Editing Christendom (section)

==Demographics==
{{Main|Christianity by country}}{{See also|List of Christian denominations by number of members|Christian population growth}}

===Geographic spread===
{{Further|State religion}}
[[File:Christ Islam.png|thumb|upright=1.8|Relative geographic prevalence of Christianity versus [[Islam]] versus lack of either religion (2006)]]

In 2009, according to the ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', Christianity was the majority religion in Europe (including Russia) with 80%, [[Latin America]] with 92%, [[North America]] with 81%, and [[Oceania]] with 79%.<ref>{{Cite book |date=2010 |title=Britannica Book of the Year 2010 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QeKbAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA300 |publisher=Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. |page=300 |isbn=9781615353668 |access-date=30 January 2018}}</ref> There are also large Christian communities in other parts of the world, such as China, India and [[Central Asia]], where Christianity is the second-largest religion after [[Islam]]. The United States is home to the world's largest Christian population, followed by [[Brazil]] and Mexico.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.pewforum.org/2011/12/19/global-christianity-exec/ | title=The Size and Distribution of the World's Christian Population| date=2011-12-19}}</ref>

Many Christians not only live under, but also have an official status in, a [[state religion]] of the following nations: [[Argentina]] (Roman Catholic Church),<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica-Argentina">{{cite encyclopedia|url =https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/33657/Argentina| title = Argentina|encyclopedia = Britannica.com|access-date = 11 May 2008}}</ref> [[Armenia]] ([[Armenian Apostolic Church]]),<ref name="Armenian National Committee of America-Armenia">{{cite web|url = http://www.anca.org/press_releases/press_releases.php?prid=82|title = Gov. Pataki Honors 1700th Anniversary of Armenia's Adoption of Christianity as a state religion|publisher = Aremnian National Committee of America|access-date = 2009-04-11|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100615140846/http://anca.org/press_releases/press_releases.php?prid=82|archive-date = 2010-06-15|url-status = dead}}</ref> [[Costa Rica]] (Roman Catholic Church),<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica-Costa Rica">{{cite encyclopedia|url =https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/139528/Costa-Rica| title = Costa Rica|encyclopedia = Britannica.com|access-date = 2008-05-11}}</ref> [[Denmark]] ([[Church of Denmark]]),<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica-Denmark">{{cite encyclopedia|url =https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/157748/Denmark| title = Denmark|encyclopedia = Britannica.com|access-date = 2008-05-11}}</ref> [[El Salvador]] (Roman Catholic Church),<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica-El Salvador">{{cite encyclopedia|url =https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/181798/El-Salvador| title = El Salvador|encyclopedia = Britannica.com|access-date = 2008-05-11}}</ref> [[England]] ([[Church of England]]),<ref name="Centre for Citizenship-England">{{cite web|url=http://www.centreforcitizenship.org/church1.html |title=Church and State in Britain: The Church of privilege |publisher=Centre for Citizenship |access-date=2008-05-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511204430/http://www.centreforcitizenship.org/church1.html |archive-date=2008-05-11 }}</ref> [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]] ([[Georgian Orthodox Church]]), [[Greece]] ([[Church of Greece]]), [[Iceland]] ([[Church of Iceland]]),<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica-Iceland">{{cite encyclopedia|url =https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/281235/Iceland|title = Iceland|encyclopedia = Britannica.com|access-date = 2008-05-11}}</ref> [[Liechtenstein]] (Roman Catholic Church),<ref name="U.S. Department of State-Liechtenstein">{{cite web|url =https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2003/24418.htm|title = Liechtenstein|publisher = U.S. Department of State|access-date = 2008-05-11}}</ref> [[Malta]] (Roman Catholic Church),<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica-Malta">{{cite encyclopedia|url =https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/360532/Malta|title = Malta|encyclopedia = Britannica.com|access-date = 2008-05-11}}</ref> [[Monaco]] (Roman Catholic Church),<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica-Monaco">{{cite encyclopedia|url =https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/388747/Monaco|title = Monaco|encyclopedia = Britannica.com|access-date = 2008-05-11}}</ref> [[Romania]] ([[Romanian Orthodox Church]]), [[Norway]] ([[Church of Norway]]),<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica-Norway">{{cite encyclopedia|url =https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/420178/Norway|title = Norway|encyclopedia = Britannica.com|access-date = 2008-05-11}}</ref> [[Vatican City]] (Roman Catholic Church),<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica-Vatican City">{{cite encyclopedia|url =https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/623972/Vatican-City|title = Vatican|encyclopedia = Britannica.com|access-date = 2008-05-11}}</ref> [[Switzerland]] (Roman Catholic Church, [[Swiss Reformed Church]] and [[Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland]]).

