Church Statistics

Collecting accurate statistics on the Church in China is a difficult task. (See "How to count the number of Christians in China" for an outline of the particular difficulties involved.)

Below we present the best statistics we have to date (2004) for the church in China at the provincial and national level. Where possible, we also give the sources of our information and quote statistics from other sources where we feel they are helpful or relevant. We acknowledge freely that the information given here is incomplete, and we hope to add to it and improve upon it over time.

National Statistics

Number of Christians Churches/Meeting Points Ordained Ministers Lay Workers
Total 18,017,7501 32,000 churches
16,000 meeting points2		 2,6002
(2,000 male)
(600 female)		 ?
Notes:

1As it is extremely difficult to access reliable figures for the number of church members in any given place, the above figures are estimates at best. What figures are these estimates based on?
• according to the China Christian Council, there were 17 million Protestant Christians in 2003
• over the past two decades, the number of Protestant Christians has increased by about one million believers per year (again, according to CCC sources)
• it is assumed that, percentage-wise, the overall geographical distribution of Protestant Christians has not changed significantly since the last "official" ANS estimate in 1997.
2Rev. Bao Jiayuan, June 2001

Regional Statistics


(Click on a link below to view that region's statistics)

Anhui Jiangxi
Beijing Jilin
Chongqing Liaoning
Fujian Ningxia
Gansu Qinghai
Guangdong Shaanxi
Guangxi Shandong
Guizhou Shanghai
Hainan Shanxi
Hebei Sichuan
Heilongjiang Tianjin
Henan Tibet
Hubei Xinjiang
Hunan Yunnan
Inner Mongolia Zhejiang
Jiangsu


Name of Region Number of Christians Churches/Meeting Points Ordained Ministers Lay Workers
ANHUI 1,572,000 ? ? ?
Notes:
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Name of Region Number of Christians Churches/Meeting Points Ordained Ministers Lay Workers
BEIJING 39,300 ? ? ?
Notes:
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Name of Region Number of Christians Churches/Meeting Points Ordained Ministers Lay Workers
CHONGQING 300,0001 57 churches
400 meeting points1		 ? ?
Notes:
1Tian Feng August 2000
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Name of Region Number of Christians Churches/Meeting Points Ordained Ministers Lay Workers
FUJIAN 1,179,000 ? ? ?
Notes:
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Name of Region Number of Christians Churches/Meeting Points Ordained Ministers Lay Workers
GANSU 262,000 ? ? ?
Notes:
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Name of Region Number of Christians Churches/Meeting Points Ordained Ministers Lay Workers
GUANGDONG 262,000 ? ? ?
Notes:
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Name of Region Number of Christians Churches/Meeting Points Ordained Ministers Lay Workers
GUANGXI 117,900 ? ? ?
Notes:
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Name of Region Number of Christians Churches/Meeting Points Ordained Ministers Lay Workers
GUIZHOU 393,000 ? ? ?
Notes:
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Name of Region Number of Christians Churches/Meeting Points Ordained Ministers Lay Workers
HAINAN 39,300 ? ? ?
Notes:
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Name of Region Number of Christians Churches/Meeting Points Ordained Ministers Lay Workers
HEBEI 262,000 ? ? ?
Notes:
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Name of Region Number of Christians Churches/Meeting Points Ordained Ministers Lay Workers
HEILONGJIANG 524,000 ? ? ?
Notes:
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Name of Region Number of Christians Churches/Meeting Points Ordained Ministers Lay Workers
HENAN 4,585,000 >1,100 churches
>5,000 meeting points1		 1001 394 elders
>3,000 evangelists1
Notes:
1Tian Feng October 2001
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Name of Region Number of Christians Churches/Meeting Points Ordained Ministers Lay Workers
HUBEI 131,000 ? ? ?
Notes:
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Name of Region Number of Christians Churches/Meeting Points Ordained Ministers Lay Workers
HUNAN 78,600 ? ? ?
Notes:
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Name of Region Number of Christians Churches/Meeting Points Ordained Ministers Lay Workers
INNER MONGOLIA 131,000 ? 201 ?
Notes:
1Katrin Fiedler, 2003
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Name of Region Number of Christians Churches/Meeting Points Ordained Ministers Lay Workers
JIANGSU 1,572,000 3,000 meeting points1 1301 ?
Notes:
1Chinese Theological Review, Volume 14, 1999
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Name of Region Number of Christians Churches/Meeting Points Ordained Ministers Lay Workers
JIANGXI 393,000 ? ? ?
Notes:
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Name of Region Number of Christians Churches/Meeting Points Ordained Ministers Lay Workers
JILIN 262,000 ? ? ?
Notes:
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Name of Region Number of Christians Churches/Meeting Points Ordained Ministers Lay Workers
LIAONING 423,130 ? ? ?
Notes:
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Name of Region Number of Christians Churches/Meeting Points Ordained Ministers Lay Workers
NINGXIA 65,500 ? ? ?
Notes:
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Name of Region Number of Christians Churches/Meeting Points Ordained Ministers Lay Workers
QINGHAI 39,300 ? ? ?
Notes:
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Name of Region Number of Christians Churches/Meeting Points Ordained Ministers Lay Workers
SHAANXI 458,500 1,310 44 140 elders
445 evangelists1
Notes:
1Tian Feng May 2001
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Name of Region Number of Christians Churches/Meeting Points Ordained Ministers Lay Workers
SHANDONG 1,179,000 ? ? ?
Notes:
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Name of Region Number of Christians Churches/Meeting Points Ordained Ministers Lay Workers
SHANGHAI 166,370 131 48 160
Notes:
Source: Tian Feng September 2000
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Name of Region Number of Christians Churches/Meeting Points Ordained Ministers Lay Workers
SHANXI 131,000 ? ? ?
Notes:
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Name of Region Number of Christians Churches/Meeting Points Ordained Ministers Lay Workers
SICHUAN 524,000 ? ? ?
Notes:
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Name of Region Number of Christians Churches/Meeting Points Ordained Ministers Lay Workers
TIANJIN 19,650 ? ? ?
Notes:
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Name of Region Number of Christians Churches/Meeting Points Ordained Ministers Lay Workers
TIBET ? ? ? ?
Notes:
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Name of Region Number of Christians Churches/Meeting Points Ordained Ministers Lay Workers
XINJIANG 131,000 ? ? ?
Notes:
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Name of Region Number of Christians Churches/Meeting Points Ordained Ministers Lay Workers
YUNNAN 1,179,000 ? ? ?
Notes:
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Name of Region Number of Christians Churches/Meeting Points Ordained Ministers Lay Workers
ZHEJIANG 1,834,000 >2,000 churches
>3,000 meeting points1		 ? ?
Notes:
1ANS sources
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