Index
back to Jehovah's Witnesses, world
| Group | Where | Number of Adherents |
% of total pop. |
Number of congreg./ churches/ units |
Number of countries |
Year | Source | Quote/ Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jehovah's Witnesses | world | 4,278,820 | - | 66,207 units |
211 countries |
1993 | Mead, Frank S. (revised by Samuel S. Hill), Handbook of Denominations in the United States (10th Ed.), Abingdon Press: Nashville, Tenn. (1995). | count is for "active publishers " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | world | 4,000,000 | - | - | - | 1994 | Kephart, William M. & William W. Zellner. Extraordinary Groups: An Examination of Unconventional Life-Styles (5th Ed.). New York: St. Martin's Press (1994); pg. 300. | "There are more than four million Witnesses worldwide, and their further growth is more or less guaranteed by the process of natural increase. " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | world | 5,353,078 | - | - | - | 1997 | *LINK* "GROWTH RATE OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES IN CIS AMONG WORLD'S HIGHEST " from Blagovest-Info/Pravoslavie v Rossii (20 January 1998); cited on web site: "Russian Religious News " | report for the 1997 year... number of baptized members of this organization in 232 countries totals 5,353,078, and if active participants are included it reaches 14,322,226 |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | world | 4,800,000 | - | - | - | 1997 | Conkin, Paul K. American Originals: Homemade Varieties of Christianity, The University of North Carolina Press: Chapel Hill, NC (1997); pg. 145. | "By their own careful and strict assessment of membership, they are domestically slightly larger than the Seventh-day Adventists, with over 800,000 members in the US (they have fewer non-American members, but still an impressive 4 million). " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | world | 5,000,000 | - | - | - | 1997 | Conkin, Paul K. American Originals: Homemade Varieties of Christianity, The University of North Carolina Press: Chapel Hill, NC (1997); pg. 155. | "They grew worldwide from 115,000 in 1942 to 884,000 in 1961 and more than 1.65 million in 1972 (they claim over 5 million today). " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | world | 5,599,931 | - | 85,256 units |
232 countries |
1997 | *LINK* official web site | - |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | world | 974,719 | - | - | - | 1997 | *LINK* web site: "News From Bree "; web page: "Fastest Growing Religion? " (viewed 9 Jan. 1999); "Last Update on 29th November 1998 " | "The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (JWs). Their Statistics Webpage... Members USA 1997: 974,719. " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | world | 5,599,931 | - | 85,256 units |
- | 1997 | *LINK* web site: "News From Bree "; web page: "Fastest Growing Religion? " (viewed 9 Jan. 1999); "Last Update on 29th November 1998 " | "The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (JWs). Their Statistics Webpage... Like the LDS they have 1997 figures available, and data from 1988 is scattered about the Web site... Members: 3,500,000 (1988); 5,599,931 (1997); Congregations: 85,256 (1997) " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | world | 5,599,931 | - | - | 232 countries |
1997 | *LINK* web site: New Religious Movements (University of Virginia) (1998) [Orig. source: official church statistics] | Peak number for 1997. It's safe to say this is a very conservative figure, as this is only the number of publishers (definitely active). |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | world | 5,100,000 | - | - | 232 countries |
1997 | *LINK* web site: New Religious Movements (University of Virginia) (1998) [Orig. source: Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches 1997] | - |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | world | 5,888,650 | - | 87,644 units |
233 countries |
1998 | *LINK* Jehovah's Witnesses official web site; section: "Statistics "; web page: "Worldwide Report " (viewed 16 April 1999). | Table: "1998 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide "; This adherent/member count is for "1998 Peak Witnesses " [ "233 Lands ", not all of which are independent countries.] |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | world | 4,000,000 | - | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* web site (1998): "Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry "; web page: "Jehovah's Witness History " | "Today the Society is led by Mr. Henschel. The group has over 4 million members world wide. " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | world | 5,800,000 | - | 87,600 units |
- | 1999 | *LINK* Stack, Peggy Fletcher. "Jehovah's Witnesses: Bible Will Be Focus of Meeting " in Salt Lake Tribune, June 26, 1999 (viewed online 26 June 1999). | "Jehovah's Witnesses, headquartered in Brooklyn, N.Y., number more than 5.8 million, with 87,600 congregations, according to the church's records. " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | world | 6,035,564 | 0.10% | 91,487 units |
