Editing Jehovah's Witnesses (section)

==Demographics==
{{Main|Demographics of Jehovah's Witnesses}}
Jehovah's Witnesses have an active presence in most countries. In {{JWStatistics|year}}, Jehovah's Witnesses reported approximately {{JWStatistics|publishers|approx}} ''publishers''—the term they use for members actively involved in preaching—in about {{JWStatistics|congregations|approx}} congregations.<ref name="jwstatistics">{{cite web|date={{JWStatistics|year}}|title={{JWStatistics|year}} Grand Totals|website= |url=https://www.jw.org/en/library/books/{{JWStatistics|year}}-Service-Year-Report-of-Jehovahs-Witnesses-Worldwide/{{JWStatistics|year}}-Grand-Totals//|access-date=2024-01-09 |publisher=Watchtower Bible and Tract Society}}</ref> In the same year, they conducted Bible studies with {{JWStatistics|studies}} individuals (including those conducted by Witness parents with their children<ref>{{cite magazine |date=November 1, 2003|magazine=Our Kingdom Ministry|page=3|publisher=Watch Tower Society|title=Question Box|url=https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/202003406}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|date=September 1, 2008|magazine=Our Kingdom Ministry|page=3|title=Question Box-May both parents report the time used for the regular family study?|url=https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/202008324}}</ref>). 4,091 members served as missionaries in 2021.<ref name="missionaries">{{Cite web |date=June 1, 2021 |title=Missionaries "to the Most Distant Part of the Earth" |url=https://www.jw.org/en/library/series/how-your-donations-are-used/Missionaries-to-the-Most-Distant-Part-of-the-Earth/ |access-date=March 22, 2024 |website=jw.org |quote=Currently, there are 3,090 field missionaries worldwide. These missionaries are assigned to congregations where there is a need in the preaching work. Another 1,001 field missionaries serve in the circuit work.}}</ref> In {{JWStatistics|year}}, Jehovah's Witnesses reported a worldwide annual increase of {{JWStatistics|increase}}. {{JWStatistics|memorial}} people attended the annual memorial of Christ's death.<ref name="jwstatistics" /> According to the Watch Tower Society, more than 25,600 members have died of [[COVID-19]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/StudioNewsReports/docid-702021091_1_VIDEO|title=2021 Governing Body Update #10|publisher=Watch Tower Society}}</ref> The official published membership statistics, such as those above, include only those who submit reports for their personal ministry.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jw-media.org/aboutjw/article41.htm|title=Jehovah's Witnesses Official Media Web Site: Our History and Organization: Membership|publisher=Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121204211516/http://www.jw-media.org/aboutjw/article41.htm#membership|archive-date=December 4, 2012}}</ref> As a result, only about half of those who self-identify as Jehovah's Witnesses in independent demographic studies are considered ''active'' by the faith itself.<ref>{{cite report|date=February 1, 2008|pages=9, 30|publisher=Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life|title=U.S. Religious Landscape Survey Religious Affiliation: Diverse and Dynamic}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thearda.com/us-religion/group-profiles/groups|title=Groups - Religious Profiles &#124; US Religion|website=www.thearda.com}}</ref> Research regarding the demographics of Jehovah's Witnesses is incredibly limited; [[sample size]]s tend to be small and focused to a specific region. Cross-cultural studies are "virtually non-existent".{{sfn|Chu|Peltonen|2025}}

The 2008 US [[Pew Research Center|Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life]] survey found a low retention rate among members of the denomination: about 37% of people raised in the group continued to identify as Jehovah's Witnesses.<ref>{{cite web|first=David|last=Van Biema|date=February 25, 2008|title=America's Unfaithful Faithful|url=http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1716987,00.html|via=content.time.com|access-date=July 30, 2019|archive-date=February 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221171204/http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1716987,00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|access-date=June 20, 2017|archive-date=April 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170417032920/http://www.pewforum.org/files/2013/05/report-religious-landscape-study-full.pdf|title=PEW Forum on Religion and Public Life. U.S. Religious Landscape Survey: Religious Affiliation: Diverse and Dynamic|url-status=dead|url=http://www.pewforum.org/files/2013/05/report-religious-landscape-study-full.pdf}}</ref> The next lowest retention rates were for Buddhism at 50% and Catholicism at 68%. The study also found that 65% of adult American Jehovah's Witnesses are converts.<ref name="pewfact">{{cite web|url=http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/04/26/a-closer-look-at-jehovahs-witnesses-living-in-the-u-s|title=A closer look at Jehovah's Witnesses living in the U.S.|date=April 26, 2016 |publisher=Pew Research Center}}</ref> In 2016, Jehovah's Witnesses had the lowest average household income among surveyed religious groups, with approximately half of Witness households in the United States earning less than $30,000 per year.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Masci |first1=David |title=How income varies among U.S. religious groups |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2016/10/11/how-income-varies-among-u-s-religious-groups/ |website=Pew Research Center |date=October 11, 2016 |access-date=7 July 2024}}</ref> As of 2016, Jehovah's Witnesses were considered to be the most racially diverse Christian denomination in the United States.{{sfn|Chryssides|2022|page=29}} A sociological comparative study by the [[Pew Research Center]] found that American Jehovah's Witnesses ranked highest in getting no further than high school graduation, belief in God, importance of religion in one's life, frequency of religious attendance, frequency of prayers, frequency of Bible reading outside of religious services, belief that their prayers are answered, belief that their religion can only be interpreted one way, belief that theirs is the only one true faith leading to eternal life, opposition to abortion, and opposition to homosexuality. Jehovah's Witnesses also ranked lowest in interest in politics.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=December 14, 2017|date=June 1, 2008|publisher=Pew Research Center|title=Religious Beliefs and Practices|url=http://www.pewforum.org/2008/06/01/u-s-religious-landscape-survey-religious-beliefs-and-practices|work=U.S. Religious Landscape Survey}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|access-date=December 14, 2017|publisher=Pew Research Center|title=Jehovah's Witnesses|url=http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/religious-tradition/jehovahs-witness|work=U.S. Religious Landscape Survey}}</ref>