership totals are as of 2018 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 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 - 12,000 members?
2. Malaysia - 10,504 members - 33 branches - 6 districts
3. Guyana - 6,001 members - 11 branches - 2 districts
4. Belize - 5,429 members - 12 branches - 2 districts
5. Pakistan - 4,600 members? - 14 branches - 3 districts
6. Armenia - 3,560 members - 11 branches - 2 districts
7. Romania - 3,077 members - 15 branches - 2 districts
8. Malawi - 2,941 members - 8 branches - 2 districts
9. Bulgaria - 2,444 members - 7 branches - 0 districts
10. Cameroon - 2,125 members - 13 branches - 2 districts
11. Eswatini (Swaziland) - 2,057 members - 6 branches - 1 district
12. Poland - 2,033 members - 12 branches - 2 districts
13. Ethiopia - 1,933 members - 4 branches - 1 district
14. Cook Islands - 1,854 members - 5 branches - 1 district
15. Tanzania - 1,726 members - 8 branches - 1 district
16. Suriname - 1,630 members - 5 branches - 1 district
17. Sri Lanka - 1,597 members - 4 branches - 1 district
18. Macau - 1,455 members - 3 branches - 1 district

As noted in the list from 2018, 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.  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/Territories 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 with year-end 2018 membership totals. Temples that service stakes, districts, and mission branches in each country are identified. Previous lists are also available for October 2018, April 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2013, mid-2011, late 2008, and late 2007. This is the first time since I started making these lists on my blog that there is a country with less than 10,000 members in the top ten for most members without a temple. I have put the country name in bold if that country has typically experienced rapid growth (annual membership growth rate of approximately 8% or higher) within the past five years. Also, all of the countries on the list are located in Asia, Africa, or Oceania.

1. Papua New Guinea

• 28,249 members
• 2 stakes, 12 districts
• 80 congregations
• Sydney Australia Temple

2. Sierra Leone

• 21,286 members
• 5 stakes, 4 districts
• 70 congregations
• Accra Ghana Temple

3. Kiribati

• 20,390 members
• 2 stakes, 2 districts
• 36 congregations
• Suva Fiji Temple, Laie Hawaii Temple

4. Uganda

• 16,823 members
• 3 stakes, 2 districts
• 34 congregations
• Johannesburg South Africa Temple

5. Liberia

• 13,275 members
• 4 stakes, 1 district
• 52 congregations 
• Accra Ghana Temple

6. Mozambique

• 12,274 members
• 3 stakes, 1 district
• 37 congregations
• Johannesburg South Africa Temple

7. Madagascar

• 12,257 members
• 2 stakes, 3 districts
• 40 congregations
• Johannesburg South Africa Temple 

8. Mongolia

• 11,895 members
• 2 stakes, 1 district
• 24 congregations
• Hong Kong China Temple

9. Malaysia

• 10,504 members
• 0 stakes, 6 districts
• 33 congregations
• Hong Kong China Temple

10. Vanuatu

• 9,615 members
• 1 stake, 3 districts
• 36 congregations
• Suva Fiji Temple