- | 2000 | *LINK* official website; page: "2000 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide " | Table: "Statistics: 2000 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide "; 2000 Peak Witnesses |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Wyoming | - | 0.70% | - | - | 1990 | Kosmin, B. & S. Lachman. One Nation Under God: Religion in Contemporary American Society; Harmony Books: New York (1993); pg. 88-93. | Table 3-1: Religious Composition of State Populations, 1990 (%). Self-identification of religious loyalty, phone survey w/ 113,000 people; by City U. of New York. |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Wyoming | - | 0.00% | - | - | 2001 | *LINK* Kosmin, Barry A.; Egon Mayer; & Ariela Keysar. "American Religious Identity Survey. " 2001. City University of New York. | ARIS: Nationwide phone survey of 50,000 American adults; open-ended question: 'What is your religion, if any?'; Listed in table: "Jehovah's Witness "; Actual % between 0 and 0.5%, so sell was left blank. |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Yugoslavia - former | 3,883 | 0.04% | 48 units |
- | 1997 | *LINK* official web site | Adherent/member count is for "1997 Peak Witnesses "; Memorial attendance (annual sacrament meeting) for same year: 9,012. |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Yugoslavia - former | 3,986 | 0.04% | 51 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* Jehovah's Witnesses official web site; section: "Statistics "; web page: "Worldwide Report " (viewed 16 April 1999). | Table: "1998 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide "; This adherent/member count is for "1998 Peak Witnesses "; [Location listed as "Yugoslavia, F. R. "] |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Yugoslavia - former | 4,031 | 0.04% | 54 units |
- | 2000 | *LINK* official website; page: "2000 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide " | Table: "Statistics: 2000 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide "; 2000 Peak Witnesses; location: "Yugoslavia, F. R. " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 28,126 | 0.09% | 905 units |
- | 1983 | Botting, Heather & Gary Botting. The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses. Toronto: University of Toronto Press (1984); pg. 53-59. | Table: "1983 Service Year Report of JWs Worldwide "; Adherent count here is from "1983 Peak Publishers " column; Location listed in table as "Yap " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 104,134 | 0.22% | 2,492 units |
- | 1997 | *LINK* official web site | Adherent/member count is for "1997 Peak Witnesses "; Memorial attendance (annual sacrament meeting) for same year: 574,736. |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 108,710 | 0.22% | 2,477 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* Jehovah's Witnesses official web site; section: "Statistics "; web page: "Worldwide Report " (viewed 16 April 1999). | Table: "1998 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide "; This adherent/member count is for "1998 Peak Witnesses "; [Location listed in table as "Congo, Dem. Rep. of "] |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | - | 1.00% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Nazarene web site: Nazarene World Mission Society; (major source: Johnstone's Operation World) | Table "Religions " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) | 118,513 | 0.24% | 2,748 units |
- | 2000 | *LINK* official website; page: "2000 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide " | Table: "Statistics: 2000 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide "; 2000 Peak Witnesses; Location: "Congo, Dem. Rep. of " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Zambia | - | 1.00% | - | - | 1966 | Cavendish, Richard (ed.). Man, Myth & Magic: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Supernatural (vol. 11). New York: Marshall Cavendish Corp. (1970); pg. 1499. | "In 1966 there were some 360,000 Witnesses in the United States... whilst in Zambia Witnesses constitute over 1 per cent of the population. " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Zambia | - | 8.00% | - | - | 1979 | *LINK* Nance Profiles web site (orig. source: OPERATION WORLD 1979); (viewed Aug. 1998; now restricted.) | "Total population: 5,100,000. Watchtower 8% - probably the land with the second highest percentage of JWs in the world. Unpopular with the government due to their anarchistic doctrines. " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Zambia | 57,034 | 0.92% | 1,393 units |
- | 1983 | Botting, Heather & Gary Botting. The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses. Toronto: University of Toronto Press (1984); pg. 53-59. | Table: "1983 Service Year Report of JWs Worldwide "; Adherent count here is from "1983 Peak Publishers " column |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Zambia | 96,686 | 0.99% | 2,058 units |
- | 1997 | *LINK* official web site | Adherent/member count is for "1997 Peak Witnesses "; Memorial attendance (annual sacrament meeting) for same year: 428,697. |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Zambia | 104,096 | 1.03% | 2,060 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* Jehovah's Witnesses official web site; section: "Statistics "; web page: "Worldwide Report " (viewed 16 April 1999). | Table: "1998 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide "; This adherent/member count is for "1998 Peak Witnesses " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Zambia | - | 3.00% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Nazarene web site: Nazarene World Mission Society; (major source: Johnstone's Operation World) | Table "Religions " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Zambia | 117,654 | 1.10% | 2,098 units |
- | 2000 | *LINK* official website; page: "2000 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide " | Table: "Statistics: 2000 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide "; 2000 Peak Witnesses |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Zimbabwe | 12,753 | 0.17% | 480 units |
