LDS Church Growth, Look at the Stats

Here are some statistics concerning church growth in the last decade that I think you'll find interesting.

Between 2000 and 2009 stakes increased by 323, half of which were created in the United States. Districts fell by around 20, congregations increased by around 2,650, missions climbed slightly from 333 to 344, and temples in operation jumped from 68 to 130. The number of full-time missionaries serving has likely dropped by 5,000.

Stake growth in the 2000s was significantly lower than in the 1990s when 803 new stakes were created. Congregational growth was also much higher in the 1990s, when 8,488 new congregations were created, more than three times as many as the 2000s. Missions also increased much more rapidly, growing by over 100. Instead of missionaries decreasing like in the 2000s, they increased by almost 19,000!

See the full blog article at LDS Church Growth blog. This author also looks forward and predicts growth in the next decade. Note, in the right-hand column you can look up articles and statistics regarding specific countries.

Other interesting statistics from the LDS Church News site:
2009 Year in Review
Top 10 Stories of the 20th Century
2009 Year in Review, More Milestones, a photo gallery
Online Church Almanac

Ellen