The worldwide membership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was 16,805,400 as of Dec. 31, 2021.
The net increase of 141,737 church members was reflected in a statistical report issued after the Saturday afternoon session of the faith’s 192nd Annual General Conference.
The church’s membership numbered:
- 16,663,663 at the end of 2020
- 16,565,036 at the end of 2019.
- 16,313,735 at the end of 2018.
- 16,118,169 at the end of 2017.
The COVID-19 pandemic had depressed the picture of church growth in 2020 both in missionary work and in the number of new children on church rolls. The pandemic delayed baby blessings and baptisms as congregations followed COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
Some of the 2021 statistics reflect the return of blessings and baptisms.
Other statistics from Saturday’s report:
- 31,315 congregations, up 189 from previous year.
- 3,498 stakes, up 35 from previous year.
- 407 missions, up two from previous year.
- 520 districts, down 17, replaced in part by the new stakes listed above.
- 89,069 new children of record, up 23,629 from previous year.
- 168,283 converts baptized, up 42,353 from previous year.
- 54,539 young, full-time proselyting missionaries, up 2,720 from previous year.
- 36,639 church service missionaries, up 6,112 from the previous year.
- 170 temples, an increase of two from previous year.
The church’s membership continues to become more international. The majority of Latter-day Saints live outside the United States and Canada. It has been so since 1998.
Last year, Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said that, “By 2025, we anticipate as many church members may live in Latin America as in the United States and Canada.”
At the end of 2019, the church had 6,920,086 members in the U.S./Canada and 6,677,596 in Latin America, including Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean.
The full 2021 statistical report released on Saturday is available here. The 2020 report is here. The 2019 report is here, and the 2018 report is here.