How Many Christians Are There, Really?

George Weigel of First Things has an excellent summary of the number of Christians worldwide up on their site based on a report from the International Bulletin of Missionary Research. As Weigel puts it, “Some are encouraging; others are discouraging; many of them are important for grasping the nature of this particular moment in Christian history.”

Whether you are encouraged, discouraged or merely curious, here are a few snippets.

In raw numbers, then, Charismatic and Pentecostal Christianity is the fastest growing phenomenon in world religious history.

Christians were 34.5 percent of global population in 1900, 33.3 percent in 1970, 32.4 percent in 2000, and 33.4 percent today, with projections to 33.7 percent in 2025 and 36 percent in 2050.

And

…only 14 percent of non-Christians today know a Christian

Are you surprised by any of these facts? Check out the summary here and read the full report here.