- | 1983 | Botting, Heather & Gary Botting. The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses. Toronto: University of Toronto Press (1984); pg. 53-59. | Table: "1983 Service Year Report of JWs Worldwide "; Adherent count here is from "1983 Peak Publishers " column |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Zimbabwe | 25,878 | 0.21% | 803 units |
- | 1997 | *LINK* official web site | Adherent/member count is for "1997 Peak Witnesses "; Memorial attendance (annual sacrament meeting) for same year: 70,038. |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Zimbabwe | 28,063 | 0.22% | 817 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* Jehovah's Witnesses official web site; section: "Statistics "; web page: "Worldwide Report " (viewed 16 April 1999). | Table: "1998 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide "; This adherent/member count is for "1998 Peak Witnesses " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | Zimbabwe | 30,270 | 0.24% | 874 units |
- | 2000 | *LINK* official website; page: "2000 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide " | Table: "Statistics: 2000 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide "; 2000 Peak Witnesses |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Alaska | 4,033 | - | 24 units |
- | 1983 | Botting, Heather & Gary Botting. The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses. Toronto: University of Toronto Press (1984); pg. 53-59. | Table: "1983 Service Year Report of JWs Worldwide "; Data from columns: "No. of congs. " and "Memorial attendance " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Alaska | 4,756 | 0.75% | 28 units |
- | 1997 | *LINK* official web site | From 1997 Statistics "Memorial attendance " column. Count of all who attend this once-a-year meeting, whether or not a "publisher " in full standing. Most would be considered adherents. |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Alaska | 4,770 | 0.75% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Jehovah's Witnesses official web site; section: "Statistics "; web page: "Worldwide Report " (viewed 16 April 1999). | Table: "1998 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide "; "Memorial attendance " column indicates attendance at yearly communion meeting. |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Alaska | 4,626 | 0.71% | 29 units |
- | 2000 | *LINK* official website; page: "2000 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide " | Table: "Statistics: 2000 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Albania | 3,154 | 0.10% | 22 units |
- | 1997 | *LINK* official web site | From 1997 Statistics "Memorial attendance " column. Count of all who attend this once-a-year meeting, whether or not a "publisher " in full standing. Most would be considered adherents. |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Albania | 6,952 | 0.21% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Jehovah's Witnesses official web site; section: "Statistics "; web page: "Worldwide Report " (viewed 16 April 1999). | Table: "1998 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide "; "Memorial attendance " column indicates attendance at yearly communion meeting. |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Albania | 10,864 | 0.33% | 48 units |
- | 2000 | *LINK* official website; page: "2000 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide " | Table: "Statistics: 2000 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Algeria | 80 | - | 3 units |
- | 1983 | Botting, Heather & Gary Botting. The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses. Toronto: University of Toronto Press (1984); pg. 53-59. | Table: "1983 Service Year Report of JWs Worldwide "; Data from columns: "No. of congs. " and "Memorial attendance " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Andorra | 208 | - | 1 unit |
- | 1983 | Botting, Heather & Gary Botting. The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses. Toronto: University of Toronto Press (1984); pg. 53-59. | Table: "1983 Service Year Report of JWs Worldwide "; Data from columns: "No. of congs. " and "Memorial attendance " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Andorra | 258 | 0.40% | 2 units |
- | 1997 | *LINK* official web site | From 1997 Statistics "Memorial attendance " column. Count of all who attend this once-a-year meeting, whether or not a "publisher " in full standing. Most would be considered adherents. |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Andorra | 244 | 0.37% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Jehovah's Witnesses official web site; section: "Statistics "; web page: "Worldwide Report " (viewed 16 April 1999). | Table: "1998 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide "; "Memorial attendance " column indicates attendance at yearly communion meeting. |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Andorra | 313 | 0.47% | 2 units |
- | 2000 | *LINK* official website; page: "2000 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide " | Table: "Statistics: 2000 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Angola | 160,414 | 1.31% | 478 units |
