Editing Freemasonry (section)

===Grand Lodges===
{{Main|Grand Lodge}}
[[File:Freemasons' Hall, London.JPG|thumb|alt=Freemason's Hall, London|[[Freemasons' Hall, London|Freemasons Hall]], London, home of the [[United Grand Lodge of England]]]]
[[File:Grand Orient de France 2.jpg|thumb|right|The Historical Grand Lodge of the [[Grand Orient de France]]]]
Grand Lodges (sometimes termed Grand Orients) are independent and sovereign bodies that govern Masonry in a given country, state or geographical area (termed a ''jurisdiction''). There is no single overarching governing body that presides over worldwide Freemasonry; connections between different jurisdictions depend solely on mutual recognition.<ref>(editors) John Hamill and Robert Gilbert, ''Freemasonry'', Angus, 2004, Glossary, p. 247</ref><ref>[http://mastermason.com/rfire/masonry/difficult.html#conspiracy "Difficult Questions; Is Freemasonry a Global Conspiracy?"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150603033856/http://mastermason.com/rfire/masonry/difficult.html |date=3 June 2015 }} ''MasterMason.com'', retrieved 18 November 2013</ref>

Estimates of the worldwide membership of Freemasonry in the early 21st century ranged from about two million to more than six million.<ref>{{cite web |title=Freemasonry {{!}} Definition, History, Stages, Lodges, & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Freemasonry |website=www.britannica.com |access-date=17 December 2023 |language=en |date=16 November 2023 |archive-date=8 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240108174852/https://ssum-sec.casalemedia.com/usermatch?us_privacy=1YNY&d=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.britannica.com%2F&s=184674&cb=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.indexww.com%2Fht%2Fhtw-pixel.gif%3F |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=November 2024}}

The fraternity is administratively organised <!-- NOTE: THIS ARTICLE USES UK SPELLING ... which spells this word with an "s" and not a "z". --> into independent [[Grand Lodge]]s (or sometimes Grand Orients), each of which governs its own Masonic jurisdiction, which consists of subordinate (or ''constituent'') Lodges.

The [[United Grand Lodge of England]] (UGLE) remains the largest Masonic jurisdiction worldwide. However, its membership has declined dramatically, from about 500,000 members in the 1960s to approximately 170,000 in 2023.<ref>{{cite web |title=Who we are {{!}} United Grand Lodge of England |url=https://www.ugle.org.uk/about-us/about-ugle |website=www.ugle.org.uk |access-date=17 December 2023 |archive-date=9 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209085140/https://www.ugle.org.uk/about-us/about-ugle |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Annual Report 2023/24 |url=https://www.ugle.org.uk/about-us/annual-reports/annual-report-2023 |website=[[United Grand Lodge of England|UGLE]] |access-date=19 January 2025 |page=7 |archive-date=19 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250119211014/https://www.ugle.org.uk/about-us/annual-reports/annual-report-2023 |url-status=live }}</ref> The organisation is structured into various Provincial Grand Lodges at the local level. Similarly, the [[Grand Lodge of Ireland]] has experienced a steep decline, with membership falling from 100,000 in 1960 to around 19,000 members currently.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Grand Lodge {{!}} Grand Lodge of Ireland |url=https://freemason.ie/about-grand-lodge/ |access-date=17 December 2023 |archive-date=8 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208205612/https://freemason.ie/about-grand-lodge/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the [[United States]], Masonic membership is organised in two systems, first through 51 “mainstream” Grand Lodges&mdash;one for each state plus the [[Washington, D.C.|District of Columbia]]. While these Grand Lodges once boasted over 4 million members in 1957, membership has declined sharply. According to the Masonic Service Association of North America, current combined membership across these jurisdictions stands at approximately 875,000 members.<ref>{{cite web |title=Jurisdictional Membership Statistics – Masonic Service Association of North America |url=https://msana.com/services/jurisdictional-totals/ |website=msana.com |access-date=17 December 2023 |archive-date=17 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217095253/https://msana.com/services/jurisdictional-totals/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Additionally, there are 46 Prince Hall Grand Lodges in amity with UGLE, operating across various U.S. states, as well as multiple Prince Hall style Grand Lodges that split off from the recognized group.  [[Prince Hall Freemasonry]] is a historically [[African Americans|African-American]] branch of Freemasonry that maintains its own separate Grand Lodge system parallel to the state Grand Lodge system.<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Membership Statistics – Masonic Service Association of North America |url=https://msana.com/services/u-s-membership-statistics/ |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=msana.com |archive-date=26 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241126211747/https://msana.com/services/u-s-membership-statistics/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Together, these two systems&mdash;the “mainstream” Grand Lodges and Prince Hall Grand Lodges&mdash;make up for a total of 97 [[United Grand Lodge of England|UGLE]] recognised Grand Lodges, sharing jurisdictions in the United States. They represent the main bodies of Masonic governance in the United States, though both have experienced significant membership declines since their mid-20th century peaks.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hodapp |first=Christopher |date=2022-03-26 |title=Freemasons For Dummies: Flash! GL of Louisiana Votes in Favor of Prince Hall Recognition... Sort Of |url=https://freemasonsfordummies.blogspot.com/2022/03/flash-gl-of-louisiana-votes-in-favor-of.html |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=Freemasons For Dummies |archive-date=9 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241209031131/https://freemasonsfordummies.blogspot.com/2022/03/flash-gl-of-louisiana-votes-in-favor-of.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In [[France]], the [[Grand Orient de France]] stands as the largest and most influential body in Liberal Freemasonry, with over 53,000 members across approximately 1,381 lodges. Unlike many Conservative jurisdictions that have experienced significant membership declines, the Grand Orient has demonstrated remarkable growth, increasing from 33,000 members in 1960 to 53,000 in 2023. This growth reflects the enduring appeal of its Liberal philosophical approach, which emphasizes freedom of conscience, social progress, and intellectual inquiry. The Grand Orient has been particularly influential in French political and intellectual life, championing principles of secularism, democracy, and human rights throughout its history.<ref>{{Cite web |last=BOISSELIER |first=Alexis |date=2023-11-08 |title=Emmanuel Macron se rend au Grand Orient de France : trois questions sur cette loge maçonnique |url=https://www.ouest-france.fr/societe/emmanuel-macron-visite-le-grand-orient-de-france-trois-questions-sur-la-loge-maconnique-52d15996-7d7e-11ee-9e40-5131acac1bc0 |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=Ouest-France.fr |language=fr}}</ref>