MAPPING THE CHRISTIAN POPULATION A Report on the Size and Distribution of the North Africa, Middle East, Arab Gulf and Central Asia Christian Population

MAPPING THE CHRISTIAN POPULATION

A Report on the Size andA Report on the Size and

Distribution of the North Africa, Distribution of the North Africa, Middle East, Arab Gulf and Central Middle East, Arab Gulf and Central Asia Christian PopulationAsia Christian Population

December 2009December 2009

One Challenge International

P.O. Box 4475

Worthing, West Sussex

BN11 3YH

UK

CHRISTIANS AROUND THE WORLD

227 million

20 million

427 million

350 million

300 million

123 million

410 million

Source: Joshua Project.

Majority Religion

Christian

Islam

Hindu

Buddhist

Non-religious


Recent Progress in the World

Evangelical Christianity is growing 2x faster than Islam and 3x faster than Buddhism and Hinduism.


Major Religions Annual Growth Rates

1.40% 1.44%

2.17%

4.70%

2.20%

1.21%

Buddhism Christian Hinduism Islam Denominations Evangelicals

Conversion rates: 1990-2000


0.080% 0.045%

0.580%

0.420%

0.135%

-0.087%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

1%

1%

1%

MuslimBuddhist

HinduPentecostal

Evangelical

Christian

Conversion growth is the annual increase (or decrease) in followers of a particular faith that is attributable to a shift of faith allegiance. These figure is an annual average measured and forecasted from the years 1990-2000.

“An Overview of the World by Religious Adherents”, from the Mission Frontiers June 2000.

The World in 2000 by Religious Adherence

Evangelicals are defined as the broad stream of Christians who are affiliated with a Christian denomination or movement that actively evangelizes or sends missionaries.Pentecostals/Charismatics and evangelicals are overlapping subsets of the larger total of all Christians.The total growth rate is the sum of growth that occurs by births minus deaths and by a shift of faith allegiance (conversion growth).

All Christians 1,999.6 Million 1.45% 0.14% 33%Evangelicals 647.8 Million 1.47% 0.42% 10.70%Pentecostals/ Charismatics 523.7 Million 2.33% 0.59% 8.70%Muslims 1,188.2 Million 2.15% 0.08% 19.60%Hindus 811.3 Million 1.84% -0.09% 13.40%Nonreligious 768.2 Million 0.86% -7.20% 12.70%Chinese Folk Religionists 384.8 Million 1.21% -0.02% 6.40%Buddhists 360 Million 1.13% 0.05% 5.90%Ethnoreligionists 228.4 Million 1.37% -0.58% 3.80%Atheists 150.1 Million 0.35% -60% 2.50%New-Religionists/ Neo-Religionists 102.4 Million 1.12% -3.80% 1.70%Sikhs 23.3 Million 1.90% 0.13% 0.40%Jews 14.4 Million 1 -50% 0.20%Others 24.3 Million N/A N/A 0.40%World Population 6,055 Million 1.47% N/A 100%

Religion: # of Adherents Total Growth

Rate Convertion

Growth Rate% of World Population

The World’s Christians


The World’s Muslims


The World’s Buddhists


The World’s Hindus


Percent Unevangelized Per Country


Unevangelized Population(in millions)

Majority of the Unevangelized World

1 India 344,000,000

2 China 262,000,000

3 Pakistan 144,000,000

4 Indonesia 68,600,000

5 Iran 48,700,000

6 Thailand 34,100,000

7 Algeria 32,900,000

8 Morocco 30,900,000

9 Bangladesh 30,000,000

10 Afghanistan 26,000,000


Christians and the Unevangelized (blue) (red)

How the Christian people are distributed?

Mapping the Christians in North Africa, Middle East, Arab Gulf and Central Asia

• There are about xxx billion Christian living in the world today.

• Although in numbers there are more Christian people over the world, in this region the Muslim population predominates.

• In average, Central Asia has the major percentage in the considered sample, about 7.1%, followed by Middle East.

Central Asia 92.9% 7.1%Middle East 93.2% 6.8%Arab Gulf 93.5% 6.5%North Africa 97.3% 2.7%Other 98.0% 2.0%On average by region. Others: Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

% Muslim % ChristianCountry

Source: OW.

DISTRIBUTION PER REGION: NORTH AFRICA

Morocco 0.10% 0.00% 99.00%Mauritania 0.16% 0.00% 99.10%Tunisia 0.22% 0.00% 99.50%Algeria 0.29% 0.20% 98.00%Libya 2.54% 0.30% 96.60%Egypt 12.98% 2.50% 94.60%

CountryPercentage of

Population that is Christian

Percentage of Population that is Evangelical

Percentage of Population that is

Muslim

Egypt dominates with about 12.98% of its population that is Christian.

Of this percentage, 2.50% are evangelical.

Source: OW.