===Number of adherents===
The estimated number of [[Christians]] in the world ranges from 2.2 billion<ref name="World">33.39% of ~7.2&nbsp;billion world population (under the section 'People') {{Cite CIA World Factbook|country=World|date=27 July 2022 }}</ref><ref name="gordonconwell.edu">{{cite web|url=http://www.gordonconwell.edu/resources/documents/1IBMR2015.pdf|title=Christianity 2015: Religious Diversity and Personal Contact|publisher=gordonconwell.edu|date=January 2015|access-date=2015-05-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525141543/http://www.gordonconwell.edu/resources/documents/1IBMR2015.pdf|archive-date=2017-05-25|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Major Religions Ranked by Size">{{cite web|url=http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000816004118/http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=August 16, 2000 |title=Major Religions Ranked by Size |publisher=Adherents.com |access-date=2009-05-05}}</ref><ref name="Global Christianity">{{cite web |author=ANALYSIS |url=http://www.pewforum.org/Christian/Global-Christianity-exec.aspx |title=Global Christianity |publisher=Pewforum.org |date=2011-12-19 |access-date=2012-08-17 |archive-date=2013-07-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130730062627/http://www.pewforum.org/christian/global-christianity-exec.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref> to 2.4 billion people.{{efn|Current sources are in general agreement that Christians make up about 33% of the world's population—slightly over 2.4 billion adherents in mid-2015.}} The faith represents approximately one-third of the world's population and is the largest religion in the world,<ref name="Major Religions Ranked by Size"/> with the [[List of Christian denominations|three largest groups of Christians]] being the [[Catholic Church]], [[Protestantism]], and the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]].<ref>Hinnells, ''The Routledge Companion to the Study of Religion'', p. 441.</ref> The largest Christian denomination is the Catholic Church, with an estimated 1.2 billion adherents.<ref>{{cite news|title=How many Roman Catholics are there in the world?|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-21443313|work=BBC News|access-date=2016-10-05|date=March 14, 2013}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;margin: auto"
|+ Demographics of major traditions within Christianity ([[Pew Research Center]], 2010 data)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pewforum.org/2011/12/19/global-christianity-exec/|title=Global Christianity – A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Christian Population|date=19 December 2011}}</ref>{{Update inline|date=March 2024}}
|-
! cyrus="col" | Tradition
! scope="col" | Followers
! scope="col" | % of the Christian population
! scope="col" | % of the world population
! scope="col" | Follower dynamics
! scope="col" | Dynamics in- and outside Christianity
|- style="background: yellow"
| [[Catholic Church]]
| 1,094,610,000
| 50.1
| 15.9
| {{increase}} Growing
| {{decrease}} Declining
|- style="background: #B57EDC"
| [[Protestantism]]
| 800,640,000
| 36.7
| 11.6
| {{increase}} Growing
| {{increase}} Growing
|- style="background: #9F8170"
|[[Orthodoxy in Christianity|Orthodoxy]]
| 260,380,000
| 11.9
| 3.8
| {{decrease}} Declining
| {{decrease}} Declining
|- style="background: cyan"
|[[Nontrinitarianism|Other Christianity]]
| 28,430,000
| 1.3
| 0.4
| {{increase}} Growing
| {{increase}} Growing
|-
! Christianity
! 2,184,060,000
! 100
! 31.7
! {{increase}} Growing
! {{nochange}} Stable
|}

===Notable Christian organizations===
A [[religious order]] is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practice. In contrast, the term [[Holy Orders]] is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to a group of individuals who are set apart for a special role or ministry. Historically, the word "order" designated an established civil body or corporation with a hierarchy, and ordination meant legal incorporation into an ordo. The word "holy" refers to the Church. In context, therefore, a holy order is set apart for ministry in the Church. Religious orders are composed of initiates (laity) and, in some traditions, ordained clergies.

Various organizations include:
* In the Roman Catholic Church, [[religious institute]]s and [[secular institute]]s are the major forms of [[institute of consecrated life|institutes of consecrated life]], similar to which are [[society of apostolic life|societies of apostolic life]]. They are organizations of laity or clergy who live a common life under the guidance of a fixed rule and the leadership of a superior. (ed., see [[:Category: Catholic orders and societies]] for a particular listing.)
* [[Anglican religious order]]s are communities of laity or clergy in the Anglican churches who live under a common rule of life. (ed., see [[:Category: Anglican organizations]] for a particular listing)
{{See also|Category: Christian organizations}}