- | 1997 | *LINK* official web site | From 1997 Statistics "Memorial attendance " column. Count of all who attend this once-a-year meeting, whether or not a "publisher " in full standing. Most would be considered adherents. |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Angola | 147,429 | 1.17% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Jehovah's Witnesses official web site; section: "Statistics "; web page: "Worldwide Report " (viewed 16 April 1999). | Table: "1998 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide "; "Memorial attendance " column indicates attendance at yearly communion meeting. |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Angola | 181,002 | 1.43% | 696 units |
- | 2000 | *LINK* official website; page: "2000 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide " | Table: "Statistics: 2000 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Anguilla | 30 | - | 1 unit |
- | 1983 | Botting, Heather & Gary Botting. The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses. Toronto: University of Toronto Press (1984); pg. 53-59. | Table: "1983 Service Year Report of JWs Worldwide "; Data from columns: "No. of congs. " and "Memorial attendance " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Anguilla | 138 | 1.97% | 1 unit |
- | 1997 | *LINK* official web site | From 1997 Statistics "Memorial attendance " column. Count of all who attend this once-a-year meeting, whether or not a "publisher " in full standing. Most would be considered adherents. |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Anguilla | 114 | 1.14% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Jehovah's Witnesses official web site; section: "Statistics "; web page: "Worldwide Report " (viewed 16 April 1999). | Table: "1998 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide "; "Memorial attendance " column indicates attendance at yearly communion meeting. |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Anguilla | 175 | 1.75% | 1 unit |
- | 2000 | *LINK* official website; page: "2000 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide " | Table: "Statistics: 2000 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Antigua | 552 | - | 4 units |
- | 1983 | Botting, Heather & Gary Botting. The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses. Toronto: University of Toronto Press (1984); pg. 53-59. | Table: "1983 Service Year Report of JWs Worldwide "; Data from columns: "No. of congs. " and "Memorial attendance " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Antigua | 1,190 | 1.80% | 5 units |
- | 1997 | *LINK* official web site | From 1997 Statistics "Memorial attendance " column. Count of all who attend this once-a-year meeting, whether or not a "publisher " in full standing. Most would be considered adherents. |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Antigua | 955 | 1.45% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Jehovah's Witnesses official web site; section: "Statistics "; web page: "Worldwide Report " (viewed 16 April 1999). | Table: "1998 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide "; "Memorial attendance " column indicates attendance at yearly communion meeting. |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Antigua | 1,123 | 1.70% | 6 units |
- | 2000 | *LINK* official website; page: "2000 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide " | Table: "Statistics: 2000 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Argentina | 102,839 | - | 638 units |
- | 1983 | Botting, Heather & Gary Botting. The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses. Toronto: University of Toronto Press (1984); pg. 53-59. | Table: "1983 Service Year Report of JWs Worldwide "; Data from columns: "No. of congs. " and "Memorial attendance " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Argentina | 245,935 | 0.75% | 1,663 units |
- | 1997 | *LINK* official web site | From 1997 Statistics "Memorial attendance " column. Count of all who attend this once-a-year meeting, whether or not a "publisher " in full standing. Most would be considered adherents. |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Argentina | 250,445 | 0.75% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Jehovah's Witnesses official web site; section: "Statistics "; web page: "Worldwide Report " (viewed 16 April 1999). | Table: "1998 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide "; "Memorial attendance " column indicates attendance at yearly communion meeting. |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Argentina | 260,570 | 0.72% | 1,700 units |
- | 2000 | *LINK* official website; page: "2000 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide " | Table: "Statistics: 2000 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Armenia | 13,410 | 0.39% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Jehovah's Witnesses official web site; section: "Statistics "; web page: "Worldwide Report " (viewed 16 April 1999). | Table: "1998 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide "; "Memorial attendance " column indicates attendance at yearly communion meeting. |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Armenia | 18,817 | 0.56% | 39 units |
- | 2000 | *LINK* official website; page: "2000 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide " | Table: "Statistics: 2000 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide " |
| Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance | Aruba | 927 | - | 5 units |
- | 1983 | Botting, Heather & Gary Botting. The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses. Toronto: University of Toronto Press (1984); pg. 53-59. | Table: "1983 Service Year Report of JWs Worldwide "; Data from columns: "No. of congs. " and "Memorial attendance " |
Jehovah's Witnesses - Memorial attendance, continued 