Percentage of Population that is Christian in North Africa

0.10%

0.16%

0.22%

0.29%

2.54%

12.98%

Morocco

Mauritania

Tunisia

Algeria

Libya

Egypt

DISTRIBUTION PER REGION: MIDDLE EAST

In the Middle East, Lebanon counts with approximately 32% Christians, above the average of the region, that is 6.8%.

Source: OW.

Iraq 1.55% 0.10% 98.45%Palestine 1.94% 0.10% 98.06%Israel 2.25% 0.20% 97.75%Jordan 2.75% 0.20% 97.25%Syria 5.12% 0.10% 94.88%Lebanon 31.93% 0.60% 68.07%


Population that is Muslim



Christian

Percentage of Population that is Christian in Middle East

1.94%

2.25%

2.75%

5.12%

31.93%

1.55%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

Iraq

Palestine

Israel

Jordan

Syria

Lebanon

DISTRIBUTION PER REGION: ARAB GOLF

In the Arab Golf both Bahrain and Qatar have approximately 10% of Christians, followed by United Arabic Emirates with 9.25%, much above than the average of the region, of 6.5%.

Yemen 0.05% 0.00% 99.95%Oman 2.54% 0.30% 97.46%Saudi Arabia 4.54% 0.90% 95.46%Kuwait 8.17% 0.60% 91.83%UAE 9.25% 0.80% 90.75%Bahrain 10.36% 3.10% 89.64%Qatar 10.47% 2.50% 89.53%


Muslim



ChristianCountry

Source: OW.

Percentage of Population that is Christian in Arab Golf

2.54%

4.54%

8.17%

9.25%

10.36%

10.47%

0.05%

0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12%

Yemen

Oman

Saudi Arabia

Kuwait

UAE

Bahrain

Qatar

DISTRIBUTION PER REGION: CENTRAL ASIAIn the Central Asia

Region, on average 7.1% of the population is Christian. Just Kazakhstan and Kyrgyz Republic are above the average, with 24.66% and 7.83%, respectively.

Source: OW.

Uzbekistan 1.28% 0.30% 98.72%Tajikistan 1.38% 0.10% 98.62%Turkmenistan 2.66% 0.00% 97.34%Azerbaijan 4.64% 0.10% 95.36%Kyrgyzstan 7.83% 0.60% 92.17%Kazakhstan 24.66% 0.60% 75.34%


Population that is Christian



Muslim

Percentage of Population that is Christian Central Asia

1.38%

2.66%

4.64%

24.66%

7.83%

1.28%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

Uzbekistan

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Azerbaijan

Kyrgyzstan

Kazakhstan

DISTRIBUTION PER REGION: OTHERS

Considering in the analysis Afghanistan, Turkey, Iran and Pakistan, we can observe that these countries are in the majority Muslim countries.

Afghanistan 0.03% n.a. 99.97%Turkey 0.32% 0.03% 99.68%Iran 0.33% 0.00% 99.67%Pakistan 2.31% 0.40% 97.69%


MuslimCountry


Christian


Source: OW.

Percentage of Population that is Christian

0.32%

0.33%

2.31%

0.03%

0% 1% 1% 2% 2% 3% 3%

Afghanistan

Turkey

Iran

Pakistan

Unreached People Groups


Others5.77%Buddhist

9.62%

Tribal19.23% Hindu

25.96%

Muslim39.42%(4,100)(2,000)

(1,000) (600)

(2,700)

Countries with the Most Unreached Peoples

India

China

PakistanBangladesh

Nepal

India 2332 2082

China 499 406

Pakistan 401 386

Bangladesh 370 336

Nepal 315 292

Country # Peoples # UnreachedPeoples


Note the concentration of Unreached People Groups in India, SE Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa

Here we note a distinct need for churches in the North Africa, Middle East and Central Asia regions, the part of the world with the highest percentage of Muslims.

Putting together unreached people groups and population to church ratios, we see that the greatest needs for Church Planting Movements are in the band

stretching from Northwest Africa to Southeast Asia.

UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUP IN THE CONSIDERED REGIONS

Unreached people groups

7811

141516172122232424252526272728

3537384041

94374

6

14

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400

BahrainQatar

LebanonKuwait

MauritaniaJordanTunisia

Syrian ArabYemen

IraqTurkmenistan

EgyptMorocco

Saudi ArabiaOman

AzerbaijanUAE

KyrgyzTajikistan

LibyaAlgeria

UzbekistanTurkeyIsrael

KazakhstanIran

Pakistan

Source: OW.

Missionary presence


CROSS-CULTURAL MISSIONARIESWHERE DO THEY COME FROM?


Africa7%

Asia36%

Pacific3%

North America

37%

Europe12%

Latin America5%

Data from:

Operation World

Joshua Project

One Challenge International

P.O. Box 4475

Worthing, West Sussex

BN11 3YH

UK

[email protected]

THANK YOU!

Documents

MAPPING THE CHRISTIAN POPULATION A Report on the Size and Distribution of the North Africa, Middle East, Arab Gulf and Central Asia Christian Population